Electoral reform need before new gov polls, says Situation Room

A coalition of over 80 human rights organisations under the aegis of Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, on Friday urged President Bola Tinubu to set up an independent national electoral reform panel to bring credibility to elections in Nigeria.

The membership of the reform panel, the coalition said, should comprise independent election experts and stakeholders who would review the logistical, legal and administrative shortcomings of the Independent National Electoral Commission as well as make additional reform recommendations.

The convener of NCSSR, Mallam Yunusa Yau, made the proposal during a press conference in Abuja.

According to him, the CSOs were worried about the conduct and credibility of the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states in November 2023 following the shortcomings experienced in the general elections.

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Yunusa said, “The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room is following up on its report of the 2023 general elections and is demanding for urgent national electoral reforms to re-ignite citizens’ confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“A post-2023 general election survey recently conducted by the Situation Room has exposed a significant dip in citizens’ confidence in INEC. Citizens now query the ability of INEC to conduct credible elections in the country. In the light of upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states in November 2023, Situation Room is worried about the credibility of INEC and its ability to conduct free elections in the light of the shortcomings experienced during the general elections of February and March 2023.

“Given the need for urgent action to be taken regarding INEC, Situation Room is calling for an independent national electoral reform panel to be set up urgently by President Bola Tinubu. The Situation Room is not in any way tying its call to the outcome of the 2023 general elections nor would we consider that this panel represents a question surrounding the results of the 2023 General Elections. Nevertheless, Situation Room’s call is being made as a national call to help salvage Nigeria’s electoral process. The independent panel will need to work freely without interference from the INEC as presently constituted.”

It said the reform panel should be charged with recommending the implementation of previous electoral reform proposals that had examined the mode of appointment into INEC to remove the recruitment of partisan elements into the commission.”

Meanwhile, a human rights organisation under the aegis of Centre for Transparency Advocacy on Friday called on INEC to ensure that the challenges which affected the credibility of the 2023 general elections were not repeated in the three off-cycle governorship elections in November.

At a one-day stakeholders roundtable on the 2023 general elections in Abuja, the Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi, said, “There are some lessons INEC and all us have learnt and we should use these lessons to strengthen the process ahead of the off-season elections.”