From Idu Jude Abuja
Ahead of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, civil society organisations under the aegis of the Electoral Forum, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that electoral processes are completely restored to avoid results being determined by the courts.
The forum, which rose from its technical session held recently on the implications of the Supreme Court verdicts regarding the outcome of governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states, expressed serious concern at the level of decline in electoral processes against extant democratic process.
A communiqué issued and signed by the forum’s chairman, Prof Adebayo, read in part: “The current electoral system was critically examined, with suggestions for reforms, including a possible shift to a mixed electoral system and broadening the scope of acceptable voter identification methods.
“After thorough discussions and contributions from our members regarding the raised issues, the proposed significant recommendations aimed at addressing burning issues of electoral governance in Nigeria.
“These recommendations focus on strengthening State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure they effectively contribute to credible elections, among other objectives. These recommendations include:
Implement transparent mechanisms for direct funding to Local Government Areas to enhance local governance and development.”
The recommendations also included strengthening the independence and capacity of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) through legislative reforms and standardised operational guidelines.
“Establish a formal framework for collaboration between INEC and SIECs to improve the quality of local elections.
“Reform the judicial system with an emphasis on merit-based appointments and clear timelines for resolving electoral disputes. Explore the adoption of a mixed electoral system to enhance representativeness and inclusive politics.”
