Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has once again clarified that the Commission does not receive any direct funding from local or international organizations.
Speaking during a meeting with the new EU Ambassador to Nigeria and West Africa, Amb. Gautier Mignot, Yakubu emphasized that INEC does not maintain any account for warehousing donor funds.
“For the record, the Commission does not receive direct funding and we do not have an account into which donor funds are warehoused,” he stated.
“The EU and other development partners provide indirect support in areas such as the publication of reports, retreats, engagement with stakeholders, as well as consultancy and technical support services in various areas, through the implementing partners selected and appointed by them.
“Their support does not involve any direct funding of core electoral activities of the Commission such as voter registration, production of PVCs, training and renumeration of ad hoc staff, electoral logistics, and the procurement of sensitive materials, including election technology. These activities remain the sovereign responsibility of the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
He stressed that the commission is committed to sustaining its regular consultative engagements with stakeholders, saying “We are aware that election is a multi-stakeholder responsibility. Only last week, the Commission met with political parties in the first of our regular quarterly meetings this year.
“Similar engagements with civil society, the media and security agencies will soon follow. We have also been interfacing with our lawmakers at the National Assembly to facilitate the necessary review of the electoral legal framework ahead of the next General Election.
“Furthermore, the Commission has already commenced work on the review of our planning tools such as the Strategic Plan and the Election Project Plan for future elections. Series of meetings have already taken place over the last couple of weeks involving our staff across the States of the Federation”.
Yakubu said that for several years, particularly since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, EU’s partnership with the Commission and other stakeholders has helped to consolidate the electoral and democratic process in Nigeria.
According to him, there has been incremental improvement in our electoral process over the last six electoral cycles.
He said “we also appreciate that a lot of work lies ahead. Since the 2023 General Election, the Commission has received reports from many of the 206 national and foreign groups and international organisations accredited to observe the elections, including the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) which made a total of 23 recommendations of which eight require action by the Commission and 15 by the executive, judiciary and legislative arms of government as well as other stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the media, faith-based organisations and political parties.
“The eight specific recommendations for INEC relate to the dissemination of the Commission’s regulations and guidelines for election, training of election duty staff, deployment of electoral technology, result management process, continuous registration of voters, the cleaning up of the voters’ register, the participation of marginalised groups in the electoral process and voting by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“For our part, the Commission undertook an extensive internal and external review of the 2023 General Election involving the participation of our own officials and stakeholders across the board.
“We produced a 524-page main report and a 74-page review report containing 142 recommendations. The two reports have already been uploaded to our website.
“We have similarly commenced the implementation of aspects of the recommendations that only require administrative action by the Commission. For instance, in some of the off-cycle, re-run and bye-elections conducted since the General Election, there has been improvement in the quality of training of ad hoc staff involving the deployment of more BVAS machines for this purpose.
“There has also been tremendous improvement in the functionality of the BVAS in voter accreditation using fingerprint or facial authentication. Furthermore, election results are more speedily uploaded to the IReV.
Voter registration in Edo and Ondo States ahead of the Governorship elections was better coordinated and collection of PVCs almost seamless with 80% of the cards collected by eligible voters. The perennial problem of logistics was also vigorously addressed in the recent Ondo State Governorship election.
“We are working hard to improve other aspects of electoral operations. The arrival of your mid-term mission later this year will provide an opportunity for a full review of the 2023 EU-EOM report.
“We welcome the EU’s assurance of continuous engagement and collaboration with the Commission as we approach the third phase of the European Union-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) under which funding support is provided to several institutions and groups that play a role in democracy and governance in Nigeria”.
In his remarks, the leader of the EU delegation, Gautier Mignot reinterated the commitment of the European Union to supporting Nigeria in consolidating its democracy and electoral processes, emphasizing its longstanding partnership with the country.
He said the EU is dedicated to fostering credible, inclusive, and transparent democratic systems in Nigeria and lauded Nigeria’s vibrant democratic landscape, which celebrated 25 years of its return to democratic governance last year.
According to Mignot, democracy remains the most effective system for managing societal relationships, respecting human rights, and promoting fundamental freedoms.
“Democracy is a constant cycle of progress, and nations must consistently advance to address challenges and embrace opportunities,” he stated. He noted that electoral systems play a pivotal role in building citizens’ trust and maintaining a credible democracy.”
While highlighting contemporary challenges facing democracies globally, particularly the rise of misinformation and disinformation facilitated by digital technologies, he described these issues as significant hurdles to democracy while emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and exchange of experiences to counter such threats.
“Nigeria and the European Union share a vision of democracy as the best way to organize societies. Our partnership is based on mutual respect, political neutrality, and a commitment to addressing these challenges together,” he added.
He stressed that the EU’s commitment to Nigeria’s democratic advancement is underscored by its €90 million Democracy Governance Program, which supports electoral processes and governance institutions, including INEC.
The EU official stressed that their cooperation goes beyond financial assistance, encompassing technical expertise, diplomatic engagement, and the sharing of best practices, adding that the EU also serves as a coordinating body for other donor countries working to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The EU Ambassador said the principle of political neutrality as central to the Union’s engagement with Nigeria, stating, “We are not here to meddle in Nigeria’s internal affairs or favor any political party. Our role is to support democracy in a way that respects your sovereignty while bringing the best expertise from the EU.”
He concluded with a pledge of unwavering partnership, assuring INEC and the Nigerian people of the EU’s steadfast support in advancing democracy and electoral integrity.
“In these troubled times and a fast-evolving world, the EU remains a constant and faithful partner to Nigeria. Together, we will continue to build on our shared values and experiences for a brighter democratic future.”
