The National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday harped on the need to constantly review the country’s electoral laws to achieve better election outcomes.

Officials from the commission and members of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters spoke at a retreat in Lagos to discuss the challenges of Nigeria’s electoral legal framework.

The two-day retreat was supported by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Development Alternatives  Inc. (DAI).

The chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Sharafadeen Alli, said much still needed to be done on Nigeria’s electoral laws.

Mr Alli, represented by the committee’s vice chairman, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, said the 2023 general election, with its attendant petitions, had sparked debate about the need to reform the electoral legal framework.

He said the debate had become imperative so that “we can ensure in the very minimum that the declared results reflect the true wishes of the Nigerian people.”

According to Mr Ali, elections are the major pillars of leadership connection in liberal democracies.

“There are constant and unceasing efforts for the reformation of electoral laws and the electoral process. This is imperative to any country that is practising democracy, most especially a country like Nigeria.

“The legislature and Independent National Electoral Commission must work collaboratively to address emerging challenges and improve public confidence in our elections,” Mr Alli said.

Mr Alli said there was a need to address issues bordering on misconduct of electoral officers and disregard for electoral laws.

The committee’s co-chairman, Adebayo Balogun, said continuous improvement of the electoral system was essential to meet the evolving realities of the country’s democracy.

Mr Balogun said NASS would ensure that any amendments to the electoral law reflect the practical reality of election administration.

In his address, INEC chairman Yakubu Mahmood noted that a similar retreat held in 2020 resulted in the repeal and reenactment of the Electoral Act 2010, birthing the Electoral Act 2022.

“As we embark on yet another review of our electoral laws, we will share with the lawmakers our field experience and draw attention to some of the proposed reforms and their implications for the management of elections,” he said.

He urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the electoral reform “so that the commission will have enough time for the implementation of any new laws”.

The executive director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo, commended the NASS and INEC’s efforts to develop and reform Nigeria’s electoral framework.

Also, Matthew Ayibakuro, governance adviser for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), stressed the need for commitment to building confidence, promoting trust in the electoral process, and advancing a more inclusive democratic process in Nigeria.

(NAN)