Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, has urged stakeholders to workout realistic strategies that would strengthen the transparency of the electoral process in Nigeria.
The Acting Director-General of the institute, Brig-Gen. Chukwuemeka Udaya, made the call in his remarks at a workshop on “Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Transparency in the Electoral Process in Nigeria” held on Monday in Abuja.
The Workshop was organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre (PPLPDC) of NIPSS, in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism and BBC Media Action.
Udaya, represented by NIPSS Director of Research, Prof. Pam Dung Sha, said that accountability and transparency were central to an effective political process and election integrity.
According to him, while electoral managers play key role in determining the quality of electoral process, the political parties are equally responsible for the transparency of process.
He said, “Electoral process, in which political parties are key players need to be transparent for citizens to effectively participate.
“The transparency of electoral process determines its credibility and integrity most especially, the acceptance of election outcomes and the reduction of court cases on election matters.”
Udaya said that political parties played fundamental role in strengthening the transparency of electoral process and the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
“The national institute on its part, through its various programmes is committed to engaging with the political parties, most especially in enhancing their capacities to effectively participate in political process and also strengthen democracy in Nigeria.”
Violence and suspension
On his part, the National Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, decried the violence that led to indefinite suspension of the Saturday Ekiti East 1 State Constituency by-election in Ekiti State.
Nzenwa said that the lives that were lost including police officer, member of the National Youth Service Corps and politician show that violence in election affect all stakeholders.
“I see transparency as an umbilical cord that bind political Process and political stakeholders together. What happened in Ekiti show that stakeholders were yet to have the needed transparency in the electoral process,” Nzenwa said.
He said that this called for more transparency in the country electoral process, as well in internal democracy in the activities of political parties.
Also, the Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Bolade Eyinla, said that commission was committed to transparency in the country’s electoral process.
He, however, expressed concern on the inability of some of the stakeholders including political parties to play their expected role in ensuring transparency and credibility in the process.
Ekiti by-election
Expressing concern on the level violence that characterized the Saturday by-election in Ekiti, which was later suspended by INEC, Enyinla wondered that if that can happened in a constituencies by-election, what will happen in the state governorship or General Elections.
He urged political parties to talk to their constituencies in achieving credible election.
The Executive Director, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, urged media to embrace all the tools of investigative and solutions journalism to insert and make permanent the value of transparency in our democracy.
Olorunyomi represented by Mboho Eno, Programme Manager, urged media to take up the issue of transparency in elections as a basis of consolidation democracy.
On her part, the Director of International Corporation, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Elizabeth Egharevba, said there was no better time for the workshop than now that INEC has started preparations for 2023 general elections.
Egharevba stressed the need for stakeholders unhindered access to information throughout the election process, if transparency much be achieved.
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