INEC says autonomy crucial to review of electoral framework

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that increasing its administrative and financial autonomy are crucial to the review of the nation’s electoral framework which is in process.

The commission also pushed for curbing the incidence of violence and sundry malpractices in the electoral process and ensuring effective sanctioning of violators of electoral laws.

Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu spoke about the readiness of INEC to collaborate with stakeholders, most especially, the National Assembly to fast – track the review process, on Monday at a retreat organised by the commission to review the electoral legal framework in Lagos.

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Yakubu in his address said a review of the Electoral Act in particular, and the electoral legal framework in general, must be anchored on these factors. 

The purpose of the retreat, he said is to finalise the commission’s comprehensive proposal to the National Assembly for amendment to the electoral legal framework as requested

According to him, the Senate Committee on INEC late last year sent to the commission a modified version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which the National Assembly had presented to the executive for assent before the 2019 general elections. 

He said the revised bill has amended several sections and sub-sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), stating that in presenting the draft bill to the commission, the Senate committee specifically, requested for the commission’s input into areas that will strengthen the proposed legislation.

Consequent upon this, he stated further that the commission shared the draft bill internally with the national commissioners and directors at the headquarters as well as the resident electoral commissioners and senior officials in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for comments. 

“Our draft is ready, but requires further internal review ahead of submission to the National Assembly,” he said, adding that the draft document has also taken the comments and suggestions by stakeholders into consideration, especially following the conclusion of the 2019 general elections.

“These comments have now been compiled into a draft document that this retreat will discuss and validate as the commission’s position on the electoral legal framework,” he said.

For an enduring review, he said the commission looked at the electoral legal framework comprehensively by reviewing existing provisions with regard to elections in both the constitution and the Electoral Act.

He said that “the commission’s input is not limited to the review proposed by the National Assembly. As election managers, we conduct elections. We also monitor pre-election activities such as party primaries and handle post-election processes, including the outcome of litigations. 

“Therefore, we must at this meeting, cast our nets wide by dissecting the Electoral Act in the light of experience and propose wide-ranging amendments that will give the nation an electoral legal framework that can truly protect their choice and guarantee free, fair and credible elections.”