A social and political think tank based in Abuja, the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, has called for the dismantling and reconstitution of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure Nigeria’s electoral stability and future democracy.
In an impassioned press conference on Monday, the Director of the school, Dr. Sam Amadi, delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s electoral process. His remarks come in the wake of the contentious gubernatorial election in Edo State, where there is a growing consensus among election observers that the election was manipulated.
Dr. Amadi described Nigeria’s political and electoral system as deeply flawed, marked by widespread corruption within INEC, the judiciary, and the security apparatus. He stated, “The only valid strategy for winning elections in Nigeria today involves INEC, the judiciary, and security forces.” He asserted that Nigeria’s electoral system is now a game of manipulation rather than a democratic process that reflects the will of the people.
Amadi criticized INEC’s inability to follow the law and its own guidelines, attributing this to the partisanship of those serving in the institution. “The problem is not the electoral laws, but the electoral management body,” he asserted. He lamented that successive Nigerian governments have refused to implement necessary reforms.
Call To Action
Amadi urged Nigerians, particularly opposition parties and politicians such as Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, to suspend their presidential aspirations and press to reform INEC. He warned that without reform, INEC is primed to fail Nigerians “again, and again, and again.”
The Abuja School of Thought proposed fundamental changes to the appointment process of INEC’s leadership, suggesting it should include representatives from various sectors of civil society and be overseen by the National Council of States. This, he believes, will allow credible, competent, non-partisan officers into INEC.
Amadi also criticized the judiciary for failing to uphold justice in electoral matters, citing polls showing that 75% of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary. He warned, “We are heading towards a period where the survival of democracy will be tested,” because political contestants in future elections may be inclined to seek “self-help“.
The press briefing concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s democracy is at a tipping point, describing the country as “superficially stable but deeply destabilized” by a flawed political system.
Although calls for electoral reform are as old as Nigeria’s chequered democracy, one wonders if the beneficiaries of a flawed system can be expected, let alone entrusted to reform it.
As Dr. Amadi, – a professor of law at Baze University, Abuja, even admitted in his press conference, “The political actors, including those in opposition, are hoping that one day the corrupt INEC will work in their favor”.
You can watch Amadi’s press briefing by clicking the YouTube video on the feature window of this page, above.
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