Senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, has expressed concern over the growing trend of election losers resorting to bribery through court processes to overturn poll results.
He bemaoned that such practices have been undermining the country’s democratic processes.
He made the remarks during the opening ceremony of a retreat for the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters, held at the Legend Hotel, Airport Road, Lagos.
Aliero said the pattern of challenging election results in court and influencing outcomes through illicit means must stop.
“Perhaps, he may not even challenge the election result. It has happened in the past, a situation where the loser will go to court after losing the election, and then he will bribe his way and get himself declared as no longer desirable,” the senator said.
He lamented that such practices make a mockery of the electoral process, warning that unless reforms are implemented, confidence in democratic institutions would continue to erode.
Aliero added that lawmakers had spent over a year and a half conducting public hearings and working extensively to reform Nigeria’s electoral system.
“We will amend everything that needs to be amended so that there won’t be any ambiguity, inconsistency and discrepancies. We have observed many loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 and we are currently trying to block such loopholes so that there will be free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
