Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has disclosed how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Baba-Ahmed stated that INEC must be strengthened and protected from undue political intervention in order to boost public confidence in the electoral process.
The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters stated that the method of appointing the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners, or RECs, should be reviewed.
According to him, the current arrangement gives the government too much power over the electoral body.
“The moment you hand over an electoral body to a partisan administration that wants to retain power, you create serious questions about its neutrality,” he stated.
He also advocated for greater financial autonomy for the commission, urging that INEC be permitted to present and defend its budget directly to the National Assembly without interference from the presidency.
The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs has asked authorities to impose heavier sanctions on politicians and those involved in electoral fraud and violence.
Baba-Ahmed stated that the continuance of electoral offences is mostly due to a lack of responsibility for offenders.
“Politicians who undermine the political process must bear the repercussions of their actions. “The culture of impunity must end,” he said.