Catholic Bishops, INEC at Odds over Nigeria’s 2023 Elections Credibility

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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) criticized the 2023 general elections, saying the flawed process has severely undermined public confidence in the country’s democracy.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected these claims, insisting the election met legal standards and challenged the bishops to produce evidence of rigging.

Bishops Decry Electoral Malpractice and Loss of Trust

In an interactive session in Akwa Ibom State, during the Bishops Conference, CBCN President and Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Ugorji, gave a scathing verdict on Nigeria’s electoral system. Declaring that the country was “sinking on many fronts,” Ugorji lamented that electoral malpractice, fraud, and “technical glitches” had eroded citizens’ trust in the process.

He called for sweeping reforms, including: real‑time electronic transmission and collation of results; constitutional amendments to guarantee INEC’s independence; ensuring appointments to INEC are non‑partisan and free from political manipulation.

Ugorji also expressed broader concerns about Nigeria’s deteriorating socio‑economic state: deepening insecurity, crumbling health sector, worsening poverty, youth unemployment, failing education infrastructure, and ongoing power shortages.

INEC’s Response: Rejection and Defence

INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Sunday, responded swiftly, describing the bishops’ verdict as “unfounded” and “ungodly.” He argued that

the so‑called glitches—most notably the failure of the IReV (INEC Result Viewing) portal—are being exaggerated. According to Oyekanmi, the portal merely displays results already declared at polling units, but does not collate or compute votes.

“The 2023 elections, while not perfect, satisfied the legal standard of ‘substantial compliance,” he stated.

“There are no discrepancies between the results declared by the Returning Officers at the National Collation Centre and those filed by polling officials.” INEC maintained that allegations about mismatched polling unit cancellations or numbers are inaccurate.

Precedents, Civil Society, and Broader Criticism

The bishops’ concerns reecho those of civil society organisations from earlier in 2023. Groups such as the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room criticised the electoral process for lacking transparency and accountability, faulting INEC for its failure to render real‑time uploads via the IReV portal, and for operational lapses, violence, and poor organisation.

Observers, both domestic and international, also flagged similar issues: that despite the introduction of technology tools intended to improve transparency (e.g., the BVAS accreditation system, voter registration reforms), many voters felt communication was inadequate, and some polling units were disrupted or inaccessible.

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