National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has outlined measures he believes are necessary to ensure free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. In a statement issued on Sunday, Baba-Ahmed stressed the need to strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and protect it from political interference in order to boost public trust in the electoral process.
The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters advocated a review of the appointment process for the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), arguing that the existing framework grants excessive influence to the executive arm of government.
“The moment you hand over an electoral body to a partisan administration that wants to retain power, you create serious questions about its neutrality,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also called for increased financial independence for the electoral commission, maintaining that INEC should be allowed to present and defend its budget directly before the National Assembly without interference from the executive.
He further urged authorities to impose tougher sanctions on politicians and other individuals involved in electoral malpractice and violence, noting that the continued occurrence of such offences is largely driven by a lack of accountability.
“Politicians who compromise the electoral process must face the consequences of their actions. The culture of impunity must end,” he added.
