‘Let Power Return to Our People’: Faith Group Backs Senator Obiorah’s Bill for INEC Independence
A faith-based and community development organization in Zaria, Kaduna State, Fityanatul Islam Gabari, has thrown its full support behind a proposed bill by Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah aimed at establishing a truly independent electoral body in Nigeria.
The group argues that “power must return to the people” by eliminating the ability of political officeholders to control the appointment of those who conduct elections.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kaduna, Mallam Lawal, the organization’s President, described Senator Obiorah’s draft bill as a “bold and progressive step” necessary to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and restore public trust.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to drastically restructure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Under the planned structure, INEC would be composed of 13 commissioners drawn from neutral sources:
* Six commissioners elected by major professional and labour unions.
* Six commissioners nominated by the United Nations (UN).
* One observer commissioner from Transparency International.
Lawal stated that this model offers a transparent framework that would significantly reduce political manipulation, strengthen the use of technology like BVAS and IReV, and boost public confidence in the democratic process.
Addressing potential concerns about external influence, Lawal stressed that the inclusion of international organizations like the UN in the selection process is not foreign interference. Rather, it is a recognition of their long-standing partnership with Nigeria in governance and development. The group emphasized that “dishonest elections are the root cause of poverty, corruption, and underdevelopment.”
Fityanatul Islam Gabari urged the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and the Presidency to treat the bill with the utmost urgency, calling the proposed reform a “turning point in Nigeria’s political evolution.”
