Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems, warning that the country’s democracy is at risk if the judiciary continues to play a decisive role in determining electoral outcomes instead of voters. In a statement released on Thursday, Atiku expressed concern over declining voter participation and the need for systemic changes to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Atiku commended the significant turnout for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration but noted that this enthusiasm has not translated into high voter participation during elections. Citing the 2023 general elections, he highlighted that only 24.9 million Nigerians, or 26.72% of the 93.47 million registered voters, cast their ballots. “This is the lowest voter turnout since the return of democracy in 1999,” he said, underscoring the urgency of addressing voter apathy.
To reverse this trend, Atiku advocated for a comprehensive review of the Electoral Act, emphasizing the need to make the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results mandatory at all levels, eliminating reliance on manual processes. “The collation of results must strictly be based on figures uploaded on the INEC Results Viewing Portal rather than manual collation,” he stated.
The former Vice President also proposed reforming the appointment process for the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He suggested that INEC leaders should be selected through a voting system rather than solely by presidential nomination to enhance credibility and independence.
Atiku further called for a shift in the burden of proof in election petitions, placing the responsibility on INEC to demonstrate compliance with electoral laws rather than on petitioners. He warned that allowing judicial decisions to override the will of voters undermines democratic principles.
Quoting legal scholar Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Atiku referenced Odinkalu’s book, The Selectorate: When Judges Topple the People, which critiques the judiciary’s growing influence in determining electoral outcomes. “The task ahead is to ensure that Nigerians freely choose their leaders at the ballot box without fear that their mandate will be overturned in court,” Atiku emphasized.
