Keep Parties Out of INEC

The politicians are again trying to thwart the efforts at electoral reform in Nigeria. What else would one conclude when the parties in alliance with the present PDP government (ANPP,PPA,APGA) are suggesting that political parties nominate members of the electoral commission in future and the members so nominated should then choose a chairman among them.

This is fraught with danger. For genuine reform of the electoral body to occur, politicians should have absolutely no say in the appointments. They should, if possible, not even be distant cousins of those so appointed.

If the parties have their way, to whom would the chairman and his officers be loyal? To their parties of course. Rigging would continue and we would be back to the beginning. I can only imagine what happens on election night when all the officers will be outdoing themselves to stuff ballot boxes or fill in returns.

I think the country should consider appointing civil servants to those positions or simply conduct elections for electoral officers. My preference is the former; civil servants whose tenure would be guaranteed by the constitution will definitely fit the role better.