To commemorate the 16 Days of Activism 2023, RoLAC and UNDP are organising a Summit to sensitise key members of Parliament to the critical role they play in overseeing the implementation of the VAPP Act and fulfilling their role as budgetary decision-makers who can ensure that allocated resources match the legislative priorities and national policies on violence against persons.
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African countries have since 2020 increasingly been facing a rise in the number of constitutional transitions: some of them caused by military and civilian coups, or by popular uprisings, transitions assisted by armed forces, constitutional reform processes after the election of a new President, or within the framework of a new political settlement after conflict.
The practice of recalling elected representatives during their term of office is both topical and controversial within the context of democratic governance across the globe. On the one hand, recall can be an instrument to ensure adequate representation of the elected, but on the other hand, it can be weaponised to undermine democratic representation.
Laws regulating the financing of electoral politics in Nigeria, including on political party and campaign finance, are guided by the 1999 Constitution, the 2022 Electoral Act, and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. Despite the existing control and regulatory frameworks, political finance laws, guidelines and regulations are violated with impunity in Nigeria.
Local governance comprises a set of institutions, mechanisms and processes through which citizens and their groups can articulate their interests and needs and mediate their differences. The participation of citizens in governance is one of the underlying components of democracy. Engaging citizens in the act of governance engenders transparency, improves accountability and public resource management and brings about good policy outcomes, development and the social well-being of citizens.
A credible voter register gives legitimacy to the electoral process and helps prevent electoral fraud.
However, voter registration remains a complex and contested task. It is one of the most important activities that an electoral management body needs to conduct, but it is also one of the most costly in terms of both time and resources.
Calls for the integrity of elections urge governments and international actors to attach importance to the professionalism of electoral management bodies, the regulation of political finance and the promotion of equal participation and representation of women and marginalized groups.
Building trust and professionalism in the management of electoral processes remains a major challenge for electoral management bodies (EMBs), institutions and/or bodies responsible for managing elections.
The ‘credibility gap’—the diminished public confidence in the integrity and diligence for many electoral institutions and their activities—is a common problem for EMBs around the world.