Concerned about rising monetisation of the political process in Nigeria, 21 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), under the name “Joinbodi Cohort” are demanding for political accountability from politicians and political parties to tackle the issue of monetisation of elections.
The 21 CSOs include WRAPA, SERAP, CITAD, CISLAC, PLAC, IRIAD, HEDA Resource Center, NOIPolls, CODE, CHRICED, Public and Private Development Centre, ARDP, Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation, BudgIT, Social Action, Partners United, AFRICMIL, Community Life Project and MacArthur Foundation.
At the launch of a Research Report and Conference on Political Accountability & Elections in Nigeria, organised by Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) and partners in Abuja Monday, May 22, the CSOs said Nigerians witnessed the most monetised political party primaries ever in the 2023 general elections.
Speaking at the event, Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioner, Prof. Okey Ibeanu in his keynote address said media organizations, CSOs and traditional rulers are as important as INEC in ensuring the accountability of elected officials.
According to him; “Political accountability has gained global significance because of awareness creation by several developing countries. There is a great affinity between democracy and accountability. The demand is for political officials to be responsive to the people. A major tenet of political accountability is that the leaders are answerable to the people for their actions and inactions while in office.
Prof Ibeanu said if the demand side of political accountability is flawed, the supply side will also be flawed, including the INEC, CSOs, media and other stakeholders that are supposed to supervise elections. He however urged stakeholders to come together to hold political leaders accountable if the country must make progress.
On her part, Secretary General, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi, said the launch of the report is important to guide the incoming administration towards fulfilling the mandates of their offices as executive officers and National Assembly members.
She said the launch of the research report was supposed to have been held before the 2023 general elections, but was postponed as a result of unforeseen circumstances. “It is important that it is happening now before the swearing-in of the executives, National Assembly and states house of assembly members.
“It’s a week to the handover date, so we want to call the attention of the incoming political actors to what is expected of them. As “Joinbodi”, we have created a cohort to hold the duty-bearers accountable to the people who elected them, especially the executive and legislative arms of government. We are to speak to the incoming government and to chart the way forward for the development of the country.”
Emir of Bungudu, Zamfara State, Hassan Attahiru speaking to journalists on the role of traditional rulers said, “As fathers of the people, we are very much interested in how well our people are governed, and it naturally starts with good and credible elections.
“For us to have a credible election, everybody must play their part. The people, those seeking office, the government, INEC, civil societies, and pressure group must play their part, when we do that is when we’ll have credible elections and leaders will feel accountable to the people, where they will give the dividends of democracy.”
On how to enlighten the people to demand accountability from their leaders, He said “We must begin to tell the people to ensure they state the margins, by telling the political leaders what they want in terms of community development not just what they want in their pockets. The people must shun primordial needs.”
Recommendations to INEC, Government, Political Parties, Media and CSOs
The research report in its recommendations on political accountability and financing, called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement more transparent, accountable and accessible campaign finance monitoring, tracking, and reporting mechanisms in line with international best practices.
Also, create a central database that tracks all political donations and expenditures made by political parties and their candidates, which is accessible to the public.
Monitor, investigate, and enforce compliance with electoral laws, including the political financing regulations.
For political parties, it said there is a need to establish internal controls to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper management of political donations and expenditures, while also submitting financial reports regularly and in a timely manner, detailing their donations and expenditures.
It tasked the government to increase funding for INEC to enable it to carry out its responsibility effectively. Also, regulate the prices of nomination forms and reduce the cost of running for office, which would reduce the incentive to engage in corrupt practices.
The civil society organisations it said, should collaborate with INEC to monitor political financing activities and report violations to the appropriate authorities. Establish an Electoral Offences Watch to monitor political financing violations and report them to relevant authorities.
It recommended that the media should play a more active role in investigating and reporting on political financing violations, in addition to just reporting on campaign activities.
The report also urged the media to report the source of funding for political advertisements to promote transparency and accountability. Provide in-depth analysis and scrutiny of campaign financing reports submitted by political parties and their candidates, and also conduct regular public education campaigns on political financing regulations, including highlighting the negative consequences of violations for the democratic process.
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