Ahead of the 2027 general elections, prominent Nigerians and civil society leaders have called for comprehensive electoral reforms to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria's electoral process.
The recommendations, which covered legal, procedural, and administrative changes, were part of discussions at an Electoral Reform Summit held via Zoom on Wednesday.
Participants included the 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi; and Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, among others.
Speakers at the summit expressed concern about what they described as the retrogression of Nigeria's elections since 2015. They lamented that the gains recorded during the 2015 elections had been eroded by subsequent poor performances and controversial judicial pronouncements, which they argued relied more on technicalities than substantive justice.
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In her presentation, Dr. Ezekwesili advocated for direct funding of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that the electoral umpire must be held accountable for the funds allocated to it. She also called for INEC to be given enhanced prosecutorial powers to hold politicians accountable for electoral misconduct.
"We need technology. We must now require a code for the use of technology in the new Electoral Act," she said, while also pushing for reforms in the appointment of electoral commissioners, with civil society playing a central role.
Ezekwesili further stressed the need for accountability within the judiciary on election-related matters, proposing an automated system for assigning election cases to judges, and urging the National Judicial Council (NJC) to discipline erring judges.
On his part, Mr. Obi maintained that democracy can only thrive if elections reflect the will of the people. He emphasized reforms that guarantee free and fair polls, with secure collation and transmission of results from polling units.
"It would be a double tragedy if Nigerians, after years of flawed leadership, also lose faith in elections. We must fix the system to ensure every vote counts and reflects the people's mandate," Obi said.
Other contributors described Nigeria's electoral challenges as a "chicken-and-egg dilemma," stressing that INEC cannot deliver credible elections without fundamental structural reforms.
