The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has urged Nigeria to prioritise constitutional and judicial reforms as the nation inches closer to the 2027 general election.
Barry Andrews, head of the EU EOM delegation, made the call on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. The visit, he explained, was to review progress made in implementing recommendations from the mission’s report on the 2023 elections.
Andrews noted that while some improvements had been recorded, more needed to be done to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
“What we are here to do is to look at the recommendations that flowed from our overall mission—recommendations contained in the final report of 2023,” he said. “We are encouraged by the progress we have seen but we also recognise that judicial and administrative reforms must move faster, while constitutional reforms remain even more challenging. These are vital if Nigeria is to fully align with international democratic standards.”
He added that the mission was keen to assess transparency measures in recent off-cycle elections, particularly with regard to the timely publication of results.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, appealed to the National Assembly to speed up work on amendments to the Electoral Act. According to him, delays in finalising the legal framework could disrupt election planning and sow uncertainty.
“Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as the polls draw nearer,” Yakubu said.
He explained that the EU made 23 recommendations after the 2023 general election, out of which eight were directed at INEC. The remaining 15, including five priority items, he noted, required action from the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties and other stakeholders.
Yakubu stressed that INEC had acted on recommendations within its remit, while engaging with the National Assembly and other institutions on those requiring legislative and cross-cutting reforms.
He further disclosed that the commission had undertaken an extensive review of the 2023 general election, producing 142 recommendations for electoral reform.
“As you are aware, elections are a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. This is why the commission has engaged the National Assembly, including a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters,” he said.
Yakubu assured that INEC would continue to collaborate with both domestic and international observer groups, adding that their inputs had contributed significantly to improving the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
