04/10/2025
EU, ADC Parley: Calls for Electoral Reforms to Guarantee Free, Fair, Credible Polls in Nigeria
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) in Nigeria have jointly called for urgent electoral reforms to address the shortcomings of past polls and ensure free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.
The EU delegation, led by Chief of Mission and Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Barry Andrews, met with the ADC leadership in Abuja as part of its review of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. The visit was aimed at identifying flaws and proposing corrective measures ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The ADC delegation was led by its National Chairman, Senator David Mark, alongside National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Both parties agreed that the 2023 elections were riddled with irregularities and failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians. They strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary for failing to safeguard the people’s mandate as expressed at the ballot box.
The ADC accused INEC of betraying public trust by failing to uphold its promise of real-time transmission of results from polling units via the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. The party noted that the final results declared were inconsistent with votes cast, describing the outcome as a major setback to Nigeria’s democratic aspirations.
To remedy these lapses, the ADC proposed that the appointment of the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners should not be vested solely in the President. Instead, political parties with at least five members in the National Assembly should have the right to nominate officials of the electoral umpire.
The party also faulted the judiciary’s handling of electoral disputes, arguing that courts should not usurp the people’s right to freely choose their leaders. In disputed cases, the ADC insisted, the ultimate decision should revert to the electorate through a fresh democratic process rather than judicial pronouncements.
The Senator Mark-led ADC delegation included: Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Liyel Imoke, Emeka Ihedioha, Babachir Lawal, Bolaji Abdullahi, Ibrahim Mani, and Chile Igbawua, among others.
The EU delegation featured: Mr. Barry Andrews – Chief of Mission, EU Follow Mission; Mr. Gautier Mignot – EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Mr. Ralph-Michael Peters – Election Expert and Team Lead; Ms. Eirini-Maria Gounari – Election Legal Expert; Mr. Maros Gabriel – Election Administration Expert; Ms. Laolu Olawumi – Programme Manager, Democracy and Rule of Law; Mr. Osaro Odemwingie – Political Adviser; and Mr. Ruben Alba Aguilera – Team Leader, EU Delegation.
