The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has demanded the transfer of powers to appoint the chairman, commissioners and secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from the presidency to an independent panel.

IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, made the request at a meeting organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review for leaders of political parties in Abuja.

According to him, that would guarantee INEC’s independence and strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

He added that under the proposal, an independent appointment committee, IAC, would be established, comprising representatives of all registered political parties, civil society organisations, the National Judicial Council, NJC, and a committee of the national assembly drawn from both majority and minority caucuses in the senate and house of representatives.

Dantalle also proposed scrapping the state independent electoral commissions, SIECs, and vesting the responsibility of conducting all LGAs elections in INEC.

“IPAC has been championing local government autonomy. Politics is local, and citizens should be encouraged to participate in grassroots politics that actively guarantees free, fair and credible local government elections,” he said.

Dantalle also sought the restoration of political parties’ funding to provide “a level playing ground for all political parties”.

We want independent panel, not presidency to appoint INEC chair – IPAC