Lawyers charge INEC to strengthen electoral transparency

Ahead of the 2027 general election in Nigeria, a group of legal professionals has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bolster electoral transparency. This call comes after concerns arose about the commission's readiness to fulfill its duties effectively. The lawyers, hailing from Law Corridor, made their recommendations during a press conference in Abuja.

The legal experts emphasized several key areas that they believe are crucial for ensuring credible elections. These include maintaining accurate voter records, enforcing lawful electoral procedures, and facilitating meaningful public scrutiny. They pointed to specific provisions in the Electoral Act 2026, notably Sections 19 and 77, which pertain to the display of the voters' register and political parties' membership records, respectively.

Henry Kelechukwu Eniotu, the Managing Partner of the law firm, argued that INEC should make it clear when timelines apply, provide easy access for voters to review their records, and establish robust mechanisms for handling claims, objections, and corrections. He stressed the importance of transparently explaining how compliance with the requirements for political parties' membership registers would be monitored and enforced, all while respecting personal information protections.

Eniotu also advocated for better transparency in the release of voter registration data. He suggested that INEC should differentiate between the number of registration applications received, the number of registrations finalized, and the overall eligible voter count. Furthermore, the lawyers stressed that political parties must uphold the accuracy of their membership records and adhere to their statutory duties, with these standards uniformly applied across all parties and candidates.