A civil society organisation known as the Transformation Monitoring Group, (TMG), has kicked against the alleged nomination of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Auwal Ibrahima Musa Rafsanjani, on Saturday and made available to SaharaReporters on Sunday, described the nomination of the members of the ruling party as electoral commissioners as a strategy to influence the process and outcome of the election in favour of the APC.
Expressing displeasure with the appointment of card-carrying party members as INEC commissioners and State Resident Electoral Commissioners, the group pointed out that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear on the composition and structure of the electoral body.
The group noted, “While the provisions of 1999 Constitution are clear on the compositions, and major appointments into the structure of the Electoral Body, we are displeased by the apparent partisanship and favouritism reported through the nominations of the party’s card-carrying members as INEC Commissioners and State Resident Electoral Commissioners.
“Some Nigerians alleged that the recent unmerited promotions and strategic deployments across the country initiated within the Commission were to upturn votes or create inconclusive situations that will be exploited by unscrupulous politicians in forcing or rigging their way into power.
“We are more concerned by the potential impact of such a major push from the Presidency on the overall credibility, transparency and integrity of the upcoming elections in 2023.
“Just as we condemn in totality the appointments of card-carrying members of any political party as a controlling strategy that can compromise the competence and objectivity of INEC, under which the independence and integrity of the Commission cannot be guaranteed to deliver free, fair and credible elections.”
According to the statement, the group, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to uphold the commitment of his administration’s fight against corruption by withdrawing the names of party members and chieftains nominated for key positions in INEC and replacing them with people of “integrity and unquestionable character.”
Furthermore, the group charged the National Assembly to uphold democratic values and electoral integrity by rejecting the nomination of party chieftains.
“TMG on this note calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to in the spirit of his administration’s commitment to anti-corruption and transparency, withdraw all names of political party chieftains or card-carrying members contained in the nominations; and consider for immediate replacements, persons of integrity and unquestionable character, to demonstrate non-partisanship in the selections and nominations.
“We call on the National Assembly to reject the confirmation of all nominated party chieftains and insist on transparency and non-partisanship in the selections, to uphold the democratic value and electoral integrity, while proving respect for the sanity and sanctity of the rule of law.
“We also call on INEC to give detailed and verifiable positions of the nominated persons and rationale for their selections as well as prerequisite for the recent adjustments in the Commission’s structure and compositions at all levels,” the group stated.
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