Electoral reforms: Obasanjo calls for INEC chairman’s sack

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the complete overhaul of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said must include the removal of its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu and officials of the commission at all levels as part of a reform of the electoral process in Nigeria.

This demand comes in the wake of the 2023 general election, which Obasanjo described as a “travesty” in a pre-recorded speech titled, “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria”, delivered at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University recently.

The former president said the 2023 election was marred by systemic failures and a lack of transparency and criticised INEC’s failure to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), despite promises made by Yakubu and which would have enhanced the electoral integrity.

“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail. INEC wilfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse,” he said.

Obasanjo also said INEC officials should have shorter tenures and a more rigorous vetting process to prevent the appointment of partisan individuals.

“As a matter of urgency, we must ensure the INEC Chairperson and their staff are thoroughly vetted. The vetting exercise should produce dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal – city, town, and village – levels, with short tenures to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and to re-establish trust in the electoral system by its citizens.

“The INEC chairperson must not only be absolutely above board but must also be transparently independent and incorruptible,” Obasanjo said.

Following last year’s general election, INEC faced criticism for its handling, especially the delayed and inconsistent transmission of results on the IReV portal.

The commission has defended its actions, citing a ‘technical glitch’. INEC has also faced criticism over its conduct during the Edo State off-cycle governorship election and concerns have also been raised about the appointment of partisan individuals to leadership roles within INEC.

Yakubu was appointed by former president, Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and reappointed in 2020 for another five-year tenure. His tenure is expected to expire next year.