The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is planning an electoral reform system that would allow individuals engaged in essential services during elections, such as security agents and journalists, as well as inmates in correctional centres, to cast their votes during general elections.

The Commission is also planning to approach the National Assembly to amend the laws to allow Nigerians in the Diaspora and other designated categories of eligible Nigerians to cast their votes during elections.

In addition, the Commission may also ask the National Assembly to expedite action in passing the law that will unbundle the Commission by creating an Electoral Offences Commission/Tribunal and a political party registration and regulatory commission.

These form part of the recommendations in the 75-page report on the review of the conduct of the 2023 general election, carried out by its post-election review committee in line with its post-election review policy and headed by one of the National Commissioners, Prof. Rhoda Gumus.

Copies of the report were presented to the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters on Friday by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The report stated that 75 consolidated observations were made during the review meeting with stakeholders, which included leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies, and officials of the Commission.

Some of the observations included interference in the electoral process by the political class, the attitude of polling agents and election observers at polling units, sustaining the deployment of technology for election purposes, low turnout during claims and objections before the certification of the voters? registers, and increased involvement of the political class in political violence, among others.

It stated: ?About 142 actionable recommendations were harvested. Of these, 86 required action solely by INEC, 44 by INEC in collaboration with other entities, 3 by the security agencies, 8 by the National Assembly, and 1 by both the federal and state governments.?

The report suggested that INEC should collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission and the National Population Commission, as well as other government agencies, to identify deceased persons in the voter register and remove them, while also deploying relevant technologies and reviewing administrative procedures and protocols for the removal of deceased persons from the voter register.

While the Commission should continue to work with political parties for greater participation of underrepresented groups in elective positions, it stated that the only way to achieve this was for the National Assembly to make clear legal provisions that could create designated constituencies for such groups, especially women and persons with disabilities.

The report also urged the National Assembly to expedite action in passing the law that will create an Electoral Offences Commission that will take on the burden of investigating and prosecuting electoral offenders.

Concerned about the activities of political parties in delaying preparations for elections, the report recommends an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 to make clear provisions for the period for withdrawal and substitution of candidates, such that no party can substitute its candidate two weeks after the publication of the final list of candidates, except in the event of death.

Also, the report calls for an amendment to the electoral legal framework to address ambiguities and errors in sections of the law, especially those that tend to conflict with each other, while clarifying section 65 which speaks to the Commission?s powers to review results.

It also desires the law to create a more stable funding regime in line with Section 3(1) of the Electoral Act and the replacement of the Permanent Voters Card with Temporary Voters Cards and e-cards to allow for more access to voting by Nigerians.

In the alternative, the report stated that there is a need to review the provisions of section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 to modify the requirement for the use of PVC and introduce electronically downloadable voter cards. (The Nation)

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