Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, has outlined measures he believes could help the Independent National Electoral Commission conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2027.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Baba Ahmed stressed the need to strengthen INEC and insulate it from political interference in order to restore public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on political matters also called for a review of the appointment process for the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), arguing that the current arrangement gives the executive arm excessive influence over the commission.
“The moment you hand over an electoral body to a partisan administration that wants to retain power, you create serious questions about its neutrality,” he said.
He further advocated for greater financial autonomy for INEC, insisting that the commission should be allowed to present and defend its budget directly before the National Assembly without executive interference.
Baba Ahmed also urged the government to impose stricter sanctions on politicians and individuals involved in electoral fraud and violence, noting that weak accountability has encouraged repeated abuse of the system.
“Politicians who compromise the electoral process must face the consequences of their actions. The culture of impunity must end,” he added.
