The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and Nigerian Union of Journalists have urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure credibility in filling the impending vacancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission.

This is contained in a communique issued at the end of a one-day advocacy meeting in Abuja on “Promoting Electoral Integrity in Nigeria”, with NUJ members drawn across the country.

The communique was signed by the convener of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yunusa Ya’u and the National President of NUJ,
Alhassan Yahaya.

It said that Mr Tinubu should ensure that no politically exposed persons were nominated to fill the impending vacancies in INEC to ensure the credibility of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The communique also urged the president to protect the independence of the judiciary and INEC.

The meeting urged the National Assembly to work towards unbundling INEC by moving voter education responsibility to the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and expedite action on the Election Offences Commission Bill.

The communique further called on the assembly to amend the Electoral Act to mandate compulsory electronic transmission of election results to limit manipulation.

It also urged the Senate to be more diligent and sensitive in its vetting process of nominees into INEC and ensure that the opinions of the civil society and the media were considered during the screening.

According to the communique,
INEC should endeavour to provide the public with details of its financial allocations, expenditure and procurement processes.

It also enjoined security agencies to always protect journalists covering elections and guarantee press freedom in line with democratic principles.

The meeting called for a greater collaboration between the security agencies and the media to prevent attack, harassment and intimidation of journalists on civic duties.

The communique also charged political parties to imbibe internal party democracy and be ready to fulfill their responsibility as required by the law.

It also urged journalists to prioritise investigative and objective reporting, to expose electoral malpractices and hold political actors to account.

The meeting was aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of election credibility, raise public awareness, and strengthen advocacy efforts for reform in Nigeria’s electoral processes.

It added, “The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the NUJ reaffirmed their commitment to working collectively to promote credible, transparent, and accountable elections. We call on all stakeholders to uphold democratic principles and ensure the integrity of elections in Nigeria.”

(NAN)