Political Actors Must Deliver Reforms That Can Safeguard Transparency, Inclusiveness, Credibility In 2027 Elections – EU Observation Mission.

By Ferdinand Olise

The European Union, EU, says it remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s democratic development, and will continue to engage with Nigerian stakeholders on advancing electoral reform.

Speaking in Abuja at the weekend while addressing Journalists, the European Union Election Follow-up Mission to Nigeria 2025, the Chief of Mission, Barry Andrews, said to reflect on how electoral reform can deepen the roots of democracy in Nigeria, the European Union deployed this follow-up mission with a team of three experts on the 9th of September, 2025 where he has been engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including INEC, the National Assembly, media representatives, political parties, civil society, and development partners.

He expressed his gratitude and that of his team for the warm welcome they received from all interlocutors across the Nigerian political ecosystem.

The main objective of the election follow-up mission is to assess the level of implementation of the electoral observation missions recommendations from 2023, and to discuss further electoral reform.

Mr Barry said the electoral observation mission final reports in 2023 made 23 recommendations, noting that 11 require a little changes, and 12 are administrative in nature

He said, “The mission identified so far that one recommendation has been fully implemented, two recommendations have been partially implemented, eight are ongoing, nine are not yet implemented, and
in the case of three recommendations, it is too early to determine.

“So our evaluation indicates that progress in implementing the recommendations has been
modest thus far and is in serious danger of falling to critically low levels.
Avoiding this outcome will require both political will from legislators and urgent coordinated
administrative actions by relevant institutions.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that the majority of these recommendations are still classified as ongoing.

“What we find especially important is the strong alignment we see between the recommendations of INAC, of civil society through the Citizens Memorandum, and those of the EU Election Observers at the EU Election Observation Mission.
Each of these three processes was conducted independently and yet they point in the same direction.
Of course there are some differences but the convergence is striking.

“All three call for greater transparency, for stronger accountability for electoral offences, for inclusive representation of women, youth and persons with disabilities, and for reform that would give INAC the clarity and independence that it needs.
This is a powerful signal, we believe, because it shows that Nigerians themselves, in institutions and in civil society, are calling for the same changes that international observers have highlighted.

He said that this shows that there is a broad and shared understanding of what needs to be done to strengthen future elections, stressing that, what is needed is the political will to act on this consensus so that these reforms can be adopted in good time, and be implemented.

He explained that, since the 2023 elections, important work has been undertaken.

“The Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025 and the Constitutional Review are ongoing, as you know.
Both incorporate many of our recommendations.
However, it is clear that the clock is ticking.
A particularly positive development has been the constructive cooperation between civil society and the legislature.
Civil society organisations have contributed expertise and advocacy and Parliament has created space for that consultation and engagement.

“We are encouraged by this constructive cooperation between civil society and members of the legislature, particularly in shaping proposals for a stronger legal framework.
However, while we welcome this legislative momentum, time is rapidly running out.
Unless these reforms are fast-tracked and concluded soon, there is a real risk of repeating the serious shortcomings of 2023.

“Political will, more than technical drafting, will determine whether these reforms succeed.
We can’t emphasise enough that the country’s democratic strength depends on reforms that citizens can believe in.
We encourage all political actors to seize the current momentum, to deliver reforms that can safeguard transparency, inclusiveness and credibility in the 2027 elections.
So let me go through the priority recommendations and state of their implementation; As of today,
there are six priority recommendations of the 23;
The first priority concerns INEC.

“Public confidence in the Commission has remained low. A new Chairperson will be appointed later this year, and the way this appointment is handled
will shape public perception of the institution at a critical time.
A transparent, non-partisan, and merit-based appointment process will strengthen INEC as an institution and give citizens greater confidence
that the Commission will improve its professionalism, neutrality, and independence.

“This moment offers a real opportunity for a powerful signal of commitment to a credible electoral process.
So I’d like to stress that this recommendation
does not require a legal amendment.
Therefore, the process of appointing the new INEC Chairperson will be made more inclusive and transparent by, for example, publishing the names
of prospective candidates, and inviting Civil Society Organizations, professional bodies, and oppositions
to provide input. In this way, all electoral stakeholders
could be involved.

