STRATEGISING FOR 2027…. SWIFT MEDIA WORLD JOINS CISLAC, PLAC, YIAGA AFRICA IN FORWARD-LOOKING CONFERENCE THAT LOOKS BEYOND THE PRESENT INTO NIGERIA’S 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

For this reason, Swift Media World joined other participants at the launch of a forward-looking “Research and Conference on Political Accountability and Elections in Nigeria”.

The conference had twin panel sessions as under-listed came up with a number of resolutions.

1) The 2023 Elections: The role of the media in promoting political Accountability in Nigeria.

2) “Interrogating Political and Electoral Apathy: Strategies toward 2027 Elections”

Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Ex. Director, CISLAC

Samson Itodo, Exec. Director, YIAGA Africa

Jake Epele, Exec. Director, TAF

Dr. Akiyode Akiyode-Afolabi, WARDC

Emma’Enenche Umele, CEO Swift Media World

RESOLUTIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE

The robust twin-panel sessions led to the following resolutions proposed by participants and some panelists including the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo , that of The Albino Foundation (TAF) Jake Epele and Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi of WARDC among others. That:

 All electoral offenders including INEC officials who violate the Electoral Act should be sanctioned.

 The mode of appointment INEC officials should be overhauled.

 Voter register should be audited and cleaned up to reflect electoral realities.

 INEC should partner stakeholders and build capacity of staff.

 Give priority to political analyst to maintain neutrality when analyzing the electoral process.

 The media should endeavour to bring the information gap between rural and urban areas.

 Media and CSOs should begin setting agenda for 2027 election on accountability

 CSOs urged to speak to increase engagement on disability inclusion.

 CSO should be intentional about engaging INEC to fulfil its statutory responsibility.

 CSOs to build stronger women network.

 Media and CSO are enjoined to advocate for timely funding for electoral activity

 Document lessons learnt from the 2023 General lessons to improve the process in 2027.

 Citizens should increase demand for accountability from elected officials.

 They should demand level playing field for all political parties, independent management of INEC, demand that elected officials deliver on the dividend of democracy.

Giving the closing remarks, Executive Director of CISLAC, Mall. Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani affirmed that “without political accountability leaders cannot be held to account to deliver on their mandate”. This lack of political accountability, he pointed out, has given room to rogues to traverse the political space. Thus, he pointed out that they run away from debates which gives electorate the chance to hold leaders to the commitment they make during such debates.

He thanked the Joinbodi Cohort for organising and the MacArthur Foundation for the sponsorship and stressed the need to cascade the exercise to sub-national and local level for maximum impact.

ANTI-SGBV GROUP, SJN TAKES ADVOCACY TO BENUE JUDICIARY…CALLS FOR SPECIAL COURTS FOR SGBV CASES.

The Sexual and Gender Based Violence Justice Network (SJN), a cluster created to help curb the scourge of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), has taken its anti-SGBV advocacy to the new Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese at his office in Makurdi the Benue State capital.

The group made up of seven Civil Society Organisations condemned the slow accountability for SGBV cases, a slack in the justice system that emboldens perpetrators.  They therefore, sought the buy-in of the state’s chief law officer on steps to take to fast track the process of punishing perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others.

Addressing the Chief Judge and management staff of the judiciary, Legal and Programme officer with Lawyers Alert, the lead partner of the coalition, Barr. Solumtochukwu Ozobulu called for the designation of special courts to try SGBV cases to speed up justice delivery for both the perpetrators and survivors or victims.

She sought for amendment of the Law to give magistrates in Benue State the jurisdiction to try rape cases as is obtainable now in Bauchi State.

Victor Eboh, Solumtochukwu Ozobulu during the visit

Chief Justice Maurice Ikpambese flanked by Barr. Solumtochukwu Ozobulu (L), Justice T. Igoche (R) and others

Barr. Ozobulu decried the inadequate number of personnel in the State and judiciary which leads to poor handling and mix up of cases by the limited hands which she noted was unbecoming of a progressive state like Benue.

