Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, has announced its plans and readiness to present eight key items of electoral reform to the Joint Committees on Electoral Matters in the Senate and House of Representatives.
This was disclosed by INEC’s leadership in the form of Chairperson Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Thursday. He mentioned that the proposed reforms are part of 142 recommendations derived from the 2023 general elections report.
Of those recommendations, 86 require administrative action by INEC, which was the focus of Thursday’s meeting. The RECs have a critical role in implementing these administrative changes.
A further 48 recommendations necessitate collaboration with various stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organizations, and the media. That leaves eight recommendations that require legislative action by the National Assembly.
Mr. Yakubu emphasized the commission’s readiness to engage with the National Assembly, stating that it is planning to make a presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters, even as internal deliberations on electoral reforms continue.
What the Election Reforms Contain
The key legislative proposals include unbundling INEC by creating an electoral offences tribunal and a separate agency that will handle registration and regulation of political parties.
They also address legal ambiguities, such as clarifying the controversial process for “manual transfer versus electronic transmission of results.”
The recommendations were shaped through internal and external consultations and cover critical areas, including voter management, voter education, political party oversight, electoral logistics, election technology, and legal frameworks.
Other notable items under consideration for administrative implementation include introducing early or special voting for election officials and phasing out Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as the sole means of voter accreditation.
