Electoral Reform: CSOs Urge Removal of President’s Power to Appoint INEC Chair
With the tenure of INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu nearing its end, civil society organisations (CSOs) are calling for constitutional reforms that would strip the president of the authority to appoint the electoral body’s chairman. The demand was made during a sensitisation workshop in Awka, Anambra State, organised by Yiaga Africa ahead of the November governorship election. Yiaga Africa’s programme manager, Cynthia Mbamalu, said the engagement aimed to identify flaws that could undermine the credibility of the polls. At the workshop, participants argued that allowing the president to appoint the INEC chairman creates room for political interference in elections. Instead, they proposed a new commission comprising representatives of professional groups such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), and CSOs. This […]