The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has called for constitutional amendment with a view to abolishing state independent electoral commissions and their responsibilities for all election management moved to INEC.
The institute said doing so would add to the credibility profile of Nigerian electoral process at the grassroots level and thereby eliminating all possibilities of infractions.
This position was part of the recommendations the institute proffered following the national survey it conducted in eight states of the federation ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Presenting the findings of the survey yesterday in Kano, the lead author of the study document, Mr Aly Verjee, appealed to INEC to live above board to sustain, as well as build on the standards laid in the 2015 elections by ensuring adequate sensitization of voters about the whole electioneering process.
While urging the National Assembly to expedite action to pass a bill to create a specialized electoral offences commission to investigate and prosecute electoral offences in the country, Mr Verjee further called on the police and other security agencies to take proactive measures to ensure a hitch free, credible election in 2019.
In his comment, the former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, expressed reservations over the call for centralisation of electoral process, stressing that Nigerians should rather seek for strengthening of the state electoral commissions to be able to deliver credible elections at the grassroots.
