*Warns 1 Million Nigerians Control Resources Meant for 220 Million
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Naija-Virtual-Notary.jpg")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
Renowned Nigerian banker and founder of ANAP Foundation, Atedo Peterside, delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems during a candid interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. He described the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under former Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as a “national disgrace” and accused the judiciary of failing to meet required standards, warning that this could drive citizens to resort to “self-help” in resolving electoral disputes.
Peterside spoke in response to the recent appointment of Prof. Joash Amupitan as INEC’s new chairman by President Bola Tinubu on October 23. While expressing cautious optimism about the leadership change, he did not hold back on Yakubu’s legacy from 2015 to October 2025. “I will never say never, but the INEC that was led by Mahmood Yakubu was a national disgrace,” he said. “You just have to go on their IReV [INEC Result Viewing Portal]. If you have time, I will take you there myself and show you result sheets they upload mutilated, sometimes with figures changed, and in some cases, they even forget to change the words.”
He tied this directly to the judiciary’s shortcomings, arguing that courts have eroded public trust by placing an undue burden of proof on election victims rather than on INEC itself. Citing Sen. Henry Seriake Dickson (formerly Bayelsa State governor), Peterside endorsed calls to amend the Electoral Act to shift the onus onto INEC. “See, this is where our judiciary has not lived up to the required standards. I agree with Senator Dickson that the burden of proof should shift to INEC,” he stated. “You can’t allow a situation where INEC can do anything, release mutilated results, and then argue that it’s the victim’s job to prove wrongdoing when even a blind man can see the fraud.”
Peterside lamented the widespread loss of confidence in both institutions, warning of dire consequences. “A majority of Nigerians have lost confidence in both the electoral body and the judiciary,” he said, adding that post-2023 elections, particularly in Edo State, have left the public viewing the courts as a “waste of time.” He cautioned: “These next elections… I don’t think anybody realistically is going to go for elections, get a result they do not like, and then start going to the judiciary. If INEC messes up, people would resort immediately to self-help because there’s no use going to the judiciary.”
Reflecting on INEC’s technological advancements under Yakubu, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV, Peterside alleged internal sabotage. He recounted how INEC initially uploaded results transparently but later turned off servers amid the 2023 polls, offering “lies upon lies” about hackers. “They were bringing out results… loading everything on BVAS. Then a time came when they decided to turn everything off and start manipulating the result sheets,” he said. “I went on TV myself, showing all the manipulated result sheets. A blind man could see them.” He contrasted this with a “show election” in Osun State, where BVAS worked properly, suggesting that desperation by politicians and possible high-level interference led to the national rollout’s failure.
Peterside urged swift reforms, emphasizing that Amupitan’s true character would be revealed after conducting “one election.” He stressed the need for parallel measures, including forensic audits and accountability, to prevent a “time bomb” scenario.
Expanding beyond elections, Peterside painted a grim picture of systemic “state capture,” where a narrow elite estimated at 1 million people rig resources meant for 220 million Nigerians, fueling corruption and inequality. “The biggest threat is corruption and state capture,” he declared. “People are progressively making arrangements so that they capture a larger share of that revenue, and only a narrow elite benefits.”
He accused elites of “removing the ladder” after ascending via merit-based systems, manipulating recruitment, contracts, and appointments to favor kin. “If you are a judge, the judges will ensure that only their own children become judges,” he said. “Too many people are shamelessly manipulating and rigging things so that only a narrow elite benefit.” Citing personal anecdotes, he noted how two CEOs at Stanbic IBTC rose from entry-level positions via open CV submissions a meritocracy now eroded in public sectors like the judiciary and civil service. “A poor man’s child couldn’t get into an MD or central bank,” he added, attributing this to entrenched nepotism.
On the economy, Peterside acknowledged early reforms under Tinubu such as FX liberalization and fuel subsidy removal as necessary but poorly executed without safeguards. “Those are the types of reforms that you could do in 24 hours,” he noted, criticizing the lack of “scientific handouts” to the poor via NIN-enabled cash transfers. “Even if it’s 15,000 [naira], it’s better than zero,” he argued, dismissing inflation fears: “There’s no inflation created by spending money that you have.” He questioned opaque palliative distributions: “They’ve done over 300 billion… But to who? Why do you leave out some poor people?”
