Despite bold declarations by political actors promising a fiercely contested election in 2027, SaharaReporters learnt that a covert plan to manipulate the process is already in motion.

Investigations indicate that a prominent politician from Oghara, Delta State, is actively working to install a compromised figure as the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), setting the stage for widespread electoral fraud.

Sources close to the matter have implicated former Delta State Governor James Ibori, a convicted ex-governor returned to Nigeria after serving a sentence in the United Kingdom for looting public funds. Ibori is reportedly maneuvering to position his associate and kinsman, Moses Ogbe, as the next INEC Chairman to ensure direct control over the rigging of the 2027 elections.

Web Of Political Influence

Ibori’s influence in the current political landscape remains significant. His past political manipulations include the appointment of his ally, Chinedu Ebie, as Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Governing Board, and his daughter, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, as Chairperson of the House Committee on NDDC.

SaharaReporters learnt that now, Ibori is pushing for Moses Ogbe, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) under Prof. Maurice Iwu’s tenure, to replace the current INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Moses Ogbe’s Troubling Track Record

SaharaReporters’ investigation into Ogbe’s past reveals a deeply concerning history of electoral manipulation. Ogbe, once a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was nominated by Ibori for a REC position during a period marked by widespread election rigging.

He was allegedly part of a network of election manipulators working closely with Prof. Iwu, notorious for overseeing Nigeria’s deeply flawed 2007 general election—an election so discredited that then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua admitted its failures and initiated electoral reforms.

Appointments And Allegiances

Ogbe’s tenure as REC in Lagos State during the 2003 elections reportedly saw significant electoral malpractices under the administration of then-Governor Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu has a habit of surrounding himself with individuals he has previously worked with or known as he advances politically.

For example, in 1999, the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, served as Tinubu’s Chief Security Officer while holding the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. At the time, Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State.

After assuming office as President in May 2023, Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the Inspector General of Police in June 2023, replacing Usman Baba.

Egbetokun was initially set to retire in September 2024 upon reaching the age of 60. However, the National Assembly amended the Police Act, ensuring his tenure would last a full four years, regardless of the standard civil service retirement age.

This amendment, passed in 2024, stipulates that an Inspector General of Police serves a four-year term from the date of appointment, which, in Egbetokun’s case, was October 31, 2023.

As a result, Egbetokun’s tenure was extended until October 31, 2027, allowing him to complete the debated four-year term. This extension ensures that Tinubu’s ally, Egbetokun, will be in charge of security operations during the 2027 general elections.

In August 2024, during the launch of a book in his honour titled ‘Readings in Policing, Peace, and Security’ in Abuja, Egbetokun reflected on his longstanding relationship with Tinubu.