The House of Representatives is reviewing a proposal to amend the Nigerian Constitution and transfer the power to appoint the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the President to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

As reported by Sunday PUNCH, the goal of the amendment is to reduce political influence over the country’s electoral body and promote a more transparent and independent selection process. The idea echoes a 2007 recommendation by a panel led by former Chief Justice Muhammadu Uwais, which called for reforms to shield INEC from executive control.

If passed, the bill would see the NJC play a central role in nominating the INEC Chair, reducing presidential influence and possibly giving the National Assembly more oversight in the final appointment stage.

Former INEC boss, Professor Attahiru Jega, welcomed the development, saying it would help remove political pressure from the electoral process. Civil society leaders also supported the move, though some warned that the NJC’s own neutrality could be questioned, and urged the inclusion of a wider group of stakeholders in the selection process.

Samson Itodo of YIAGA Africa said that although the proposal aligns with previous reform recommendations, concerns remain about how independent the NJC truly is. He suggested forming a diverse committee to handle appointments more transparently.

Auwal Rafsanjani of CISLAC added that including the NJC could help restore public trust in the judiciary, which many Nigerians believe has lost credibility in recent years.

However, some legal experts and commentators remain skeptical. Lawyer Abdul Mahmud argued that the NJC lacks full public trust and may not be the right body to handle such a sensitive political role. Pro-democracy advocate Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin also expressed doubts about whether this change alone would be enough to improve the credibility of INEC appointments.

Public affairs analyst Jackson Ojo agreed that the process needs reform but warned that simply shifting the power to another body won’t fix the underlying trust issues unless the new process is truly transparent and non-partisan.