2027: Varsity Don advocates transparency, accountability for credible elections

…Urges INEC to create more polling unites

By Tom Okpe

A senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Nile University of Nigeria, Dr Iroro S Izu, has called for transparency and accountability, ahead of the 2027 general election.

He also said checkers should be developed and used to gauge the operational credibility of key stakeholders in election process in the country.

Izu further stated that major stakeholders in election enterprise include; the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Political Parties, Media, Security Personnel and Voters, calling on electoral umpire to create more polling units that will make voting centers easier, convenient and much more, accessible.

Speaking, in Abuja on Tuesday, at a political dialogue on election credibility threshold in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, Centre LSD, Dr Izu said credibility of an election entails openness of the system.

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“The conscious assurance of an all-dimensional involvement of different strata and gender of society, making the system, non-discriminatory, non-judgmental and non-prejudicial,” emphasising, “predictability, certainty, probity, measurability of actions, inactions and reactions of the extant electoral laws and relevant institutional frameworks.”

According to him, it is in everyone’ s interest for elections to be conducted in a manner that meets basic credibility threshold, one which will be built on a system of transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, empathy, accessibility, convenience, security, flexibility, systematism and predictability.

Izu said: “Transparency and accountability, checkers should be developed and used to gauge the operational credibility of the key stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Political Parties, Media, Security Personnel and Voters, in the election enterprise in Nigeria.

“As recommended by the Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Commission, that INEC should be unbundled to several independent entities for purposes of efficiency and effectiveness to the end that one of such entities will deal with election offences, another will deal with political Parties conduct, especially in the area of primary elections; also, a third entity could be in charge of massive re-orientation of citizens, politicians, security personnel and other stakeholders.

“That existing constituencies should undergo new demarcation so as to create more polling units that will make voting centers easier, convenient and much more accessible;

“Civil Society Organizations with vast experience in election matters should be engaged in the training and retraining of election workers and election monitoring.

“INEC as an impartial player in the election enterprise, could use any measure, legal to execute and achieve its mandate.”

He further noted that Traditional rulers and religious leaders should be co-opted in sensitization campaigns and, appeal to the consciences of all stakeholders involved in the election.

“INEC should make it an official policy to prioritize the use of Political Science and Statistics graduates in election duties. This is because most times, INEC staffers who engage in questionable dealings during elections do so out of ignorance of how the process should work.

“It is true that they are trained, but most times, the training period is too short, abrupt and inconclusive,” he stated.

In his welcome address, Director of strategy at the LSD, Itia Otabor, said through the policy dialogue, the Centre aim to identify practical solutions to challenges facing credible elections and develop a roadmap for implementing reforms that will strengthen the integrity of electoral processes.

“We will explore innovative approaches to voter registration, voting systems, and electoral dispute resolution, among other critical areas,” he said.

While some speakers lamented issues of rigging, vote buying, thuggery, and other challenges, characterizing Nigeria elections, others believed, the country has made progress in election process.

In his contributions, Dr Otive Igbuzor said it doesn’t speak well of the country’s democracy that nine million Nigerians representing 26 percent of the country’s 200 million population played decisive role in the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the polls.

“The pillar of our work is very important for us. Why is it that people don’t vote in Nigeria, and we can not make them vote,” he queried.

“The last pillar, is monitoring key stakeholders in the electoral process. And this iswhat we are doing today, dealing with credibility of elections.”

For Ezenwa Nwagwu of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa, PAACA, much has been achieved in the electioneering process in the country since the return to Democratic rule in 1999, citing deployment of BIVAS which has curtailed challenges’, associated with votes rigging and manipulation as inroads, recorded within the period under review.

He acknowledged that adoption of the Justice Uwais recommendation is a welcome development, remarking that, “in dealing with credibility threshold of the elections, solutions will be proffered either administratively, or through legislative factor.