INEC Ex-Commissioner Mike Igini Writes Trump, Asks US Government To Meet Tinubu On Nigeria’s 2027 Elections, Mandate Credibility Of Electoral Process
INEC Ex-Commissioner Mike Igini Writes Trump, Asks US Government To Meet Tinubu On Nigeria’s 2027 Elections, Mandate Credibility Of Electoral Process
Under the first proposal, Igini urged the United States to dispatch a high-level delegation to Nigeria to engage President Bola Tinubu, presidential and governorship candidates, INEC, political parties and other relevant institutions.Nigerian news analysis
Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has written to United States President Donald Trump, urging his administration to make the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general election a key condition for its diplomatic engagement with the country.
Igini, a former electoral commissioner, called on Trump to adopt what he described as a “No Mandate Fraud” doctrine, arguing that electoral malpractice, corruption, insecurity and poor governance in Nigeria are among the underlying factors contributing to migration pressure, including the movement of Nigerians to the United States.Nigerian news analysis
In a letter dated Friday, November 13, and addressed to Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., Igini proposed a series of diplomatic, monitoring and accountability measures aimed at preventing electoral manipulation during Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Titled “No Mandate From Fraud Election 2027: A Policy – Using Electoral Integrity To Reduce Illegal Immigration From Nigeria,” the letter urged the United States to connect its immigration policy and bilateral relations with Nigeria to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.Nigerian news analysis
Igini explained that Nigerians were not leaving their country because they lacked love for it but because decades of electoral malpractice, corruption, insecurity and weak public accountability had undermined public confidence in government and created conditions compelling many citizens to seek opportunities abroad.
He acknowledged that migration has multiple causes but maintained that credible elections are fundamental to producing legitimate leadership, strengthening public institutions and creating an environment for sustainable prosperity.
According to him, Nigeria possesses the population, oil, gas and human resources required to become one of the richest countries in the world but has been held back by a leadership recruitment process that has turned the country into what he described as a “plundered wilderness”, littered with missed opportunities.
He said the situation had forced thousands of professionals, students and families to seek opportunities and refuge in the United States.
“The challenge is how to ensure that public office derives authority and legitimacy from the freely expressed will of the electorate and that those entrusted with power govern in the public interest,” he wrote.
Igini said that tightening border controls alone would not adequately address migration challenges, insisting that the United States should also address the governance and democratic failures contributing to the problem in countries such as Nigeria.
“Mr President, border enforcement alone cannot solve this. We must address the cause at the source,” he stated.
As part of his recommendations, the former electoral commissioner urged the Trump administration to publicly announce a firm diplomatic position ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, warning that electoral fraud should attract consequences for those responsible.
He proposed five major measures, including high-level diplomatic engagement, targeted sanctions against electoral officials and judicial officers involved in proven misconduct, accountability for security personnel accused of partisan activities, and independent monitoring of the electoral process.
Under the first proposal, Igini urged the United States to dispatch a high-level delegation to Nigeria to engage President Bola Tinubu, presidential and governorship candidates, INEC, political parties and other relevant institutions.
He said the delegation should make it clear that credible elections, peaceful political competition and respect for constitutional rights are fundamental US interests connected to bilateral relations, migration and regional stability.
Igini also called on the United States, in consultation with European partners, to issue a clear warning to Nigerian election officials over their responsibilities in ensuring credible elections.
He specifically mentioned INEC Chairman, National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners and ad hoc election officials drawn from federal agencies and universities, who are involved in the actual conduct of elections.
He proposed that officials found, through credible evidence and applicable legal procedures, to have deliberately manipulated election results, falsified electoral records or committed other serious electoral offences should face individual consequences.
These, he said, could include visa restrictions and, where legally justified, targeted financial sanctions and asset freezes.
Igini further proposed that such accountability measures should extend to the immediate family members of officials involved in electoral fraud, subject to applicable legal criteria.
The former commissioner also called for accountability within the judiciary, warning that judicial independence should not be used as protection for deliberate corruption or the subversion of electoral justice.
He urged the Trump administration to consider appropriate measures against individual judicial officers whose deliberate corruption or other sanctionable misconduct in electoral matters could be established through credible evidence and meet the applicable legal requirements for designation.
He, however, proposed visa restrictions and asset-related sanctions against judicial officers found to have enabled electoral fraud.
The former INEC commissioner also called on the United States to scrutinise the conduct of Nigerian security agencies before and during the 2027 elections.
He listed the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Armed Forces, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security institutions, stressing that their responsibility was to protect citizens and uphold the law impartially rather than serve the interests of politicians.
Igini described the heads of the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS as two of the finest officers with enviable records of service but warned that security institutions must not be allowed to become instruments for political intimidation.
He expressed concern over what he described as growing violence and thuggery across Nigeria since the commencement of political campaigns.
He urged the United States to hold senior security officers and commanders accountable where credible evidence establishes that they authorised or facilitated voter intimidation, electoral violence, unlawful suppression of opposition activities or manipulation of election outcomes.
Such officers, he proposed, should face individual consequences, including visa restrictions and other appropriate sanctions.
Igini further urged the Trump administration to support credible domestic and international election observers to monitor Nigeria’s electoral process before, during and after the 2027 elections.
He said particular attention should be paid to voter intimidation, the impartial conduct of security personnel, publication of polling-unit results, transparent collation processes and the resolution of electoral disputes.
According to him, a clear diplomatic position backed by independent monitoring and lawful, evidence-based consequences for electoral malpractice could deter violations and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He maintained that Nigeria had the resources and human capital to prosper but urgently needed a political system in which leadership was earned through the ballot, public institutions served citizens and electoral fraud attracted consequences.
Explaining why the proposal would benefit the United States, Igini identified four major areas in which electoral integrity in Nigeria could advance Trump’s America-First policy.
He explained that credible elections would help reduce migration pressure by producing accountable leaders capable of improving Nigeria’s economy and living conditions.
He said effective leadership would create opportunities at home, encourage Nigerians to remain in their country and potentially persuade members of the Nigerian diaspora in the United States to return.
He argued that the United States would protect its resources by avoiding the legitimisation and funding of governments that lacked the consent of their people.
He said a stable, democratic and accountable Nigeria would strengthen America’s security interests by making the country a more reliable partner in tackling terrorism, organised crime, regional insecurity and adversarial influence in Africa.
He highlighted the economic benefits of improved democratic governance, particularly in the energy sector.
Igini argued that allowing Nigerians to freely elect leaders who prioritise public welfare would advance mutual economic interests, including electricity diversification and development at different levels of government.
He said American companies could share technology and technical expertise with Nigerian governments that prioritise the country’s most pressing needs, particularly reliable electricity supply.
Igini stressed that the United States should communicate its position before the 2027 elections rather than wait until electoral disputes or political crises emerge.
He warned that America should not continue business as usual with any Nigerian government produced through electoral fraud.
“Mr President, strength and clarity work. The time to act is before the election, not after a crisis has occurred,” he wrote.
He added that a clear US position ahead of the election was urgently needed to help save American money and resources spent on border enforcement.
Reiterating his argument, Igini described leadership recruitment as Nigeria’s longstanding national challenge and urged Trump to support Nigerians in exercising their democratic rights in 2027.
“The longstanding challenge of my country is leadership recruitment. Help Nigerians choose their leaders freely in 2027, and you will cut off a major source of immigration at its root,” he stated.
He invites the Trump administration to consider his recommendations and engage with credible Nigerians who could assist its policy team.
