The European Union Observation Mission (EUOM) for the 2019 General Elections released its report on the 2019 General elections on Saturday, 15th June 2019. The report has received diverse reactions from quarters across Nigeria, pointing to the credibility or otherwise of the elections. According to the report of the EUOM, “Nigeria’s 2019 General elections were marked by severe operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems, and low turnout. Positively, the elections were competitive, parties were overall able to campaign, and civil society enhanced accountability”. It however stated that the systemic failings evident in the election and the low levels of voter participation have given rise to a need for fundamental reform. The document highlights seven priority recommendations among its thirty recommendations, as follows:
- Organisational and operational capacity of INEC need to be considerably strengthened to improve human and material resources required for timely and accountable operations, in addition to improving internal communication within INEC.
- Legal requirements be established for full results transparency, with data made easily accessible to the public. All election results should be displayed immediately at collation centres, as well as scanned and displayed on INEC’s website by the time of declaring final election results. Result forms from polling units should be published before the deadline for submission of petitions against declared results.
- INEC procedures for the collation of results be elaborated and strengthened to improve integrity and confidence in electoral outcomes. The procedures should provide for public scrutiny in dealing with irregularities and anomalies on result forms at all levels.
- Reform of the licensing system for broadcast media to provide for pluralism and diversity in all States. Ownership structures of media organisations should be publicised and powers to grant licences vested in the National Broadcasting Commission without presidential approval, and licence fees tailored to the economic circumstances in each State.
- The inter-agency body responsible for electoral security should work more transparently and inclusively, having regular consultations with political parties and Civil Society. Security arrangements and complaints mechanisms be made public, while operational roles of different security agencies should be clearly delineated, with the military only involved at the request of INEC.
- Election petition tribunals should be extended to cover pre-election cases, to improve access to remedy and avoid petitions being taken to different courts at the same time. More judges should be appointed and trained on election-related matters to improve judicial capacity.
- Introduction of a legal requirement for political parties to have a minimum representation of women among candidates, and non-compliance sanctioned with appropriate and deterrent penalties.
The Joint Nigeria International Election Observation Mission of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) released its final report on the 2019 General elections on Tuesday, 18th June 2019. According to the IRI President, Dr. Daniel Twining, “The 2019 General elections fell significantly short of standards set in 2015. Citizens’ confidence in elections was shaken” while NDI President, Ambassador Derek Mitchell commented that, “The 2019 elections highlighted for many Nigerians the need for a national conversation about the country’s democratization since the 1999 transition to civilian rule”. Some of the Mission’s recommendations include the following:
- Nigeria should pursue a comprehensive, inclusive and expeditious electoral reform process
- Establish time limits for the adjudication of pre-election petitions.
- Complete constituency delimitation exercise and identify necessary polling units at least one year before the next elections.
- The Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise should be made more accessible to voters.
- Create a
- Measures to strengthen mechanisms for political party internal democracy and development of the capacity of political parties to monitor elections.
- Improve co-ordination among stakeholders to increase and deepen voter and civic education, while enhancing the participation of marginalized groups, including women, PWDs and IDPs.
- Improve co-ordination between security agencies and INEC on provision of electoral security and enforcement of electoral laws by investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of election-related criminal acts.