Coalition calls for electoral reforms

By : John Akubo, Abuja

Date: 17 August 2025 5:54pm WAT

NERCO Patron, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, Senior Legislative aide to Senator representing FCT, Dr. Mercy Kwabe, Director of Mobilization, NERCO, for FCT. Mary Nwokoro and the converner of the coalition for FCT, Ugochukwu Okoro, during an advocacy visit Last Friday.

The Nigerian Electoral Reform Coalition (NERCO) has launched a nationwide campaign demanding sweeping reforms to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral system.

Unveiling its draft Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, the coalition said Nigeria’s democracy is “hanging by a thread” unless urgent steps are taken.

At the core of its proposals is the abolition of manual collation of results. NERCO is seeking mandatory electronic transmission of results in real time from polling units to a central repository accessible to civil society and international observers.

“Manual collation is where the system breaks down. Figures are altered, and trust is lost,” said NERCO’s FCT Convener, Ugochukwu Okoro.

The draft prescribes stiff penalties: a ₦100 million fine and a 10-year jail term for tampering with the process. Parties involved in vote buying or voter suppression face outright disqualification.

In a memorandum to the Senate Constitution Review Committee, NERCO demanded three safeguards: embedding electronic transmission in the Constitution, creating an independent Electoral Appointments Committee to nominate INEC leaders, and granting INEC financial autonomy through direct budget submission to the National Assembly.

“Independence means more than words. If INEC depends on the executive for leadership and funds, its credibility will always be questioned,” Okoro said.

Other proposals include disability-friendly voting materials, timelines requiring tribunals to resolve petitions within 60 days, and barring swearing-in until disputes are settled. The coalition also recommended a National Electoral Reform Council to audit INEC every two years.

NERCO argued that continuous reform is critical, citing recent elections marred by vote buying, apathy, and violence.
“This is the demand of Nigerians who want credible elections,” Okoro stressed. “If elections are credible, leaders will be accountable. If not, democracy weakens.”

The coalition vowed to sustain advocacy through lobbying, town halls, and sensitization campaigns across all 36 states.