ActionAid Nigeria Demands Urgent Judicial and Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2027 Elections
ABUJA, NIGERIA — ActionAid Nigeria has called for sweeping judicial and electoral reforms to restore credibility to the nation’s election dispute mechanisms before the 2027 general elections.
The advocacy group made the call during a press briefing in Abuja following the fifth session of its Independent Judicial Accountability Panel (IJAP). The panel expressed deep concerns over judicial accountability and the growing public mistrust in election tribunal outcomes.
Streamlining Election Petitions to reduce the burden on the judiciary, the IJAP recommended that all election petitions involving governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives elections terminate at the Court of Appeal. Under this proposal, supreme court appeals for these offices would only be permitted under exceptional circumstances, speeding up legal resolutions.
Enhancing INEC Autonomy and Restricting Officials, the panel also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take a proactive role in resolving internal political party disputes to reduce pre-election litigation. Furthermore, ActionAid proposed a strict five-year ban on former senior INEC officials from participating in partisan politics after leaving office.
This measure aims to protect the commission’s neutrality and prevent conflicts of interest. Calls for Prosecution in Osun State Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, raised local political concerns during the briefing.
He called on the Attorney-General of Osun State to prosecute a serving senator for making unguided and inflammatory statements during a recent political campaign. Pushing for Independent Candidacy as political maneuvering builds toward 2027, the IJAP emphasized the need for constitutional recognition of independent candidacy.
ActionAid believes this shift will widen political participation, offer voters alternative choices, and significantly weaken the influence of political godfathers in Nigeria.
