The Senator Ken Nnamani-led Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee submitted its report on Tuesday to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who on October 4, 2016 inaugurated the 25-man panel. Our correspondent approached some civil society organizations which spoke on their expectations and fears. 

While details of the reports are yet to be publicised, some CSOs that played critical role in previous preparations for elections called on the presidency and the National Assembly to allow the findings of the committee to see the light of the day.

Others, however, believed that the committee shouldn’t have been set up in the first place, saying other credible people had worked on the grey areas in the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended but that those who are supposed to give legal backing to the instruments failed to do so.

 The Partners for Electoral Reform (PER), expressed the hope that the report of the panel will not be dumped like others before it, citing the recommendations of the Justice Lawal Uwais Electoral Reform Committee (ERC).

The Chairman of PER, Ezenwa Nwagwu, advised that critical stakeholders should find a way of picking good recommendations from previous reports and blending them with those submitted by the Nnamani committee.

 “It is possible that there are new and emerging concerns; but a mix of Uwais, Lemu and the National Conference reports which are all presidential committees provide enough meat for anyone serious about electoral reform to chew,” he said.

Also, the Coordinator of the Election Monitor (EM), Mr Abiodun Ajijola, said the Nnamani Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee was a welcome development, noting that it came at a time Nigeria was in need of significant reforms, especially with the increasing role technology is playing in our elections.

“Signals from the executive and the legislature clearly show that government is committed to making necessary improvements in the Nigerian electoral process,” Ajijola said.

He recalled that the Senate had passed several new amendments less than two years to the 2019 presidential elections, noting that “This is a significant improvement from 2015.”

“Of course the executive thought it necessary to set up this committee, whose report has been submitted with ample time to be looked into before the next general elections.

“In my assessment, this committee report will not be dumped as there is clear commitment on the part of both key arms of government. Also, there is time to consider the report significantly as well. 

“President Muhammadu Buhari should urgently review the report and put in place mechanisms for successful implementation,” he said.

 The Media and Civic Engagement Manager of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Armsfree Ajannaku, said their expectation at the centre is that the report would be given urgent attention.

He said the ruling APC was a beneficiary of an electoral process that was largely free, fair and credible, and that it would be unacceptable for the party not to do the needful in terms of reforming the process with the goal of making it transparent and reflective of the expectations of the people.

“With the democratic possibilities as demonstrated by the historic 2015 polls, citizens want to see a better electoral process. This would mean every stakeholder playing his role and that starts from giving the good recommendations in the Nnamani committee the attention it deserves,” Ajannaku said.

 On his part, the Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), Samson Itodo, said he was concerned that the Nnamani committee was a waste of resources considering the extensive work on electoral reform going on in the National Assembly.

 “What new proposals will they make that are not mentioned in existing reports?” he asked. 

The National Coordinator of the Protest to Power Movement (PTPM) and Co-Convener of the Say No Campaign (SNC), Jaye Gaskia, said the empaneling of the committee was necessary and timely, but wondered whether the report would be taken serious and acted upon.

“First, there are still remaining some issues that bother on constitutional reform. So to what extent are such issues captured by the committee’s report? And how quickly can the executive pass this on to the legislature as it moves towards wrapping up the constitution reform process?

“Secondly, given that the elections are barely 24 months away, how quickly can the executive turn the recommendations into an executive bill to amend the Electoral Act? And how quickly can the legislature work on this?” he asked.

On her part, the chairperson of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the Nnamani committee represents another development in the nation’s electoral history.

“This is a necessity for addressing the gigantic issues affecting electoral justice in Nigeria. The report is an advancement from previous ones; having addressed the existing lacunas in our laws and constitution.

“We hope that with the disposition of the current government, there would be enough political will to support implementation as soon as possible,” she said.

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE

DATE:05/06/2017