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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday proposed several amendments to the 1999 Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Key proposals include measures for Diaspora voting, early voting for security personnel and others on election duty, voting rights for inmates, the establishment of special seats for women and individuals with disabilities, and dedicated funding for the Commission.
These recommendations were presented by the Special Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Professor Mohammad Kuna, during a retreat for the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters in Lagos, with the title “Issues and Contentions in the Electoral Legal Framework: An Overview from INEC Submission.”
While highlighting that the 2023 general election marked the seventh since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, Kuna noted that INEC has successfully managed various off-cycle, bye, and re-run elections over the years.
He stated, “The Commission’s experiences in conducting these elections and managing the electoral process, along with recommendations from both domestic and international electoral observers, judicial rulings, and actions taken by political and electoral process stakeholders have all served as significant catalysts for reforming the electoral legal framework.
Current efforts to reform the Electoral Legal Framework arise from observations made by a wide range of stakeholders in the political and electoral landscape concerning specific aspects of the constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
