The Justice Development & Peace Commissions (JDPC) of the Catholic Church has advocated for a comprehensive electoral reform to be implemented before the next general elections.
According to JDPC, the system canvassed for should have the capability of real-time transmission of results from the polling booth and should be devoid of the hurdles of a collation system that gives room for manipulation of results.
It also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint a new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other leadership members of the commission from people who are manifestly non-partisan and whose character is impeccable.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting of the nine provinces of the Catholic Church in Nigeria in Abuja, the JDPC argued that the electorate, rather than the courts, should decide the winners of an election, stressing that the current culture, where a huge percentage of all seats in an election are litigated, should be discouraged.
The communique signed by the National Secretary, JDPC and Director, Church and Society Department, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Fr. Peter Babangida Audu, read, “A reformed system should make the polling booth, instead of the courts, decide election winners. All elections should be conducted on the same day to enhance efficiency and voter turnout and to avoid the current incidence of bandwagon effect.
Active participation of all clergy and laypersons in the electoral process and awareness should be created, aimed at avoiding despondency sequel to the sloppy handling of the 2023 general elections.”
Audu called for amendment of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as the country prepares for the next general elections, adding that Section 285 (5, 6, & 7) must be amended to add a subsection which requires that no contestant should be sworn into office until all the cases relating to their elections are conclusively concluded; and that the status of the FCT as provided in Section 134(2)(c) is made clearer.
He urged civil society organisations to adopt a more strategic, deliberate, proactive, and solution-oriented approach beyond mere criticism and rhetoric in seeing to the above amendments.
On insecurity, Audu noted that insecurity has become a country-wide phenomenon, as if the country is in an undeclared war. More citizens are ambushed, killed, raped, dispossessed in a system that is akin to scorched earth policy, while kidnapping for ransom, ungoverned territories, and brazen attacks on the security agencies by non-state actors are on the rise.
He said, “It is unfortunate that undeserved attention is paid to the 2027 general election instead of governance. The representatives of all six geo-political zones at the meeting reported skirmishes and unsettling acts of heightened insecurity in their areas. Worst hit areas are Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Imo, Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto, Edo, and Katsina States. In these places, it is observed that herdsmen are determined to make statements amounting to the dispossession of farmlands and defying the government of the day at all levels.
“It is also sobering that in most attacks, including the recent ones where over 200 people were killed in Benue, nobody has been caught, tried, and made to pay for such heinous crimes. All one hears is recitation of the old rhymes condemning the acts and no more.
Our call for a more proactive action on the part of the state is anchored on Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which provides that ‘The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’.”
The JDPC scribe expressed deep sadness over the ongoing killings resulting from the prevailing insecurity in the country. He also voiced his concern about the deteriorating economic situation and called on political leaders to remain committed to their core mandate—serving humanity. He urged them to prioritise the needs of the people for which they were elected and to act with integrity and accountability.
He stressed the need to organise voter education seminars and awareness campaigns to sensitise citizens on the importance of participating in elections and to urge the electorate to avoid despondency and lack of faith in the system arising from the current trust deficit in the system.
Audu emphasized the need to establish a dedicated platform for raising and addressing election-related concerns to promote transparency and engagement.
The cleric appealed to the citizens to be their brothers’ keepers, shun ostentatious lifestyles, especially while on a journey, and be eagle-eyed always.
Audu urged the government to intensify efforts in addressing issues of insecurity by bringing to book those committing these atrocities in communities across Nigeria and implement pro-poor policies that address the economic hardship that the country is facing.
