A pro-democracy and good governance group under the aegis of TAP Initiative for Citizens Development has advocated
for forensic auditing of election records, using independent bodies to verify the authenticity of documents.
The group said such oversight would prevent institutional rigging and set a precedent for accountability in future elections.
The Executive Director and human rights lawyer, Martin
Obono said its advocacy became necessary following the group’s findings in the just concluded Edo State governorship election.
Obono said the International watchdogs and Nigerian civil society must collaborate to establish mechanisms for monitoring INEC’s conduct and ensuring electoral transparency.
He noted: “this collaboration should involve not only forensic audits, but also independent monitoring to scrutinise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) compliance with electoral laws.
“The recent Edo State election have exposed an urgent need for comprehensive electoral reform. Without transparency and accountability, democracy in Nigeria faces a perilous future.
“Nigerians deserve a system that allows them to choose their leaders freely and fairly. TAP scrutiny of Edo election results showed discrepancies between what was recorded by agents on ground and what INEC ultimately declared,” Obono added.
