•as NUJ assures of collaboration for electoral reform
It has been lamented that two years after the last general elections and two years to the next round of general elections, steps have not been taken to correct the flaws noticed and experienced during the last 2023 general elections by way of electoral reform.
The assertion was made by the Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and Executive Director, Center for Information Technology and Development Centre (CITAD), Yanusa Ya’u while speaking at a one day situation room advocacy meeting with Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) organised by Nigeria Civil Society, Situation Room in Abuja on Friday.
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He stressed that without an electoral reform, the 2027 general elections would be worse than the 2023 elections because, according to him, there must be a clear direction as to how the electoral process should go for credibility.
According to him, “It is a surprise that two years after the last general elections in Nigeria, we are yet to see any bill for reforms at the National Assembly. There is a need for reforms of the electoral process in Nigeria, going by the experience of the last general election.
“Preparations for the next general election in 2027 is expected to have started immediately to avoid the mistakes of the past. We need to be up and doing about reforms, especially, electoral reform in this country.”
He also used the medium to remind Nigerians that they have the constitutional right to demand for electoral reform from time to time until the process gets better and perfect.
He, therefore called on Nigerian,s especially the relevant authorities in the electoral system, to stand up to demand reforms preparatory to the 2027 general elections to make it better.
Ya’u charged journalists to be at the forefront of ensuring that there is reform for a near-perfect electoral process that will give credibility to the results of future elections in the country.
Also speaking, National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Yahaya charged journalists in the country to be advocates of electoral reforms in line with the responsibility of agenda setting of the media.
He stressed the importance of electoral reform in the country’s electoral system, which he said is critical to the credibility of the electoral process in the country.
The NUJ National President assured that his administration will continue to be partners with relevant agencies to ensure that the country’s electoral process got better.
Participants were drawn from the NUJ across the 36 States and FCT with a focus on having a well-reformed electoral process in the country.
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