Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called for the advertisement of the position of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure transparency, merit, and true independence in the appointment process.
Gatekeepers News reports that Falana made the suggestion while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, noting that the approach aligns with the 2008 recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Panel.
His comments come days after the Senate confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new INEC Chairman, following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu on October 16.
“What other countries in Africa have done is to put in place a mechanism whereby vacant positions in the electoral bodies are advertised,” Falana said.
“This was the recommendation of the Uwais Panel as far back as 2008 — that in choosing members of the electoral commission and resident electoral commissioners, we should advertise the positions.”
Citing examples from Lesotho and Botswana, Falana explained that the process allows credible individuals to apply, while also giving the public the right to object to any unqualified candidates.
“Right now, such an advert has just been published in Lesotho,” he noted. “Men and women of character and integrity will apply, and members of the public will be given the opportunity to object to any of them who are not qualified morally or otherwise.
The names are then shortlisted, and the best three are sent to the National Assembly.”
He further referenced the Uwais Panel’s proposal that the National Judicial Council (NJC) should screen applicants and forward the top three candidates to the President, who would then submit the names to the legislature for final selection.
“This goes a long way to make the body free from control,” Falana said.
The senior advocate also urged the federal government to amend the Electoral Act to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in future elections, noting their significant contribution to the nation’s economy.
“Today, remittances from citizens abroad are higher, sometimes, than the money we make from oil and gas,” he said. “If they are remitting millions of dollars, which go a long way to improve the economy, they also have a right to demand that they be allowed to participate in electing the leaders of the country.”
