Elections in Nigeria have been subject to many reforms over the years, aimed at improving the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): The INEC was established as an independent body to oversee the conduct of elections and ensure their impartiality.
Some of the key reforms include:
Electronic Voting: The introduction of electronic voting systems has helped to reduce the risk of fraud and improve the accuracy of vote counting.
Voter Education: Voter education programs have been introduced to increase voter awareness and participation, particularly among young people and women.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): The INEC was established as an independent body to oversee the conduct of elections and ensure their impartiality.
Political Party Financing Reforms: New laws have been introduced to regulate the financing of political parties, so as to reduce the influence of money in politics and ensure a level playing field for all political players.
Improved Voter Register: INEC has worked to improve the accuracy of the voter register by removing duplicate entries and updating the list of eligible voters.
Campaign Finance Reform: The introduction of limits on campaign spending and contributions has been aimed at reducing the influence of money in politics and ensuring that all candidates have a fair opportunity to reach voters.
Transparency in Ballot Printing: To reduce the risk of electoral fraud, new measures have been introduced to ensure the transparency of the ballot printing process, such as the appointment of international observers to monitor the process.
Voter Identification: The introduction of mandatory voter identification has helped to reduce the risk of impersonation and multiple voting. The INEC has also introduced a biometric voter registration system to improve the accuracy of the voter register.
Adherence to Electoral Guidelines: The INEC has taken steps to ensure that all electoral guidelines are followed and that political parties and candidates adhere to the code of conduct during the election period.
Improved Election Security: To ensure the safety of voters and prevent violence during elections, the government has increased security measures and deployed security forces to polling stations.
Improved Access to Information: The INEC has increased transparency and accountability in the electoral process by making more information about the election, such as voting schedules and results, easily accessible to the public.
Enhanced Electoral Dispute Resolution Mechanisms: To address disputes that arise during the election process, the INEC has established an Electoral Offences Tribunal and an Electoral Petitions Appeal Court to hear complaints and appeals from candidates and voters.
Strengthening Political Party Systems: The INEC has taken steps to strengthen political party systems by implementing measures to increase transparency and accountability in the internal processes of political parties.
Voter Accreditation: The INEC has introduced a voter accreditation process to ensure that only eligible voters are allowed to vote. This has helped to reduce the risk of multiple voting and other forms of electoral fraud.
Encouraging Women’s Participation: The INEC has taken steps to encourage women’s participation in the electoral process, such as setting quotas for female representation in elected office and providing support for women candidates.
Improved Voter Turnout: The INEC has taken steps to improve voter turnout by increasing accessibility to polling stations, especially in rural and remote areas, and making the voting process more user-friendly.
Civic and Voter Education: The INEC has increased efforts to educate citizens about the electoral process, including their rights and responsibilities as voters. This has helped to increase public awareness and understanding of the electoral process.
Strengthening Transparency in Election Result Collation: The INEC has introduced measures to increase transparency in the election result collation process, such as allowing political parties to have representatives present at polling stations during the counting and collation of votes.
Addressing Voter Intimidation: The INEC has taken steps to address instances of voter intimidation and harassment by increasing the deployment of security personnel to polling stations and increasing penalties for those found guilty of such activities.
Increasing Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: The INEC has taken steps to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities by providing accessible polling stations, braille ballots and other assistive technologies.
Enhancing Transparency in Campaign Financing: The INEC has taken steps to increase transparency in campaign financing by implementing measures to monitor the flow of funds to political campaigns and ensuring that all political parties and candidates disclose their sources of funding.
Increasing Public Confidence in the Electoral Process: The INEC has taken steps to increase public confidence in the electoral process by conducting public awareness campaigns, improving the transparency of vote counting, and ensuring that the results of elections reflect the will of the people.
Encouraging Youth Participation: The INEC has taken steps to encourage youth participation in the electoral process, such as implementing voter education programs aimed at young people and setting aside a portion of the vote for young candidates.
Addressing Challenges Faced by Women Candidates: The INEC has taken steps to address the challenges faced by women candidates, such as gender-based violence and discrimination, by implementing measures to ensure the safety of women candidates and increasing the representation of women in elected office.
Improving the Efficiency of the Electoral Process: The INEC has taken steps to improve the efficiency of the electoral process by streamlining administrative procedures, reducing the time it takes to announce election results, and increasing the speed of vote counting.
Upgrading Voter Registration Systems: The INEC has upgraded its voter registration systems to make them more efficient, secure and accessible to all eligible citizens. The use of biometrics, such as fingerprints and facial recognition technology, has helped to reduce instances of multiple registrations and electoral fraud.
Providing Adequate Logistics for Electoral Operations: The INEC has taken steps to ensure that adequate logistics are available for electoral operations, such as transportation for election materials and personnel, and ensuring that polling stations are adequately equipped with necessary supplies and equipment.
Addressing Election-Related Violence: The INEC has taken steps to address election-related violence, such as political intimidation and harassment, by increasing the deployment of security personnel to polling stations, and increasing penalties for those found guilty of such activities.
Encouraging Political Tolerance: The INEC has taken steps to encourage political tolerance by implementing measures to prevent hate speech, incitement to violence and other forms of electoral malpractice.
Improving the Capacity of Electoral Personnel: The INEC has taken steps to improve the capacity of electoral personnel by providing training and professional development opportunities, and ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively.
INEC acquired Biometric Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), the amount of money spent to acquire this BVAS is readily available in public domain, INEC has not disclosed the cost of implementing the BVAS system may have included other expenses such as training, logistics and maintenance and promises made that the election will be successful but the 2023 presidential election was almost a disaster. who will be held responsible?
