The Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), a civil society organisation, on Thursday, called for stripping of Nigerian president’s power to appoint top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reading the organisation’s reforms recommendations, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako said YERP-Naija sought “the transfer of the president’s executive powers to appoint INEC chairman and national commissioners to a special non-partisan committee”.
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According to the group, transferring such an appointment power to a non-partisan body, would help “to create a level playing field for all contestants.”
The group made the call at a press conference in Abuja as part of its recommendations to the ongoing constitutional and Electoral Reform process.
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YERP-Naija also recommended the mandatory electronic transmission of election results, the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, and the conclusion of post-election petitions before the inauguration of public office holders.
The organisation noted that these proposals were made to ensure transparency, and integrity and protect the electoral process, following the dissatisfaction of youths with the outcome of the 2023 general elections.
The YERP-Naija said the recommendations arose from various consultations with over 4000 youth across Nigeria.
The group’s recommendantion mirrors past instances where presidents have faced criticism for abusing their power to appoint INEC officials.
In 2022, CSOs, led by Lanre Arogundade, Director of the International Press Centre, condemned former President Muhammadu Buhari. Their concern was his nomination of 19 candidates as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for INEC, some of whom were either affiliated with political parties or had previous corruption indictments.
Similarly, PREMIUM TIMES reported that President Bola Tinubu appointed at least two new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who were card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the president’s party.
Furthermore at the press conference on Thursday, Ms Aladejare-Salako noted the YERP-Naija’s concerns about the “delays in the timeline of the National electoral reform.”
With the support of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), YERP-Naija serves as a campaign organisation, bringing together numerous Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from all six Nigerian geopolitical zones. It is led by a team of coordinators: Bukola Idowu (National and North-central), Zigwai Ayuba (North-west), Ashraf Tukur (North-east), Ms Aladejare-Salako (South-West), Nonso Orakwe (South-east), and Israel Orekha (South-south).
The CSO urged the national and state assemblies to include youths during the upcoming constitutional and electoral public hearings and also charged young people to actively participate in the process.
The representative of the coordinator, National and North-central zone, Oluwafemi Adebayo, while fielding questions from journalists, said the organisation was ready to provide technical support and mobilise people to be part of the electoral process.
Beyond the press conference, Mr Adebayo noted, the YERP-Naija already engaged multi-stakeholders including, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, legislators and social media influencers to ensure they are heard.
Other recommendations for the constitutional amendment
The YERP-Naija is not the first to make recommendations to the Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters.
After a retreat in April, convened by the European Union (EU) through its Support to Democratic Governance (EU-SDGN), the INEC suggested four constitutional amendments. They include early and special voting, the creation of an electoral offences commission and a political party regulatory agency.
INEC also pushed for Diaspora voting enabling Nigerians abroad to participate in the electoral process back home.
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Background
In February 2024, PREMIUM TIMES reported the commencement of the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022. The process for amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 and the Nigerian constitution was set up to address the gaps noticed in the 2023 general elections for improved legal framework for the 2027 general elections.
The House of Representatives rejected about six bills including a proposal for the rotation of the presidency among the six geo-political zones, the establishment of new Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the removal of INEC’s power to regulate political parties.
Similarly, in May, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, announced the withdrawal of a bill he introduced in parliament to make voting mandatory for adult Nigerians.
The widely criticised bill sought to criminalise non-participation in elections.
