Prof. Maurice Iwu

In 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Professor Maurice Iwu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria's electoral management body. Iwu, a pharmacologist and academic, took charge of the commission during a critical period when Nigeria was preparing for the 2007 general elections. His tenure would span five years until 2010, covering one of the most controversial electoral cycles in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. Years later, he would face corruption charges related to his time at INEC.

Iwu's appointment came at a time when INEC was under pressure to demonstrate independence and credibility following mixed reviews of previous elections. The 2003 elections had been criticized by domestic and international observers for irregularities, and there were growing calls for electoral reforms. As an academic with a background in pharmaceutical sciences rather than politics, Iwu was seen as a technocratic choice who might bring professional management to Nigeria's electoral processes.