The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has outlined measures to ensure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.
Mr Baba-Ahmed, who spoke in Abuja on Sunday, said that the commission must be strengthened to insulate it from undue political influence.
He said that the appointment of the INEC chairman, national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners should be reviewed to reduce executive control 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 said.
The PRP national chairman advocated for budgetary independence for INEC, arguing that the commission should be allowed to defend its budget independently before the National Assembly.
He also called for tougher sanctions against politicians and individuals who engage in electoral malpractices and violence.
According to him, electoral offences have continued to thrive because perpetrators are rarely punished.
“Politicians who compromise the electoral process must face the consequences of their actions. The culture of impunity must end,” he said.
Mr Baba-Ahmed, a former secretary to INEC, warned that any election lacking credibility could further weaken Nigeria’s democracy and undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
He added that broader reforms, aimed at strengthening key institutions such as INEC, would be central to the PRP’s restructuring agenda for the country.
(NAN)
