Tag: Inec

• His efforts not appreciated, says Yakubu

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said yesterday that the efforts of one of his predecessors, the Late  Humphrey Nwosu, were not appreciated by those who appointed him.

Yakubu, who noted Nwosu’s contributions to electoral management in the country, therefore, called  on “appropriate authorities to honour him posthumously.’’

He spoke at the “Day of Tributes” for the late  Professor of Political Science, who died in October 2024. He will be buried on  Friday

Nwosu conducted the June 12, 1993, presidential election acclaimed to be the freest in the country. The poll was won by the  Chief MKO Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party(SDP).

Pointing out that Abiola has since been honoured posthumously with the highest national award, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), while neither Nwosu nor INEC  has received  “a muffled commendation” for the success of the election.

He, however, said that  INEC which the late professor headed under the military for four years(1989 to 1993)  would   “continue to appreciate” him and the  ‘’dedicated service he rendered to the nation.’’

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His words: “Prof. Nwosu did his best which was not always appreciated by many, including those who appointed him under an infinite transition from military rule to democracy which ended in the annulment of the presidential election held in 1993, resulting in the dissolution of the electoral commission and the emergence of an interim government.

“However, with the passage of time, the outcome of his effort is now widely appreciated. The election is now celebrated as one of the best in Nigeria. Even those who annulled it have expressed regret.

 “Sadly, the electoral commission that conducted the election which was personified by Prof. Nwosu received only a muffled commendation as if no one conducted the election.

“If it was an oversight that Prof.   Nwosu was not honoured in his lifetime, it is never too late for the appropriate authority to do so posthumously.’’

 Yakubu listed the achievements of the Late Professor, including the  introduction of the Option A4 voting  and   Open Ballot Systems as well as ‘’the foundation for  independence which INEC currently enjoys.’’

A Political Scientist, Dr. Iroro Izu of Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create more polling units for easier, convenient and much more accessible electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

He also recommended that transparency and accountability checkers should be developed to gauge the operational credibility of key stakeholders in election process in the country.

The major stakeholders in election enterprise include; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, media, security personnel and voters.

He made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a political dialogue on election credibility threshold in Nigeria organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

The University don noted that it is in everyone’ s interest for elections to be conducted in a manner that meets basic credibility threshold, “one which will be built on a system of transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, empathy, accessibility, convenience, security, flexibility, systematism and predictability.”

He said as the electoral umpire prepares for the next general elections “transparency and accountability checkers should be developed and used to gauge the operational credibility of the key stakeholders (INEC, Political parties, media, security personnel and voters) in the election enterprise in Nigeria; 

“That existing constituencies should undergo new demarcation so as to create more polling units that will make voting centers easier, convenient and much more accessible; 

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“As recommended by the Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Commission, that INEC should be unbundled to several independent entities for purposes of efficiency and effectiveness to the end that one of such entities will deal with election offences, another will deal with political parties conduct, especially in the area of primary elections; also, a third entity could be in charge of massive re-orientation of citizens, politicians, security personnel and other stakeholders; 

“Civil Society Organizations with vast experience in election matters should be engaged in the training and retraining of election workers and in election monitoring. INEC as an impartial player in the election enterprise could use any measure legal to execute and achieve its mandate. 

“Traditional rulers and religious leaders should be co-opted in sensitization campaigns and appeals to the consciences of all stakeholders involved in the election process. 

“The law should be guaranteed to ensure the conduct of all elections in one day to avoid to continued subtle disenfranchisement of many as a result of lethargy or voter fatigue. 

“INEC should make it an official policy to prioritize the use of Political Science and Statistics graduates in election duties. This is because most times INEC staffers who engage in questionable dealings during elections do so out of ignorance of how the process should work. It is true that they are trained, but most times the training period is too short, abrupt and inconclusive.”

Assessing the 2023 general elections, the founding Executive Director of Centre LSD, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, complained that only nine million Nigerians representing 26 percent of the country’s 200 million population played the decisive role in the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the polls.

He noted for future elections, the “pillar of our work is very important for us. Why is it that people don’t vote in Nigeria, and what can we do to make them vote? And then the last pillar, pillar four, is monitoring key stakeholders in the electoral process. And this, what we are doing today. That is dealing with the credibility of elections.

“So we want to have indices to measure credibility. And our aspiration is that we will create an index, just like we have poverty index, so if there is election in U.S., we go to U.S., use the index to measure it. If there is election in Ghana, we go to Ghana, use the index to measure it. That is our aspiration.”

He said notwithstanding the challenges associated with democratic rule in the polity, it is still better than military rule.

In his welcome address, Director of Strategy at Centre LSD, Mr. Itia Otabor, said through the policy dialogue, the Centre was committed to identifying practical solutions to challenges facing credible elections and develop a roadmap for implementing reforms that will strengthen the integrity of electoral processes. 

“We will explore innovative approaches to voter registration, voting systems, and electoral dispute resolution, among other critical areas.

“In order to implement Centre LSD approach to elections work, the Centre will adopt the electoral cycle approach and embed election-related activities into a holistic cycle, focusing on pre-, during, and post-election phases.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released voters’ register for the Local Government Area council elections scheduled for Aug. 9 in Rivers.

Mr Tamunotonye Tobins, the Commissioner in charge of Media and Civic Education at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday.

He stated that with the release of the voters’ register, preparations for the election were now in full swing.

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“RSIEC has obtained the updated Register of Voters for Rivers State, along with the current list of registered political parties in the country,” he confirmed.

Tobins noted that the documents were transmitted to RSIEC in a letter marked INEC/RV/SVR/498/155.

“The commission reassures the people of Rivers State of RSIEC’s commitment to conducting credible, free, and fair elections on Saturday, Aug. 9,” he concluded. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)