Despite increased revenues for federal, state, and local governments post-reforms, Peterside decried elite capture. “Instead of using the money to improve the lives of the people, it is being captured by the elites,” he said. He highlighted wasteful spending lawmakers buying luxury SUVs amid hardship, jumbo foreign trips, and governors’ motorcades as evidence of squandered gains. “The purpose of all those reforms was to bring more revenue to government who would now use that money judiciously… but that’s not happening.”
Peterside warned that without efficient spending, infrastructure investment, and investor-friendly policies, GDP growth would enrich the wealthy while impoverishing the masses. “This economy only works for a few people,” he said. “You’re destroying various sectors one by one.” He advocated universal flat-rate cash transfers and eliminating waste, citing the ignored Oronsaye report on streamlining agencies.
On security, Peterside expressed skepticism about Tinubu’s recent service chiefs reshuffle, calling it insufficient for “systemic” issues. “I’m always skeptical about fundamental changes… simply by changing personnel at the top,” he said. He advocated multi-tiered policing federal, state, and community alongside more “boots on the ground.” “Without state policing, it’s very difficult to deploy somebody from Adamawa to Akwa-Ibom and expect them to resolve local crime,” he explained, emphasizing local knowledge for tackling kidnappings and robberies. He also criticized misallocation of security votes to VIP escorts: “The lion’s share is spent on armed escorts for big men.” Comparing Nigeria to Chad’s success against Boko Haram via trusted informants, he stressed community trust and infrastructure over aggregates.
Addressing the ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and labor unions, Peterside urged protection of the facility as a “national asset too big to fail.” “Whether we like it or not, Dangote’s refinery is an important national asset. The only thing we have to do is protect it,” he said. He condemned union militancy, including threats to paralyze the nation over individual disputes, as “foul” and unprofessional, warning that overreach deters investors. He dismissed sabotage allegations but stressed safeguarding the project amid NNPC’s history of failed refinery turnarounds.
Hailing from Rivers State, Peterside voiced dissatisfaction with recent political turbulence, particularly the interim administrator’s tenure. He demanded a full accounting and forensic audit of billions disbursed for the six-month role, setting a precedent against impunity. “Nobody should think that they bring you in as an administrator… spend huge sums of money and disappear,” he insisted. He also criticized the PDP’s timidity in challenging the House of Reps’ quorum-lacking voice vote that enabled the appointment, calling the Supreme Court’s silence “timid.”
In a stark warning, Peterside invoked John F. Kennedy: “People who make peaceful revolution impossible make a violent one inevitable.” He urged Nigeria’s elite to demand change, lest endless rigging of opportunities—from jobs to contracts—sparks unrest. “Do you think you can continuously take the resources of Nigeria… and leave the rest hungry indefinitely?”
The publishing firm has produced an impressive catalogue of authoritative legal texts authored by its proprietor, Basil Momodu, Esq.,
For inquiries, contact:
📧 momodulawpublishing@yahoo.com
📞 07051822705
______________________________________________________________________
“Your Must-Have Legal Classic” — 225-Page Hardback Offering The Definitive Guide To Electoral Security In Nigeria And The U.S.
Edited by Dr. Akin Olawale Oluwadayisi, Ph.D; ACIArb, FIPDM, Notary Public, Awi Boluwaji, and Olumide Awoyemi, LL.M, Price: ₦20,000 or $20 per copy
Order Your Copy Now:📧 Email: benakollegalclassics@gmail.com,📱 WhatsApp: 07038211889, 📞 Voice Call: 07065830466 | +2347038211889
______________________________________________________________________
“Timely And Groundbreaking” — Babalola, Nnawuchi Release Casebook On Privacy & Data Protection In Nigeria
A timely new publication, Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria, co-authored by Olumide Babalola and Uchenna Nnawuchi, 📘Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria is now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8TmFZrd
______________________________________________________________________
Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
______________________________________________________________________
Explore Nigeria’s Constitutional System — 17 Chapters, 924 Pages Of Insight By Prof. Hagler Sunny Okorie
The books are available for purchase at:
Online: www.educodex.com | www.selar.com | www.amazon.com | www.mikeozekhome.com
Enquiries: +234 704 044 9375 | +234 814 813 4773 | +234 816 872 3532
Email: educodexl@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________
Alexander Payne Co. Law Reports
Contact & Orders 📞 0704 444 4777 | 0704 444 4999 | 0818 199 9888 🌐 www.alexandernigeria.com
