The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working on changes to Nigeria’s electoral laws that could strip President Bola Tinubu of powers to to appoint Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) before the 2027 general elections.
Instead, the commission is seeking the power to appoint these officials directly, under a new title—State Directors of Elections.
This proposal was revealed during a retreat in Lagos on Monday organized by INEC and the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters.
The electoral umpire said the change would help improve how elections are run in the country.
The commission is pushing for changes to the Constitution and the Electoral Act to allow this shift in power.
Currently, the RECs are responsible for overseeing all electoral activities within their assigned states.
They manage the conduct of presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly elections, working under the guidance of the INEC National Chairman and commissioners.
Their duties also include supervising voter registration, coordinating with security agencies, and ensuring the smooth operation of polling processes.
INEC called on the National Assembly to swiftly advance the passage of the electoral reform legislation.
Other constitutional amendments proposed by INEC include:
Special Voting and Inclusion: Amendments to Sections 72(2), 117(1), 132(5), and 198 of the 1999 Constitution to allow early, special and diaspora voting.
This would enable essential service providers, election officials, and Nigerians living abroad to participate in elections.
Creation of New Agencies: Recommendation for establishing an Electoral Offences Commission and a Political Party Regulatory Agency to tackle the persistent challenges of political party management and electoral crimes.
Affirmative Action for Inclusion: Suggested amendments to Sections 48, 49, 71, and 91 to create special seats for women and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), fostering more equitable representation.
Clarity and Corrections: Fixing ambiguities, referencing errors, and conflicting provisions, regarding among others, the transmission and collation of results under Sections 60, 64, and 65.
Review of Election Results: Amending Section 65(1) to clearly define INEC’s power to review election results.
Special Voting Provisions: Adjusting Sections 12(2) and 45 to support early and special voting for designated groups, both domestically and abroad.
Strengthening Party Regulation: Moving responsibilities for party registration, monitoring and deregistration to a proposed Political Party Regulatory Agency, which would require consequential amendments across more than 15 sections of the Act.
Operational and Procedural Adjustments: Other proposed changes include clarifying timelines for candidate substitution under Section 31, redefining INEC’s role in managing and printing PVCs, regulating party primaries more strictly, and banning unaccredited agents at collation centers.
BUREAUCRATIC BOTTLENECK. THAT IS DEMOCRACY. HUNDRED OF BILLS EVERYWHERE BUT EFFECTIVENESS NOT RECORDED.FOR ONCE THIS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD DO SOMETHING GREAT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE SINCE 1999. LIKE CREATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, STATES, CONSTITUENCIES, WARDS SINCE HAVING ALREADY ADDED POLLING UNITS. IF THESE ARE NOT DONE, WE ARE STILL OPERATIONAL WITH THE MILITARY DOCUMENTS