INEC Told What To Do Concerning Presidential Election As Nigerians Await Tribunal Judgement

INEC Told What To Do Concerning Presidential Election As Nigerians Await Tribunal Judgement

A group known as the OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative (OAI) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct separate days for the presidential and National Assembly elections in order to prevent a bandwagon effect.

The group presented a report on the 2023 general election titled “Comprehensive Report on the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria (National and State Assemblies in Focus)” in Abuja on Tuesday.

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Currently, INEC holds the presidential and National Assembly elections concurrently, as well as the governorship and state assemblies elections on the same day. The OAI report suggests that this practice leads to a situation where National Assembly candidates benefit from a “top to bottom” voting pattern.

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The report argues that this trend results from the significant attention given to presidential candidates and their parties, overshadowing the legislative candidates.

This often leads voters to switch loyalties in line with the presidential election outcome, favoring the party that wins the presidency at the federal level. Consequently, candidates are often elected not based on their individual merits but due to the influence of the presidential race.

To address this issue, the OAI recommended that INEC modify its schedule to hold separate days for the executive and legislative elections.

The group proposed the creation of an electoral sequence in the Electoral Act that designates distinct dates for each type of election. It also suggested that the National Assembly reevaluate the order and sequence of elections and amend the electoral law accordingly.

OAI’s Executive Director, Oke Epia, acknowledged that a previous attempt to introduce an electoral sequence in the 8th Assembly failed due to political considerations.

However, he emphasized that addressing the problem could involve either a constitutional or electoral amendment. Sections 76, 178, and 132 of the Nigerian Constitution grant INEC the authority to set election dates for the National Assembly, governorship, and presidential elections, respectively.