The apex Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on the National Assembly to enact legislation that would put an end to off-cycle elections in Nigeria. Ohanaeze expressed concerns that these off-cycle elections are detrimental to Nigeria’s democracy.
The organization made this demand in response to the alleged irregularities observed during the off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the election outcomes, Ohanaeze emphasized the need for a complete overhaul of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The recent governorship elections were plagued by widespread voter apathy, incidents of vote-buying, as well as violence. There were also reports of compromised and biased INEC electoral officers, allegedly manipulated by politicians to skew the electoral process in their favor through fraudulent means.
Ohanaeze criticized the current state of INEC, describing it as a weak institution in urgent need of restructuring.
In a statement issued by Ohanaeze’s factional Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, it was stated: “The current management team, led by Professor Yakubu Mahmood, has failed to ensure the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections across the three states. We demand a complete overhaul of the management team to restore confidence in the electoral process.”
“The prevalence of irregularities such as voter apathy, vote-buying, violence, and compromised INEC staff has significantly undermined the democratic process in off-cycle elections. This situation erodes the trust of the electorate and jeopardizes the foundation of our democracy. The National Assembly must take immediate action by enacting new laws to end off-cycle elections, as they continue to weaken our democracy,” the statement continued.
