INEC APPOINTMENTS: Transparency, Fairness and National Unity. CEPCCN demands constitutional compliance, merit, equitable representation and accountability without prejudice.

CEPCCN NATIONAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS INEC APPOINTMENTS: 7+7=14 CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON TRANSPARENCY, FEDERAL CHARACTER, FAIRNESS AND NATIONAL UNITY

OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONAL POSITION | 15 OCTOBER 2026

The Christian Elders and Professionals Consultative Council of Nigeria (CEPCCN)

Q1. Why is CEPCCN raising concerns about INEC appointments?

Answer: CEPCCN considers transparency, fairness and institutional impartiality essential to the credibility of Nigeria's electoral system. Concerns raised by Dr. Uche Diala about the reported regional composition of INEC's departmental leadership deserve objective examination. Our intervention is not an endorsement of unverified allegations but a call for accountability and public confidence.

Q2. What is CEPCCN's principal concern?

Answer: Our principal concern is whether appointments to sensitive electoral departments comply with applicable constitutional requirements, established procedures, professional standards and principles of equitable representation. INEC must demonstrate that its decisions are guided by competence, integrity, merit and fairness rather than political or ethnic considerations.

Q3. Does the reported regional composition of INEC's leadership prove ethnic imbalance?

Answer: No. A list of names or alleged ethnic identities, without independently verified information and relevant institutional data, does not conclusively establish discrimination or wrongdoing. Nevertheless, credible concerns about representation should not be dismissed without appropriate investigation and clarification.

Q4. What does the Nigerian Constitution say about national balance?

Answer: Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, establishes the federal-character principle to promote national unity and prevent the predominance of persons from a few states or ethnic or sectional groups in federal institutions. Applicable requirements must be respected alongside merit, professional competence and due process.

Q5. Should merit take precedence over federal character?

Answer: CEPCCN rejects the assumption that merit and federal character are necessarily incompatible. Public institutions must appoint qualified and competent personnel while complying with applicable constitutional and legal requirements concerning equitable representation. Neither principle should be manipulated to excuse favouritism or discrimination.

Q6. What should INEC do about these allegations?

Answer: INEC should provide appropriate clarification concerning its appointment criteria, procedures and compliance with applicable requirements. Where credible evidence suggests irregularity, the matter should receive an impartial institutional review, followed by lawful corrective action if a violation is established.

Q7. Is CEPCCN accusing INEC of ethnic discrimination?

Answer: No. CEPCCN is not presenting unverified allegations as established facts. We are insisting that credible questions about a national institution be addressed transparently. Accountability requires evidence, fair examination and conclusions proportionate to the facts established.

Q8. What role should the Federal Character Commission play?

Answer: The Federal Character Commission should address properly submitted concerns within its constitutional mandate, examine relevant evidence and take appropriate action where non-compliance is established. Its role should be exercised impartially and in accordance with the law.

Q9. Why is ethnic identity alone insufficient to judge an appointment?

Answer: Ethnicity does not, by itself, establish an individual's competence, loyalty or professional integrity. Equally, the language of merit must not be used to dismiss demonstrable institutional imbalance. Appointments should be assessed through verifiable qualifications, lawful procedures and relevant representation requirements.

Q10. What are the dangers of ignoring legitimate concerns?

Answer: Failure to address credible concerns can weaken public confidence, encourage perceptions of exclusion and undermine institutional legitimacy. Conversely, circulating unverified allegations can inflame ethnic suspicion and unfairly damage reputations. Responsible leadership requires transparency without prejudice.

Q11. What Christian principles guide CEPCCN's position?

Answer: Proverbs 18:13 cautions against answering a matter before hearing it fully. This principle calls for careful investigation, fairness and restraint. Christian leadership must have the courage to challenge established injustice while maintaining the humility to acknowledge evidence and avoid premature judgment.

Q12. What does CEPCCN demand from political leaders and the media?

Answer: We urge political leaders, commentators and media organisations to verify claims before publication, distinguish allegations from established facts and avoid inflammatory ethnic narratives. Public scrutiny is legitimate and necessary, but it must be guided by evidence, professionalism and responsibility.

Q13. What is CEPCCN's position on national unity?

Answer: CEPCCN rejects both sectional dominance and collective ethnic blame. Every Nigerian deserves equal dignity, fair opportunity and impartial treatment under the law. National unity is strengthened when public institutions demonstrate fairness rather than merely demand public trust.

Q14. What is CEPCCN's final institutional position?

Answer: CEPCCN will neither endorse unverified allegations nor remain indifferent to credible concerns affecting national institutions. We call for constitutional compliance, transparent appointments, professional competence, equitable representation and accountability without political interference.

Our governing principle is unequivocal: constitutional compliance without compromise, merit without favouritism, representation without discrimination, and accountability without political interference.

CEPCCN NATIONAL DECLARATION

Truth before accusation. Evidence before judgment. Justice without prejudice. Fairness without favouritism. National unity without exclusion.

May wisdom guide our leaders, justice govern our institutions, and truth strengthen our national life.

FAITH • WISDOM • PROFESSIONALISM • JUSTICE • NATIONAL UNITY

Signed:

His Lordship, Bishop Justice Alpha Ikpeama Director-General (D-G) Christian Elders and Professionals Consultative Council of Nigeria (CEPCCN)

“Champions of Professionalism and Wisdom in Christ.”