IPAC wants independent panel to appoint INEC chair

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for the transfer of powers to appoint the chairman, commissioners and secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the presidency to an independent panel.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja at a meeting organised by the house of representatives committee on constitutional review for leaders of political parties, Yusuf Dantalle, IPAC national chairman, said the would guarantee INEC’s independence and strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Under the proposal, an independent appointment committee (IAC) would be established, comprising representatives of all registered political parties, civil society organisations, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and a committee of the national assembly drawn from both majority and minority caucuses in the senate and house of representatives.

He also proposed scrapping the state independent electoral commissions (SIECs) and vesting the responsibility of conducting all LGAs elections in INEC.

“IPAC has been championing local government autonomy. Politics is local, and citizens should be encouraged to participate in grassroots politics that actively guarantees free, fair and credible local government election,” he said.

Dantalle also sought the restoration of political parties’ funding to provide “a level playing ground for all political parties”.

“The amendment should provide a mechanism to ensure that political parties maintain transparent financial records and accounting practices,” he said.

The IPAC chairman said a commission should be established to try electoral offenders, noting that this will curb electoral offences, including vote buying and selling, violence, ballot snatching, and falsifying results.

The IPAC chairman said vacant seats in the national assembly arising from defection or death should be filled by the original winning political party through a replacement process, rather than the current practice of new election which is “very expensive and tortuous”.

Dantalle said the 1999 constitution already guarantees fundamental human rights, stressing the need to uphold individual dignity, equality, and freedom.