Yiaga Africa has expressed concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recently announced extra guidelines for the scrutiny of election result declarations.
INEC issued extra norms and guidelines for reviewing election results on Thursday, as mandated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Yiaga Africa, in a statement issued by its executive director, Samson Itodo, commended INEC’s move as “a positive step towards ensuring administrative safeguards for electoral integrity”.
However, the organization cautioned that several aspects in the new rules could undermine the reforms it intends to impose.
Yiaga Africa expressed worry regarding inclusivity, pointing out that the criteria only allow resident electoral commissioners, returning officers, and national commissioners to file reports for election result review.
The organization referred to this as a “exclusionary provision” that essentially excludes political parties, candidates, accredited observers, and their agents, even if they have substantial evidence of altered or unlawful statements.
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“By restricting the activation of the power of review to reports filed by INEC officials, some of whom may be complicit in the very infractions that warrant review, is counterproductive,” the statement says.
“Evidence from recent elections revealed instances where electoral officers acted in blatant defiance of INEC’s directives, engaged in the manipulation of results, or abdicated their duties, thereby undermining the integrity of electoral process.”
Yiaga Africa, as a result, urged INEC to alter the guidelines immediately to extend the list of qualified individuals or institutions entitled to submit reports that could trigger the review process.
“The scope should include political parties, candidates, accredited party agents, and observers present at the collation. This will increase openness, promote electoral justice, and reaffirm INEC’s commitment to credible elections,” according to the statement.
