Nigeria’s Electoral Integrity: EU EOM Report Calls for Reforms
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) recently presented its final report on Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, highlighting issues related to electoral integrity and credibility. While the report acknowledged Nigerians’ commitment to democracy, it also pointed out enduring systemic weaknesses that demand further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.
The report identified six priority areas for Nigeria to strengthen the electoral process. These include clarifying electoral laws, establishing a transparent selection process for INEC officials, ensuring real-time publication and access to election results, protecting the media, addressing discrimination against women in politics, and tackling impunity for electoral offenses.
According to Barry Andrews, the Chief Observer of the EU EOM, these areas of concern hinder the conduct of well-run and inclusive elections, eroding trust in INEC. He emphasized that political will is essential for achieving improved democratic practices in Nigeria, assuring the EU EOM’s readiness to support the country.
Despite the innovative reforms implemented for the 2023 elections, the report indicates that Nigeria still has a long way to go in building a solid electoral system. Nigeria’s democracy has been a work in progress since 1999, with pro-democracy groups and civil society consistently advocating for reforms after every election cycle.
In 2007, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration set up the Uwais panel to explore ways to reform the electoral process. Although the panel’s recommendations, including the unbundling of INEC and the creation of an Electoral Offences Tribunal, were not fully implemented, aspects of its report have been gradually incorporated into electoral reform laws over the years.
The EU EOM report underscores the need to address lingering challenges, such as ambiguities in the law and delayed transmission of results. It emphasizes the importance of protecting the expression of voters’ will and the integrity of elections through a robust, transparent, and verifiable results processing system. The report also highlights the failure of INEC to follow its own rules, citing instances where presidential election results were not uploaded in real-time, which raised doubts among observers and voters.
While the Presidency disputed the EU EOM report, describing it as a poorly conducted desk job relying on rumors, the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, supported the report and criticized the lack of credibility in the last election. The implementation of the Uwais panel recommendations, which offer solutions to Nigeria’s electoral challenges, continues to be a topic of discussion among stakeholders.
Former NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba, joined others in urging President Tinubu to revisit the Uwais report and implement its electoral reform recommendations. As calls for reform persist, Nigeria must take decisive steps to strengthen its electoral system and ensure greater credibility, integrity, and inclusivity in future elections.