One year after 2023 polls, Yiaga, others question Tinubu on electoral reform

One year after the 2023 general election, stakeholders working to improve the country’s electoral process have expressed dissatisfaction over the vague stance of President Bola Tinubu-led administration on electoral reform.

They made their position known in Abuja, yesterday, at an event to reflect on Nigeria’s electoral process one year after the 2023 general election put together by Yiaga Africa.

According to them, following the conclusion of election petitions is public expectation that the President would present a definitive electoral reform agenda to restore trust in the process.

They called on the Tinubu-led administration to articulate and implement a definitive electoral reform agenda, describing the incumbent administration’s failure to declare its stance on electoral reform as worrisome.

Yiaga Executive Director, Samson Itodo, insisted that the commitment of the presidency to support and assent to legislative efforts to reform the electoral framework “is critical” to restoring public trust.

He said: “While there were incremental improvements in election management and logistics, Yiaga Africa is compelled to highlight trends that cast a long shadow of doubt on the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.

“The documented cases of election manipulation, violence and brigandage in states like Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo, as well as the widespread inconsistencies in the judicial pronouncements, raise grave concerns about the commitment to democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law.”

Yiaga Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, who regretted that the Afrobarometer survey’s findings revealed that only 23 per cent of Nigerians trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the development signified a crisis of confidence that must be urgently addressed.

According to Mbamalu, trust in electoral processes is the bedrock of democratic legitimacy, calling for greater transparency and accountability for all election stakeholders.

On his part, Yiaga Board Chair, Dr Hussain Abdu, while addressing institutional independence, noted that the perceived capture of the election management body through partisan appointments undermines its integrity.

He added that the obstruction of legal processes and the tampering with electoral evidence were unacceptable and called on the judiciary and security agencies to protect the sanctity of electoral materials and the legal rights of all stakeholders to seek justice.