"Election Defeats: Aliero Claims Bribery in Courts is Eroding Democracy"

Table of Contents

1. Senator's Concern
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Court Challenges
4. Mockery of the Process
5. Lawmakers' Efforts
6. Electoral Reforms

Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, has voiced his concerns about the increasing trend of election losers resorting to bribery through legal processes to reverse election outcomes, labeling this behavior as a grave abuse that threatens Nigeria’s democracy.

He articulated these views during the opening ceremony of a retreat for the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters, which took place at the Legend Hotel on Airport Road in Lagos.

Aliero emphasized that the practice of contesting election results in court and manipulating outcomes through corrupt means must come to an end.

“There may be instances where the loser does not even contest the election results. In the past, we have seen situations where a losing candidate resorts to bribery to get themselves declared as a preferred candidate,” the senator remarked.

He expressed dismay that such actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process, cautioning that without necessary reforms, public trust in democratic institutions will continue to diminish.

Aliero noted that lawmakers have invested over a year and a half in conducting public hearings and making significant efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral framework.

“We will amend all necessary provisions to eliminate any ambiguity, inconsistency, and discrepancies. We have identified numerous loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 and are actively working to address these issues to ensure free, fair, and credible elections,” he stated.