…Wants INEC unbundled
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and also a member of the Uwais committee, Olisa Agbakoba, has recommended the unbundling of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that their responsibility is too much.
According to him, “INEC is the largest printer of paper in Nigeria. It is not their job to be printing. The Commission is doing far too many things; in the Uwais committee report, we recommended removing the function of regulating political parties from INEC, by the creation of a political party regulatory authority.”
Agbakoba also recommended the creation of electoral offences Commission.
Many Nigerians have also called for expunging of the provision in the Electoral Act, which empowers a sitting President of Nigeria to appoint the chairman and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the INEC for the sake of transparency, independence and confidence of the electoral process.
After the controversy which trailed the conduct of the 2023 polls, especially accusation of favouritism and bias in favour of the ruling party’s candidate in the presidential poll levelled against that INEC, Nigerians across that country speak in tandem that the appointment of INEC chairman should be done by another agency and not by the President, nor the judicial council based on credibility issues.
In recent weeks, many stakeholders have also suggested that the position of INEC chairman should be thrown open where people apply for it with conditions of an impeccable character, management and other qualifications.
They noted that similar practice exists in some African countries, like South Africa, where the position of the head of the electoral commission is often advertised when vacant.
Recently, President Bola Tinubu was in the news for appointing card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his party, as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). Two or more of the RECs were confirmed to be long-time allies of prominent politicians serving in the Tinubu administration. Their confirmation by the National Assembly caused uproar in the country, especially among Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The CSOs were of the view that since there were complaints about some of the nominees, the leadership of the upper chamber of the National Assembly, should have referred them to the INEC standing committee before approving their appointment through screening.
Many Nigerians also expressed worries that appointment of partisan politicians as RECs by the President would not do the commission’s fast-fading credibility any good and only cast doubt on the outcome of future elections.
The CSOs also faulted their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate, noting that since there were complaints about some of the nominees the leadership of the upper chamber should have referred them to the INEC standing committee.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, many experts and stakeholders have canvassed for holistic reform of the Electoral Act to guarantee free and fair polls. The experts believe that the commission should rather appoint its own resident electoral commissioners or directors of elections that should manage elections.
Some have also spoken about the need to streamline the function of INEC going forward for efficiency. Furthermore, part of the suggested way forward is for the incumbent administration to implement the Justice Uwais electoral committee report under the administration of late President Musa Yar’Adua, which was submitted in 2008, but ignored by previous administrations.
“I would urge the 10th Assembly, presided over by President Godswill Akpabio, to simply enact the recommendations that was done in 2008, so many years ago since it was passed”, Agbakoba stated.
“The Electoral Act makes a mockery of democracy, so we can correct that, by passing all the recommendations of the Uwais panel”, he added.
