A civil-society organisation, Media Advocacy Promotion for Development Initiative (MAPDI), has called for the establishment of an independent body to oversee the appointment of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other key officials.
The Executive Director of MAPDI, Mayowa Adeniran, made the call during a Southwest Regional Youth Town Hall Meeting in Osogbo, stressing that an independent appointment process would help curb political interference and strengthen Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
Adeniran argued that the current method of selecting the INEC Chairman and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) has become increasingly susceptible to political influence, thereby undermining public trust in election outcomes.
According to him, a neutral body composed of selected prominent institutions would give the public greater electoral confidence, strengthen Nigeria’s democratic legacy, and reduce post-election disputes.
He said, “Sections 153 and 154 of the Nigerian Constitution must be revisited to remove all bottlenecks in the electoral system for the benefit of democracy in Nigeria. Pre-election disputes should be concluded before the first ballot is cast, while post-election petitions should be settled before the winner takes office.”
Adeniran further stated that such an independent body should be empowered to investigate, prosecute, and punish electoral offenders swiftly and decisively.
He also said that members of the Youth Political Participation (YPP) consortium across the six geopolitical zones would continue to mobilise young Nigerians to champion youth-led electoral reforms across all 36 states.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Youth Council of Nigeria (YCN), Mr. Akinbode Oluwasegun, said the selection of an independent electoral body for INEC requires rigorous processes to ensure transparency, trust, and confidence.
