Author: Samson Itodo

On 31st January 2022, the National Assembly transmitted the Electoral Bill 2022 to the President for assent after expeditiously reworking the bill to meet the President’s expectations. The bill allows for electronic transmission of results, strengthens INEC’s financial independence and empowers the commission to reject falsified election results, amongst other new provisions. The bill, when signed, requires the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election. Therefore, the President must give assent to the bill on or before 22nd February 2022 if the dates announced for the…

Read More

As the world eagerly anticipates Africa’s biggest election in 2023, policy capture, process manipulation, and geo-politics are defining the electoral framework reform process as veto players exercise their preferences for policy outcomes. Within the Nigerian context, public confidence in the viability of electoral reforms to address the intractable challenges with Nigerian elections is unquestionable. Unfortunately, this confidence is being undercut by political entrepreneurs who are driving the reform process. These actors are determined to substitute public interest for private political gains. Equally undermining public confidence is the limited instrumental outcomes of previous electoral reform efforts. As custodians of public interest, the…

Read More