The International Press Centre (IPC) has called on the national assembly to adopt far-reaching reforms in the proposed Electoral Act Amendment Bill to strengthen electoral integrity, enhance inclusivity, and protect journalists covering elections.
The recommendations were contained in a detailed memorandum signed by Lanre Arogundade, executive director of IPC, and submitted to the national assembly joint committee on electoral matters.
The organisation said the reforms are essential to safeguard democracy and enable the media to effectively oversee governance.
The IPC noted that the memorandum drew its findings from nationwide democratic dialogues held across the six geopolitical zones between January 2024 and January 2025, and was presented during the public hearing on the bill.
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According to the IPC, the dialogues brought together over 500 stakeholders, including citizens, media professionals, civil society groups, election officials, security agencies, and political parties, to address issues such as voter apathy, electoral transparency, inclusivity, and security.
The memorandum identified the core elements of electoral trust as transparency, adherence to legal and ethical standards, accurate voter registration, dispute resolution, inclusive participation, and consistent enforcement of regulations.
The document also outlined a series of recommendations aimed at deepening public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic processes.
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Among the key proposals are strengthening the independence, efficiency, and professionalism of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); decentralising INEC’s functions for better oversight; establishing an independent electoral offences commission; and reforming election adjudication for timely dispute resolution.
Other recommendations include enabling diaspora voting, promoting internal democracy and financial transparency within political parties, enhancing voter accreditation and registration systems, and guaranteeing equitable participation for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
The IPC also proposed the introduction of early voting provisions and measures to regulate media access while combating disinformation during election periods.
The media body further urged the national assembly to provide legal protections for journalists covering elections, including safe access to information and protection from harassment by security agencies and political actors.
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“In recognition of the importance of maintaining an accountable and transparent electoral environment that allows the media to report information without facing criminal penalties for their work, IPC supports the following proposed amendments to the Electoral Act and submits them to your committee for consideration,” the statement reads.
The IPC proposed the inclusion of early and diaspora voting to allow journalists who are deployed to cover elections to also participate as citizens.
The memorandum also recommended electronic transmission of results from polling units to the INEC result viewing (IReV) portal to improve transparency and support accurate media reporting of electoral outcomes.
Additionally, the organisation suggested that section 96(1) of the Electoral Act be amended to ensure that penalties for violating campaign blackout rules apply only to offending media organisations, and not to their principal officers or staff.
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The IPC also called for the establishment of an election offences tribunal to investigate and prosecute politicians who misuse state resources, obstruct fair media coverage, or attack journalists during elections.
The IPC urged lawmakers to adopt the reforms to create an electoral environment that ensures public trust, inclusivity, and accountability.
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