A former member of the House of Representatives, Nduese Essien, has called for an immediate investigation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the “cascading fraudulent conduct of general elections”.
Mr Essien, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and former minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, made the call on 10 February in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, during a press conference to mark his 80th birthday celebration.
He also called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral system saying the country cannot go to another election with this porous system.
Mr Essien said Nigeria’s flawed leadership recruitment system and other factors such as endemic corruption, insecurity, impunity, nepotism, and bad governance have put the country at a crossroads and “have cast a shadow over our nation’s future”.
He called for the reform of the country’s judiciary, saying the prevalence of cash-for-judgment schemes undermines the very foundation of our democracy and erodes public confidence in the judiciary.