She called for a special Civil Society Desk to be in the judiciary to enable CSOs

Responding, the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Maurice Ikpambese who decried the prevalence of among adults and children, said he recognises and appreciates the efforts by CSOs to address wrong meted out to vulnerable persons and affirmed that the judiciary was ready to partner with them to remove bottlenecks which prolong the administration of justice to protect the vulnerable.

Noting that CSOs have a lot of role to play, he said their advocacy helps to put society in check and deters people from misbehaving. The CJ Noted that independence of the judiciary would make things better for them.

Speaking earlier, Legal Officer with Lawyers Alert, said the organisation has always partnered with the judiciary in the areas of advocacy, awareness creation and training.

SJN, led by Lawyers Alert is currently implementing a project with Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) to advocate for the activation and proper implementation of VAPP and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Kaduna, Osun States and the Federal Capital Territory.

Ikra Foundation for Women & Youth Development

USAID – US Agency for International Development Agbani FARMS LTD, ENUGU. Nigeria Association of Women Journalists-NAWOJ National UN Women

#vapplaw #acjact #women #justice4sgbvsurvivors #sexualabuseawareness

CISLAC ENGAGES NON-STATE ACTORS IN BENUE TOWARDS IMPROVING ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA.

In the aftermath of Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), in its ongoing post-election engagements in some states in Nigeria, has tasked Civil Society Organisations in Benue State to continue to advocate for safer and more credible elections as well as other issues of development in the country.

Executive Director of CISLAC, Mall. Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, who gave this charge while addressing non-state actors on election security in Makurdi the State Capital, pointed out that the State was strategic to the work of CISLAC and hailed the work done by CSOs in the State.

Rafsanjani who was represented by the Senior Finance Officer CISLAC, Muhammed Murtala noted that the election experiences of the frontline election actors and their suggestions would form actionable recommendations for improved election security in the country. He appreciated CISLAC’s consortium partners including SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria as well as Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

Muhammed Murtala, rep ED CISLAC, Musa Rafsanjani

Solomon Adoga, SPO @ CISLAC

Laz Mom, E.D, Connecting Lens Initiative

Joy Ijuwo, ED OWACDO & other participants

Pointing out gaps during the 2023 general elections and suggesting the way forward, participants at the parley among other solutions prescribed prompt and proper prosecution and punishment of electoral offenders, the use of body cameras in polling units, life sentence for persons convicted of corruption and a lean pay package for political office holders as the current jumbo pay attracts all kinds of characters who tend to do desperate things to get to office.

Their other suggestions included better protection for election observers, journalists, electoral officers and security agents themselves among other actionable recommendations that would nudge the country towards achieving a more secure and peaceful atmosphere for credible elections.

Making his presentation, Senior Programme Officer of CISLAC, Mr. Solomon Adoga gave an overview of electoral violence trends in Africa pointing out that African democracy has been tagged as “one of the most troubled around the world”.

Adoga said a careful observation of the patterns of electoral violence showed that violence usually do occur before, during and after elections and taking various forms including physical violence, property damage and intimidation.

He traced the root causes of electoral violence in the sub-region to issues such as religious sentiments, economic and ethnic marginalization among others noting that regional instability and threat to democracy were some of the implications of electoral violence in Africa which impede development.

A cross-section of participants & staff of CISLAC

Affirming that evidence show that “general security” and “security during elections” differ from each other, Adoga added that an Afrobarometer survey of 18 countries showed that the 3 countries where elections have been relatively free of violence are Ghana, Namibia, and Botswana while Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Zambia have the least electoral security.

INEC record, he said showed security threat to its facilities in some states pointing out that there were 50 incidents of attacks on its offices from 2019 to 2022 in Imo, Osun, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Cross River and Abia. Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Borno State, a clear threat to the electoral process in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the local partnering organisation, Connecting Lens Initiative (CLI), Mr. Lazarus Mom urged participants to push the advocacy beyond the meeting hall by posting the outcomes on their various social media handles.

The CISLAC parley with state actors is under the EU-SDGN2 European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria and is aimed at improving election security in Nigeria.