Amnesty International has called for democratic reforms in the process of selecting the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other key judicial appointments in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, Comrade Sunday Jatto, the Kogi State Director of Amnesty International, suggested that human rights organizations and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should be involved in these processes. He argued that the current system is prone to executive influence, which undermines the integrity of electoral and judicial processes.
“Failures in election conduct have led to increased litigation, with many political losers seeking judicial remedies,” Jatto said. He also advocated for greater expertise in ICT for INEC to curb vote-buying, thuggery, and other electoral malpractices, proposing a more modern and transparent system that would ensure votes are counted in real time.
