As Nigeria grapples with persistent electoral shortcomings, the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has issued a rallying call for comprehensive reforms to reinforce the nation’s democratic institutions and electoral integrity.
Speaking at the opening session of a national dialogue on electoral reform held Thursday, in Abuja, Prof. Sulaiman emphasised the urgent need to restructure the country’s electoral architecture.
The dialogue, themed “Strengthening Electoral Integrity in Nigeria: Legislative and Institutional Reforms”, convened policymakers, legal experts, and civil society actors to examine challenges plaguing Nigeria’s electoral system.
While acknowledging improvements since Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999, the NILDS Director-General lamented persistent shortcomings—ranging from logistical hitches and voter suppression to violence, misinformation, and allegations of fraud.
“These recurring challenges signal the need for bold, far-reaching reforms,” he said. “The credibility of our elections and the inclusiveness of our political system are the foundation of democratic legitimacy. This goes beyond technical fixes—it’s a moral and political imperative.”
Prof. Sulaiman also highlighted the neglect of local government elections in electoral reform conversations. He noted that manipulation at the grassroots level continues to erode public trust, and called for the empowerment of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and a review of relevant state laws.
He reaffirmed NILDS’s commitment to supporting the National Assembly through research-driven recommendations, promising to submit a comprehensive report of insights from the dialogue to inform amendments to the Electoral Act.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Legal Services at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mohammed Tenimu (SAN), advocated for a review of the 21-day legal timeframe currently allotted for filing and amending election petitions. He argued that such a short window compromises justice delivery.
“Electoral disputes are sensitive. We must create room for fairness by allowing more time and flexibility for aggrieved parties, especially in cases resolved out of court,” Prof. Tenimu said.
He further stressed the need for political parties to train their polling agents adequately and to avoid last-minute demands on INEC for sensitive materials, which often disrupt electoral timelines.
Adding a judicial viewpoint, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Johnson Usman called for the reinstatement of a previously repealed clause in the Electoral Act that allowed concerned citizens—not just candidates—to challenge credentials presented by election aspirants.
Describing the omission of this clause as a setback to transparency and public accountability, Usman also proposed that certified documents from INEC should be admissible in court without oral evidence, citing the impracticality of demanding oral testimony in complex over-voting cases under tight deadlines.
“The current requirement for oral testimonies in over-voting cases—especially across multiple polling units—defies practicality and hinders the pursuit of justice,” he stated.
Usman concluded by emphasising the need for judicial consistency to eliminate conflicting rulings, a factor he described as vital to restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral adjudication process.
As deliberations continue, stakeholders at the national dialogue agreed that the path to electoral credibility lies not only in reforming laws but also in enforcing them with integrity, fairness, and political will.
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