INEC's 2027 Election Preparations Under Scrutiny
As the 2027 elections approach, the media must scrutinize INEC's preparations to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. Despite its Strategic Plan 2022-2026, INEC's past performances have been marred by opacity, weak explanations, and institutional defensiveness. The media should track INEC's progress, questioning its claims and testing its systems, rather than simply quoting officials. With the elections just over a year away, the media must alter its mindset and strategize to cover the elections differently, seeking support from international media development organizations and democracy-support foundations. The media should establish specialized investigative teams to track and expose illicit money flows, vote-buying, and campaign finance violations, and build a joint media-civil society election security and impunity tracker. By doing so, the media can hold INEC to account and ensure that the 2027 elections are a success. Will the media be able to hold INEC to account and ensure a successful election, or will the commission's past mistakes repeat themselves?