INEC actions could undermine Nigeria’s democracy, Hayatu-Deen warns

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, foremost economist and former presidential aspirant, has raised concerns over recent decisions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that they could erode democratic norms and weaken public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

In a statement issued on Friday, Hayatu-Deen cautioned that actions capable of limiting political participation risk shrinking the democratic space and undermining confidence in elections.

“When a commission charged with protecting participation instead restricts it, we must ask: in whose interest does it act?” he said.

He specifically referenced INEC’s move to revalidate the national voters register and its decision not to engage with or receive correspondence from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), warning of the implications for democratic inclusion.

“Any action that potentially disenfranchises voters or prevents a political party from fielding candidates strikes at the core of democratic rights,” he said.

“Democracy is not merely a calendar of elections. It is a covenant, one that demands equal access, transparent rules, and the unshakeable confidence of citizens that the process is fair.”

Hayatu-Deen stressed that once public trust in the electoral system is compromised, the consequences extend beyond a single electoral cycle.

“Once that confidence is undermined, the legitimacy of every outcome that follows is called into question. Nigeria cannot afford that erosion,” he said.

He also linked the concerns to broader national challenges, noting that institutional strength is closely tied to economic stability and security.

“The two are inseparable. Weaken the institutions, and you weaken the nation’s capacity to heal itself,” he said.

While maintaining that his intervention was not politically motivated, he warned that democratic decline often occurs gradually.

“The gradual erosion of democratic norms is rarely dramatic. It announces itself in quiet exclusions, and in institutions that bend just enough to serve power. But the consequences, when they fully arrive, are often devastating,” he said.

He called on authorities to act in line with the rule of law and urged citizens to remain vigilant in safeguarding democratic values.
“The preservation of our democracy is not the work of any single party or person. It is a shared responsibility,” he said.

Hayatu-Deen, a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023, has held several leadership roles across Nigeria’s financial and policy institutions over a career spanning more than four decades.