“Second priority is transparency in the results process.
We all saw in 2023 how quickly confidence can be eroded when Polling Unit results are missing, uploaded with poor quality, or collation appears disorganized.
These deficiencies created doubts that overshadowed the entire process.

“The 2025 Electoral Act bill now introduces mandatory electronic transmission of results alongside manual transmission. This is a welcome legal clarity and an important step forward, but legislation alone is not enough, citizens need to receive the results themselves. That means the real-time publication of Polling Unit collation center results.

“Citizens must be able to compare both paper protocols and electronic records to follow and verify the process step by step.
Such openness can rebuild confidence. It can also send a very powerful signal of commitment to credible elections.
The third priority is ensuring that women are better represented in elected institutions.

“At present, Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of women’s representation in the world, just over 4% in the National Assembly, which is not reflective of the strength, ability and leadership that Nigerian women offer in public life.
We therefore welcome the reserved seats bill and the current public debate.If passed, it would represent a significant step forward toward a more inclusive political process, from broader perspectives, stronger accountability, and more responsive policy making.

“We hope this debate will move forward constructively, and that progress will be made on this important issue.
Fourth priority is accountability for electoral offences.
Stakeholders across the spectrum told us that impunity for offences remains widespread.
Violence, intimidation, vote buying, and misuse of State resources are problems that have persisted for too long.
Some steps have been taken. INEC has entered into cooperation agreements with the Nigeria Fire Association and anti-corruption agencies.

“These are welcome, but they are not enough.
Prosecutions remain very low and justice delay is just as denied.
Establishing an independent electoral offences commission, as envisaged in some of the constitutional proposals, would be a major step forward, and a clear signal that those who break the law cannot act with impunity, that elections are not a contest without rules, but a contest governed by law, even if such a commission is not established, closer cooperation between INEC, EFCC, the Police, and the Judiciary, would go a long way.

Mr Andrews said the fifth priority is to remove ambiguities and inconsistencies in the
legal framework, noting that the constitutional review, and the electoral bill will address many of these issues.

“And once again, we have seen constructive cooperation between Parliament, and Civil Society, but timing is everything and cannot operate on shifting ground, it needs a clear and stable legal framework, well in advance of the elections not only to draft their own regulations, but also to plan voter education to secure the necessary budget which must be requested a year in advance.

“If reforms are adopted too late they risk causing uncertainty, or even becoming impossible to implement, completing this work soon would be mining the clarity it needs and give all stakeholders the confidence to prepare properly for 2027.

“Finally, our sixth priority is safeguarding freedom of
expression and protecting the media; Journalists are essential to any democracy, they inform voters,
hold its institutions accountable, and keep public debate alive.
We continue to hear troubling reports of harassment threats, and even violence against media practitioners and Journalists, despite federal court ruling recognizing the state’s duty to act, no comprehensive framework to protect media professionals has yet been created.

According to him, what is needed is a credible system to investigate and prosecute attacks swiftly and effectively, as that would show that freedom of expression is not only guaranteed on paper, but also held in practice. He emphaised that without a free and safe media, citizens cannot make informed choices, and democracy itself is weakened.

“Protecting Journalists is therefore not just about individual rights, but safeguarding the health of
Nigeria’s donors.

“FInally, in summary, some positive steps have been taken particularly legislative momentum, cooperation between Parliament and Civil Society, and the Bill for
better women’s representation, but the window for reform is closing fast; the message of this follow-up
is clear, we encourage all political actors to seize the current momentum to deliver reforms that can safeguard transparency inclusiveness and credibility in the 2027 elections.

“Falling turnout in successful elections shows that the states have never been higher, the upcoming INEC
appointment, appointments, greater transparency of results, swift investigation and prosecution of
electoral offenses, legal clarity, safeguarding freedom of expression, and protection of women’s representation, are all crucial for restoring trust.

“So, we are here as guests at Nigeria’s invitation, at the invitation of INEC. We fully respect, of course, Nigeria’s sovereignty. Our role is not to interfere, but to observe, and to support together with its member States”, he said.