Key Points from Intersociety’s Press Briefing:
Reform of Voting Processes:
- Dual Voting System: Intersociety advocates for the simultaneous use of electronic and manual voting to enhance transparency and voter confidence.
- Access to Voting Materials: Emphasizes the need for widespread availability of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and secure voting environments.
Electoral Court System:
- Independent Electoral Courts: Proposes detaching electoral courts from the regular judiciary to ensure unbiased adjudication of electoral disputes.
- Removal of Judicial Technicalities: Calls for the elimination of technical legal loopholes that often undermine the will of the electorate.
Context and Rationale:
- Outcome of Recent Elections: Cites the controversial results and issues from the 2023 general elections and the Imo State governorship election as catalysts for these reforms.
- State of Insecurity: Highlights the severe security and socio-political issues in Imo State since January 2021, including unlawful killings, abductions, and election rigging.
Specific Recommendations:
- Constitutional Court Model: Suggests modeling the electoral court system on constitutional courts in developed democracies, focusing on validating the true winners based on legitimate votes.
- Independent Candidacy: Advocates for allowing independent candidates to contest in elections, increasing democratic participation.
- Codified Use of Voting Methods: Recommends formalizing the use of both electronic and manual voting in the electoral process.
Warnings and Future Concerns:
- Potential Violence in Upcoming Elections: Warns of likely political violence and insecurity in the upcoming 2025 Anambra governorship election, predicting targeted attacks to manipulate voter turnout and results.
Intersociety’s call for reforms is a response to the perceived failures and controversies in Nigeria’s electoral system, aiming to restore public confidence and ensure fairer electoral outcomes. These proposed changes seek to address both procedural and substantive issues in Nigeria’s electoral framework.
