The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu (SAN), has said that credible elections are a fundamental human right and not a privilege.

Mr Ojukwu stated this in a statement commemorating June 12, adding that the day should serve as a reminder of this democratic fact.

In 2018, the federal government declared June 12 Democracy Day to commemorate the historic annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, believed to have been won by the late MKO Abiola.

Mr Ojukwu said that the June 12, 1993, election remained Nigeria’s clearest proof that free, fair and transparent polls are possible when institutions respect the will of the people.

He noted that the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu’s Option A4 and the modified open-ballot system demonstrated that electoral integrity could be achieved through the sincerity of the electoral management body, openness, and fidelity to the law.

“The right to participate in government through free elections is protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“Voter suppression, vote buying, electoral violence and result manipulation are not merely procedural flaws but direct violations of citizens’ civil and political rights,” he said.

He expressed concern that three decades later, these violations continued to undermine public trust, weaken accountability and erode the dignity of Nigerian voters.

He added that when elections lacked integrity, the rights to expression, association, participation and peaceful assembly are also threatened.

Mr Ojukwu called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, security agencies, the judiciary, civil society and the media to uphold neutrality, transparency and accountability.

He affirmed that the NHRC would intensify its monitoring of electoral processes, document violations and pursue remedies for Nigerians and victims in line with its mandate.

He urged the National Assembly to strengthen laws safeguarding electoral independence and access to justice.

“Institutionalising electoral integrity is essential to realising the right to free and fair elections in Nigeria. The NHRC stands ready to work with the government and all stakeholders to make credible elections a lived reality for every citizen,” he said.

(NAN)