A coalition of civil society organizations has recommended that opposition parties in Nigeria have to unite to strengthen the democratic process in the country.
The recommendation was part of the conclusions reached during a just concluded National Conference in Abuja, which featured speakers such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
According to a communique read on Tuesday by one of the conveners of the two-day conference, Ezenwa Nwagwu, it was also recommended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should allow the registration of new political parties and embrace technology in the discharge of its roles.
Nwagwu lamented that systemic issues such as electoral malpractice, political party inefficiencies, weak governance structures, and endemic corruption have eroded public trust in the democratic process in Nigeria.
He stressed the need to deepen democratic values and institutions in the country.
Ezenwa said the conference agreed that political parties should adopt innovative strategies for raising funds to support their operations, ensuring financial independence and sustainability to minimise state capture and corrupt tendencies.
“Opposition Political parties must unite to form a strong, viable coalition that ensures checks and balances, promotes accountability, and fosters healthy political discourse to protect the integrity of the democratic process.
“INEC should undertake a review of its internal processes to incorporate ward-level collation of results and ensure strict adherence to the electoral guidelines as mandated.
“Technology should be integrated into the electoral process to enhance accountability and transparency, aligning with global best practices and ensuring the credibility of the election outcomes.
“INEC should live up to its billing of strengthening political parties through its regulatory function to ensure internal democracy is entrenched in political parties,” he said.
Prioritize Electoral Reforms
Naija News reports Ezenwa further noted that that conference charged the National Assembly to fulfil its roles in ensuring a vibrant democracy including prioritizing electoral reforms in the country ahead of the next general elections.
The conveners said it was agreed that electoral offenders should be prosecuted under the law, as this would serve as a strong deterrent to others.
“The proposals before the National Assembly seeking to reform the electoral process should be prioritised by the 10th Assembly. This should include other structural reforms of the electoral system including the “winner-takes-all” system.
“Considering the limited timeframe to the next general elections, the National Assembly should prioritise the review of the Electoral Act,” he said.
