The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN) says despite reported cases of human rights abuses, voter apathy, election rigging and other forms of electoral irregularities, the 2023 General Elections provided Nigerians the opportunity to advance the country’s democracy and implement the reforms that have been introduced in the Electoral Act of 2022.
Speaking on Wednesday 13th December 2023 at an event that brought together stakeholders to brainstorm on the topic: “Post Election Assessment, Review Forum On Human Rights” at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Tony Ojukwu said he observed that the 2023 elections were characterized by many challenges, including reported cases of disenfranchisement, voter intimidation, violence on electorates and electoral staff, allegations of result manipulations and other electoral vices.
The event with the theme: “The Role Of The Media In Countering And Reporting Hate Speech”, Ojukwu explained that following the conclusion of both the General and Off-cycle elections for 2023, the NHRC in accordance to its mandate to monitor and assess human rights in Nigeria is conducting an assessment and stocktaking on the place of human rights in the elections, focusing on the multifarious dimensions of human rights violations before, during and after the elections and propose reforms and effective actions to promote the enjoyment of the election associated human rights as well as accountability measures for their violations.
In his words “The objective of this forum is to review the 2023 General and Off-Cycle Elections from a human rights perspective and to assess the extent to which the outcomes reflect the realization of the rights of the citizens as well as proffer effective solutions for accountability for election-related human rights violations”.
The Executive Secretary reiterated the role the National Human Rights Commission NHRC has been playing since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999, according to Ojukwu, the NHRC has been playing a fundamental role in advancing Nigeria’s democracy through the development of programmes aimed at integrating human rights into the electoral process and supporting democratic institutions and election management bodies to deliver on their mandates.
“The Commission’s role in this regard is founded on the recognition of the importance of the consolidation of democracy in the realization of all human rights in Nigeria”. He said.
In a goodwill message at the event, Chairman of governing council, Human Rights Institute, who represented the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Chinonye Obiagwu SAN, applauded the NHRC for the post-election assessment, saying it was a good initiative.
Obiawu stated that the NBA mobilised over 11,000 of its members as election monitoring observers during the 2023 general elections as part of its contribution to a free, fair and credible elections.
“We set up situation rooms to identify what was going on across the country”. Obiagwu stated.
He however faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC that no single person has been charged to court for electoral offences since the end of elections.
“Despite ballot snatching and other electoral offences, nobody has been found culpable in the 2023 elections” Obiagwu said.
Another speaker at the event, Mr. Dada Babatunde, Director of Legal who spoke on behalf of the Chairman Police Service Commission, Mr Solomon Arase ,said elections in Africa is characterised by violence, which affects the credibility of the polls.
According to him despite the several accusation against the Nigeria Police of inefficiency during elections, there was an improvement in the professional conduct of the Police Force during the 2023 elections.
Babatunde was of the opinion that the 2023 elections and off cycle elections was a litmus test to Nigeria’s electoral reforms.
Another stakeholder and chairman of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani represented by Mr. Suleiman Mande said bad governance is noticeably growing in sub-Sahara Africa.
Rafsanjani emphasised that democracy cannot thrive if citizens’ rights to vote is hindered.
The event also had Co-convener, Civil Society Election Situation Room, Mr. Y.Z Yau, speaking via zoom, Yau emphasize the need to deepen our democracy as it is the best route to improving the lives of the people.
The event supported by Partners such as the Ford Foundation and Legal Defence And Assistance Project, LEDAP was attended by representatives of various stakeholders including the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Police Service Commission, NPS,Civil Society Election Situation Room and the Media.
