A faith-based and community development organisation in Zaria, Kaduna State, Fityanatul Islam Gabari, has thrown its full support behind the proposed INEC Independence Bill sponsored by Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, describing it as a step toward restoring power to the people and ensuring credible elections in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kaduna, the group’s President, Mallam Lawal, said that the move to make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) truly independent is long overdue. He noted that politicians should not be in charge of appointing those who will oversee elections in which they are contestants. “Power must return to the people,” he declared.

Lawal revealed that after reviewing Senator Obiorah’s draft bill, the group found it to be a bold and necessary reform aimed at protecting the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy. The bill, submitted in July, proposes an amendment to the 1999 Constitution to restructure INEC into a 13-member body—six members to be elected by professional and labour unions, six to be nominated by the United Nations (UN), and one observer from Transparency International.

According to the group, this model promotes transparency, reduces political interference, and enhances the use of election technologies such as the BVAS and IReV systems. Lawal stressed that involving international organisations like the UN should not be seen as foreign interference but as collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

He further urged the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and the Presidency to treat the bill as a matter of national urgency, calling it a defining moment in Nigeria’s political history. “Dishonest elections are the roots of poverty, corruption, and underdevelopment. This reform is a chance to build a democracy anchored on fairness, accountability, and the will of the people,” Lawal stated.