INEC’s Review Guidelines Flawed – Yiaga Africa Pushes for Inclusive Electoral Reform

Yiaga Africa is concerned about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s recently announced extra guidelines for reviewing election result announcements.

On Thursday, INEC issued further norms and procedures for the review of election results, as authorized by Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Yiaga Africa applauded INEC’s move as “a positive step towards ensuring administrative safeguards for electoral integrity” in a statement issued by its executive director, Samson Itodo.

However, the agency warned that several aspects in the new rules could undermine the reforms it hopes to implement.

Yiaga Africa highlighted worries about inclusivity, pointing out that the criteria only allow resident electoral commissioners, returning officers, and national commissioners to submit reports for election result review.

The group termed this as a “exclusionary provision” that essentially excludes political parties, candidates, accredited observers, and their agents, even if they have strong evidence of manipulated or illegal disclosures.

“By restricting the activation of the power of review to reports filed by INEC officials, some of whom may be complicit in the very infractions that warrant review, is counterproductive,” according to the release.

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“Evidence from recent elections revealed instances where electoral officers acted in blatant defiance of INEC’s directives, engaged in the manipulation of results, or abdicated their duties, thereby undermining the integrity of electoral process.”

Yiaga Africa has consequently called on INEC to quickly revise the criteria to increase the scope of eligible persons or institutions entitled to submit reports that may trigger the review process.

“The scope should include political parties, candidates, accredited party agents, and observers present during the collation process. “This will improve transparency, promote electoral justice, and reaffirm INEC’s commitment to credible elections,” the statement continues.