Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a coalition of prominent national figures under the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has asked the House of Representatives to urgently initiate reforms to restore public confidence in the system.
Members of the body include Usman Bugaje, its Deputy Chairman (North), Femi Falana (SAN) (Legal Counsel), Pat Utomi, Chairman of the Interim Steering Council, former minister Oby Ezekwesili, former NLC chairman, Ayuba Wabba (Co-Chair), Bilikisu Magoro and Nkoyo Toyo Deputy Chairman (South), among others.
In a petition submitted by its media coordinator, Comrade James Zena I, to the Speaker, Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas, MCE leaders warned that trust in Nigeria’s electoral system has reached its lowest ebb.
According to the movement, only firm legislative action can prevent a repeat of the widespread dissatisfaction recorded in recent electoral cycles.
The coalition cited persistent insecurity, vote buying, voter intimidation, logistical breakdowns and irregular deployment of technology as key factors undermining credible elections.
The demands of the coalition include strengthening the Electoral Act, enforcing electronic transmission of polling unit results, tightening penalties for election offences and bolstering the independence of the electoral commission through predictable funding and improved capacity building.
It also called for an independent audit of all election technologies, including BVAS and IREV, and demanded more opportunities for women, youth, persons with disabilities and Nigerians in the diaspora.
MCE leaders pledged to support the National Assembly through technical input and public engagements to ensure the proposals are fully considered, but failure will push the group to mobilise Nigerians to demands their rights.
“We are ready to work with the National Assembly to deliver credible reforms. But if these demands are not acted upon, we will have no choice but to mobilise citizens across the country in defence of their democratic rights”, the statement said.
The group further urged the National Assembly to ensure that all election disputes were resolved before inauguration and to end pre-election judicial interventions that distort the process.
It warned that the credibility of the 2027 elections depends on reforms that must be enacted without delay.
The coalition also asked lawmakers to make party defections by elected officials a direct ground for loss of office and fresh elections, noting that such measure would strengthen accountability and stabilise the party system.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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