Parties seek unbundling of INEC for efficiency

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body of all registered political parties in the country, has proposed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be unbundled to make it more efficient.

IPAC said the electoral body currently has too many responsibilities to handle.

The council said an unbundled INEC should be left with the responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections for the country.

IPAC’s Chairman Peter Ameh spoke at this year’s annual summit of political parties and stakeholders.

The summit reviewed the conduct of the political parties during this year’s general elections.

The event was organised by Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre of the National Institute for Policy and strategic Studies (NIPSS) with support from the European Centre for Electoral Reforms.

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Also, Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sam Egwu, who represented INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission was concerned about the unbundling of the commission for more efficiency.

Ameh said this year’s general election was marred by irregularities resulting from what he called structural failure on the part of the commission due to the huge responsibilities it is meant to handle.

He said: “We are here today to carry out a review of the 2019 general election, which was marred by various malpractices and all sorts of electoral malpractices, desperation by politicians, high level of thuggery, vote-buying, citizens’ inaction and civil society failure to be non-partisan.

“There were security agents perceived to be biased and the structural failure by the INEC. I called it structural failure because of my long-standing conviction that INEC should be unbundled, if we all want electoral efficiency. INEC should be unbundled if we all want an electoral system that will work effectively, free of all forms of baggage.

“As it presently stands, INEC carries a lot of responsibilities. It is responsible for registration of political parties, it is responsible for voter education, it is responsible for voter registration as well as legal activities involving those that have gone to court as a result of elections that have been adjudged unsuitable.”