Ahead of 2027 general elections, stakeholders in the Civil Society Organizations and election process in the country have called for the full implementation of Justice Muhammadu Uwais Electoral Reform Committee reports recommended about decades ago.
The call was made Tuesday in Abuja at a high level conference of Thought Leaders on Civic Space, Poverty and Elections in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) in partnership with Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).
On the wake of the 2007 general elections, former President Umaru Yar’ Adua instituted a 22-member Electoral Review Committee, headed by Justice Muhammadu Uwais, to critically examine the electoral process and advise on areas that required reforms.
Various speakers at the one-day event, which brought together major CSO leaders and stakeholders in the election process, believe that Nigerians advocate for reforms that will ensure credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Former National Commissioner in the defunct National Election Commission (NEC) and Professor of Political Science, University of Lagos, Prof. Adele Jinadu in a keynote address at the one-day talkshop said it was high time federal government implement the Uwais Committee report in order to ensure the electoral integrity of the forthcoming general election.
He cited among the committee’s recommendations the need to unbundled the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission.
Also speaking, another Professor of Political Science and Director Centre for Democracy and Development, Jibrin Ibrahim, charged civil society movement to go back to the Uwais electoral reform report and mount pressure for its full implementation.
He lamented that most of the approved recommendations of the committee that were accepted in government’s White paper have not been implemented.
Ibrahim decried the inability of the National to pass the Electoral Violence Commission bill which has been on since 2017.
In the same vein Austin Aigbe argued that the Uwais reports remain the pivotal reference in the ongoing discourse around electoral reforms. He maintained that the committee’s recommendations higlighted the deep-rooted challenges in the country’s political landscape and provided the framework for improving electoral integrity
Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Monday Osasah, said the goal of the conference is to enhance democratic governance, social protection, and electoral integrity in Nigeria.
“We believe that by working together, we can build a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable democracy that truly serves the needs of all Nigerians.
“This project is timely, given the current state of our democracy. We have seen the constriction of civic space, widespread poverty, and electoral malpractices that hinder our nation’s development. However, we also see opportunities for reform and positive change.”
Also speaking, the Secretary General of WRAPA, Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi, said when poverty persists, it entrenches gender inequalities and stifles community agency. And when elections lack integrity, it is the hopes of the marginalized, especially women, youth, Persons with Disability and other vulnerable groups that pay the highest price.
“Against this backdrop, WRAPA is proud to join forces with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), with the invaluable support of the MacArthur Foundation, to host this critical conference.”