Afam Osigwe Advocates for Electoral Reforms in Nigeria

Afam Osigwe, SAN, the Immediate Past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, addressed the need for electoral reforms at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu. He emphasized that election outcomes should be decided by voters at polling units instead of prolonged litigation.

Osigwe highlighted Nigeria's high number of election petitions and expressed concern over the increasing role of courts in electoral outcomes. He noted the challenges in proving electoral malpractice within the limited timeframe for petitions, which has led to a reliance on litigation, a situation he termed the “judicialisation of the electoral process.” Osigwe also raised questions about the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its member appointment process, suggesting that public confidence in INEC could be undermined by perceptions of its autonomy.

He criticized the evidentiary requirements related to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), urging stakeholders to strengthen electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.