The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has called for an independent body to appoint the chairman, national commissioners and secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The IPAC which is the umbrella body of registered political parties, said such a body would be neutral and enhance the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
The IPAC national chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, disclosed this at a consultative meeting between political party leaders and the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review on Monday in Abuja.
The call was coming pressure was mounting on the National Assembly to pass certain reforms to ensure transparency and credibility, especially in the appointment of the INEC chairman ahead of the 2027 general election.
Represented by his deputy, Dipo Olayoku, Dantalle said a situation where the president is the one who appoints INEC leadership, erodes public confidence and undermines the commission’s independence.
“To promote INEC’s neutrality, the power to appoint its leadership should be removed from the executive. Instead, an Independent Appointment Committee should be created, comprising representatives of all registered parties, civil society, the National Judicial Council and a joint committee of the National Assembly,” he said.
He the proposed body would be all inclusive and would guarantee transparency and credibility in appointing INEC’s leadership.
Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan had made similar calls to ensure credible electoral leadership. In a recorded address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, Obasanjo described the 2023 elections as “a travesty,” urging urgent reform to rebuild public trust.
Obasanjo said INEC’s leadership must be subjected to thorough vetting so that only “dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations” are appointed, and recommended short tenures for electoral officials to prevent undue influence and corruption.
Jonathan proposed an independent screening and nomination mechanism to appoint INEC Chairman to strengthen the commission’s credibility ahead of the 2027 polls.
