The major political parties in Nigeria are insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must continue to conduct bye-elections to fill legislative seats vacant due to resignations or death.
The parties stated this despite INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s concerns about the financial and logistical burden of these elections.
Yakubu spoke during a meeting with party leaders in Abuja, said bye-elections are unpredictable, unbudgeted and difficult to plan.
He said since June 2023, 23 legislative seats have been vacant due to resignations or death and INEC has conducted 9 bye-elections and 14 more have arisen since then.
The financial strain and the need to redirect resources from other electoral responsibilities is why INEC is advocating for legislative reforms to have a more cost effective way of filling such vacancies.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has suggested that political parties should replace candidates in such situations and not INEC, saying votes belong to the parties and not the individual candidates.
But this has generated a lot of debate among political stakeholders.
Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have rejected Falana’s proposal, saying bye-elections are part of democratic process.
LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh said bye-elections give the electorate a voice in choosing their representatives. He warned that if parties are allowed to directly appoint replacements, it could be abused where candidates without grassroots support or integrity are chosen.
He also said INEC already has the resources like card readers and iRev which can minimize the cost of these elections.
Also, Ladipo Johnson of NNPP is not in favour of bypassing bye-elections, he said it’s not fair and transparent for parties to determine replacements.
He said it will undermine the principle of representation.
On the other hand, PDP is in support of Falana’s suggestion.
The party Deputy Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi said empowering parties to fill vacancies will save INEC a lot of resources and streamline the process.
Meanwhile, APC is calling for wider consultations on the issue.
APC National Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim said democratic decision making should be considered and stakeholders should follow the majority opinion.
He also suggested alternative ways to reduce the frequency of bye-elections such as stricter electoral guidelines or systems that will ensure a winner emerges in the first round.
This is the dilemma between democratic integrity and the practicalities of Nigeria’s electoral system. While the cost and unpredictability of bye-elections is a problem, the voice of the electorate in choosing their representatives is a major concern.
The debate also shows the need for legislative reforms that balances efficiency with democratic values so that Nigeria’s electoral process will continue to evolve with the global best practices.