Muslim youth group backs call to strip president, governors power to appoint INEC, SIEC chairs

The National Muslim Youth Association (NMYA) has expressed support for Ikechukwu Obiorah’s proposal to strip the president and governors of the power to appoint electoral commissioners.

Obiorah, a former senator who represented Anambra south between 2007 and 2011, submitted the proposal to the senate and house of representatives.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Abdulraham Aliyu, president of the association, said honest elections in Nigeria are impossible under the current arrangement where the executive arms at federal and state levels control the appointment of electoral bodies.

Aliyu said the association agreed with the former lawmaker’s proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish a new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and state electoral commissions whose members would be independently and neutrally appointed.

He called on the national assembly to “consider and pass Obiorah’s bill for the amendment of the constitution” and to work with the presidency and state assemblies to actualise the reform.

According to Aliyu, the introduction of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the INEC result viewing (IReV) portal has not solved Nigeria’s electoral integrity problem.

“BVAS and IReV would not solve the problem of election rigging in Nigeria without the impartiality and integrity of the electoral body, as those two systems are vulnerable to manipulation,” he said.

He said the association supports Obiorah’s “novel and bold proposal” to constitute a new INEC made up of 13 commissioners—six to be elected by major labour and professional organisations, six nominated by the United Nations (UN), and one observer nominated by Transparency International.

“What stands out in Senator Obiorah’s proposed new INEC is the fact that it would be more difficult to bribe or intimidate such an internationally composed electoral body,” Aliyu said.

He said the infusion of international experts would ensure better-organised elections and restore confidence in the secrecy of the ballot, while also enabling millions of Nigerians in the diaspora to vote.

Responding to critics who questioned the inclusion of foreigners in Nigeria’s electoral process, Aliyu said such collaboration is consistent with the United Nation’s (UN) long-standing role in the nation’s development.

“These are the same foreigners who have, since independence, managed the healthcare of our political leaders, forgiven Nigeria’s debts, and supported our infrastructural and humanitarian needs,” he said.

“They are the same United Nations that has been a trusted partner in Nigeria’s development aspirations, strengthening our institutions, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, and coordinating humanitarian relief efforts in crisis-affected regions.”

He noted that Nigeria’s recurring problem of poor governance and mass poverty stems from dishonest elections that produce unaccountable leaders.

“It is obvious that Nigerian youths are wallowing in extreme poverty because our leaders, brought to power by rigged elections, have no incentive to deliver good governance,” he said.

The NMYA urged lawmakers to expedite action on the proposed reform to restore faith in Nigeria’s democracy.