The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has pushed for the training and retraining programmes to boost the technical and forensic capacity of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) Staff on efficient conduct of digital elections.
While advocating Gender-inclusive reforms in the electoral process.,the Civil Society group also called for the full implementation of gender-quota in party constitutions to promote equal participation of women in political leadership.
These were part of the recommendations at the end of a NATIONAL SEMINAR ON TARGETED ELECTORAL REFORMS AND ENHANCING TRANSPARENCY.
Signed by Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), the Executive Director, CISLAC,the Seminar aimed at bringing under one-roof, Legal Practitioners, Electoral Experts, Electoral Observers, Civil Society and the Media, to critically observe the areas enabling technicalities and challenges bedevilling the electoral system and conduct.
Part of the recommendations was the strengthening of the internal reform process and procedures within the electoral institution for improvement to efficiently deliver on electoral integrity, while discouraging reported sabotage and process manipulation by electoral practitioners.
” De-centralise procurement process for adequate provision of required logistics to facilitate smooth running of the electoral process and conduct that restore citizens’ confidence and participation.
“Strengthen the capacity of party managers and electoral agencies through deliberate and conscious training and retraining on effective electoral conduct and process,revive the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-party Relations to maintain regular consultation and harmony between the ruling and opposition parties.
“Reactivate all electoral organs for effective implementation of electoral reform,strengthen the INEC legal power to prove and declare credibility of electoral outcome to minimize judicial interference; and appoint RECs to preserve their operational integrity and standards in the conduct of elections.
The Civil Society Organisation called for Immediate amendments to Sections 41, 47 and 60 of the Electoral Act to provide adequate legal backing to whistle-blower and public interest litigations before, during and after the elections and strengthening the capacity of the electoral body to adequately deploy technology in the electoral process through amendment to relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
CISLAC therefore sought continued support to the Civil Society to protect and defend democracy, rule of law and electoral governance in Nigeria.
It equally called for the sustenance and strategic advocacy by Civil Society through massive social mobilisation for common demands in electoral reform, while ensuring that citizens’ expectations resonate with the demands.
“Massive public awareness and education to harvest citizens’ support for judicial reform through targeted engagements.
There were goodwill messages from Dr Kole Shettima, MacArthur Foundation; and Barrister Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Former President of the NBA.
