Former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has voiced strong regret over spending ten years with the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying his efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system ultimately proved fruitless.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Igini reflected on the deep-rooted resistance to credible elections and the personal risks faced by officials committed to reform.

He recounted a tragic incident involving a colleague in Kano who was reportedly killed while attempting to uphold electoral integrity, underscoring the dangers reform-minded officials encounter.

Igini explained that he devoted more than three decades to improving Nigeria’s electoral process, including ten years of active service within INEC, with the aim of restoring public confidence in elections and ensuring that the ballot truly reflects the will of the people in a democracy.

However, he said the realization that many of their reform efforts yielded little impact left him disillusioned. According to him, the risks were so severe that he believes he could have lost his life while pursuing the same cause, citing the killing of his colleague and the devastating impact on the victim’s family.