Former Lawmaker Calls for Electoral Reform Ahead of APC Primaries
Former House of Representatives member Hon Abdul Oroh has called for holistic reform of Nigeria's electoral process, insisting that only the people should nominate and elect representatives, rather than political executives. The former human rights activist and journalist made this call on Saturday, May 16, 2026, ahead of nationwide APC House of Representatives primaries where he is contesting for the Owan Federal Constituency seat.
Oroh alleged that aspirants are pressured to commit huge financial resources, compromise their principles, or engage in practices they normally wouldn't consider if the electoral process were free and transparent. "How can the executive determine who becomes a legislator? It is the people who should choose those who will oversee the executive, but in Nigeria, it is the other way round," he stated, noting that these realities complicate the process and make it difficult to have an electoral system that satisfies the majority of Nigerians.
The former lawmaker, who describes himself as "a scholar on election issues," emphasized that challenges in election management, particularly intra-party primaries, are not peculiar to the APC but remain a major challenge confronting political leadership and electoral processes in the country. He called for addressing these issues either by reviewing the legal framework or finding better ways to conduct the process to restore public confidence in Nigeria's democracy.