In order to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and ensure integrity of the country’s electoral processes, the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) has convened a Policy Dialogue on credibility threshold of elections in Nigeria, stating that there are basic conditions that must be met before an electoral process is adjudged as credible.
In his address at the event on Tuesday, Executive Director of the Centre, Mr. Monday Osasah called on stakeholders to embrace the tenets of democracy and play by the rules, saying: “Centre LSD has brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from various sectors to engage in constructive discussions and share insights on how to enhance the credibility of our elections,” adding that the importance of credible elections cannot be overstated.
While saying that credible elections remain the foundation on which democratic governance is built, the Executive Director noted that it is essential for promoting accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
He expressed concern that so much needs to be done to correct the narrative around elections in the country, saying: “We are all aware of the challenges that have undermined the credibility of our elections in the past, including voter suppression, electoral violence, and manipulation of the electoral process.”
According to Osasah, the policy dialogue aims to identify practical solutions to the challenges while developing a roadmap for implementing reforms that will strengthen the integrity of electoral processes in the country. At the policy dialogue, stakeholders explored innovative approaches to voter registration, voting systems, and electoral dispute resolution, among other critical areas.
He said the commitment of Centre LSD to ensuring credible elections revolve around four pillars, of which the first is Credibility Threshold of the Election. Discussing the crucial significance of the first pillar, he stated: “It ensures that elections meet international best practices, prioritizing fairness, transparency, and inclusivity.
“Centre LSD’s approach involves Reform of the Electoral Legal Framework through advocacy for amendments to strengthen laws governing elections and through engagement of stakeholders to address gaps and ambiguities in the framework.
The Executive Director, who identified Efficient and Accountable Election Management as the second step of the first pillar, said the Centre is working toward strengthening the capacity of election management bodies for better planning and execution, while also monitoring the independence of election commissions.
Osasah said the Centre is committed to working with relevant stakeholders and institutions to ensure improved access to polling units through supporting the right reforms and ensuring equitable distribution of polling units, adding that the Centre will continue to conduct assessments to identify grey areas.
While saying that the availability of a Reliable Voter Register is another important condition by which the credibility of an election is determined, the Executive Director said the Center is collaborating with electoral bodies to ensure availability of clean and accurate voter registers, as well as sensitize the public on voter registration processes.
Further discussing conditions that determine credible elections and how the Centre will contribute to political development of the country, he identified Effective Monitoring of Political Parties and Campaign Processes. According to him, relevant institutions must deploy observers to monitor adherence to campaign finance rules as well as advocate for transparency and accountability among political parties.
“There must be Improved Voter Education and Stakeholder Management,” he said, adding that stakeholders must conduct extensive voter education campaigns and collaborate with CSOs and religious leaders to disseminate information.
Osasah, who called on stakeholders to cooperate and ensure hitch-free accreditation of voters, pledged the commitment of the Centre to unbiased observation of the various stages of the electoral process, assuring that the Centre will continue to engage the public to ensure seamless electoral processes.
He said as part of efforts to ensure accurate and transparent results collation, a condition that earns credibility for an election, the Centre will continue to advocate for electronic transmission of results and the effective monitoring of collation centers.
Discussing the 9th condition, the Executive Director underscored the importance of effective monitoring of complaints and petition processes, stating that it will advocacy for provision of legal assistance for resolving election disputes as well as collaborate with institutions to monitor and document petitions.
The 10th condition, he said, is mitigating violence and electoral accountability, stating that the Centre will implement peace building initiatives to address pre- and post-election violence, as well as promote accountability mechanisms for electoral offenders.
He discussed “equal access to media” as the 11th condition for credible elections, and assured that Centre LSD will work with media bodies to ensure equitable access for all political parties, while also monitoring media content to prevent hate speech and bias.
The Founding Executive Director, Centre LSD, Mr. Igbuzor Otive commended the Executive Director for the effort. He highlighted the 4 pillars upon which Centre LSD’s commitment to electoral development is based, saying: “Pillar 1 is ‘Credibility Threshold of Elections,; Pillar 2 is ‘Vote, Not Fight Campaign’; Pillar 3 is ‘Voter Turnout Analysis and Programming’; while Pillar 4 is ‘Monitoring Key Stakeholders in the Electoral Process.”
Otivie pointed out that democracy is the best form of government and defined it as “the government of the people, for the people, by the people.”
