Ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has proposed that Nigerians should directly elect the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), and National Electoral Commissioners after the tenure of the current chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The former vice president, in a statement on Thursday, proposing various reforms to the electoral process, argued that the credibility of Nigeria’s elections had been eroded over the years, saying that unless decisive reforms were implemented, the country risked further decline in voter turnout and public trust in the democratic process.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, said the reforms were necessary following the enthusiasm shown by Nigerians in the ongoing continuous voters’ registration (CVR).

He said the turnout in the ongoing CVR is commendable and indicative of the commitment of Nigerians to take their destinies in their hands in choosing their leaders in the next election cycle.

The former vice president, however, noted that it is not just enough to demand that eligible voters register for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

According to him, it is pertinent that far-reaching electoral and judicial reforms are undertaken to ensure electoral integrity, strengthen public confidence, and promote judicial independence.

Atiku warned that without far-reaching reforms, voter apathy could worsen, citing the 2023 general elections, which recorded the lowest turnout since 1999, with only 26.72 per cent of registered voters participating.

He said: “Over time, the quality of our elections has continued to depreciate with voter turnout at an all-time low during the 2023 elections. Of the total 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million persons voted in the last presidential and National Assembly elections. This represents a meagre 26.72 per cent voter turnout, the lowest since the return to democracy in 1999.

“Something needs to be done to check this slide if citizens are to continue to have an appetite for the democratic processes and the prospects that it holds.

“The issues of BVAS, electronic transmission, and all other associated issues need to be addressed to the extent that they’re constitutionally provided for in order not to leave it to the whims and caprices of judges.”

While noting nine areas in the electoral process that need reforms, Atiku called for mandatory electronic transmission of results and compulsory use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) across all polling units as key provisions that must be enshrined in law.

He maintained that electronic processes must guide collation from polling units to ward, local government, state, and national levels, eliminating discretionary powers that currently allow manual procedures.

His words: “Third, collation of results at the Ward Collation Centers on the basis of the results already electronically transmitted to the iREV from the polling units without any provision for manual collation of results at the Ward Centers.

“Fourth, collation of results at the Local Government or Area Council Collation Centers on the basis of the results already electronically transmitted to the iREV from the Ward Collation Centers without any provision for manual collation of results at the Local Government or Area Council Centers.

“Fifth, collation of results at the State Collation Centers on the basis of the results already electronically transmitted to the iREV from the Local Government Collation Centers without any provision for manual collation of results at the State Center.

“Sixth, collation of results at the National Collation Center on the basis of the results already electronically transmitted to the iREV from the State Collation Centers without any provision for manual collation of results at the National Council Center.

“Seventh, at no point shall manual accreditation of voters, transmission of results, and collation of results be allowed.

“Eight, the position of the Chairman of INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioners, and the National Electoral Commissioners shall be subjected to a democratic voting by the people.

“Ninth, INEC to prove substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution in the conduct of the election in an election petition and not the petitioner.” (The Guardian)