The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, has been urged to consolidate the gains and reforms achieved under the immediate past chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Key Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country made the call in Abuja at a colloquium organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) to celebrate the achievements and reforms recorded by INEC under Yakubu’s leadership.
They emphasised that sustaining the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process requires the collective commitment of political parties, the judiciary, security agencies, and citizens—especially as the nation prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The colloquium, themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Reflections on a Decade of INEC Leadership,” brought together political leaders, academics, and civil society actors. Participants agreed that building on the institutional and technological foundations is crucial to ensuring a more credible, transparent, and resilient electoral system.
The Deputy National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon. Dipo Olayoku, noted that election management in Nigeria remains one of the country’s most complex national responsibilities, stressing that challenges extend beyond the electoral body itself.
He said, “Conducting elections in Nigeria is no easy task, especially when many Nigerians still believe that participation in an election must guarantee victory. We all remember the ‘do-or-die’ politics of 2007. That mindset remains one of the biggest threats to our democracy.”
He, however, lamented the lack of accountability for electoral offences, noting that when wrongdoing goes unpunished, even reform-minded leaders can only achieve limited success.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Ms Faith Nwadishi, said the colloquium was organised not only to celebrate Yakubu’s achievements but also to reflect on lessons learned and chart the way forward.
According to her, INEC made significant gains through innovations such as the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), electronic result transmission, improved logistics, and stronger stakeholder engagement.
“INEC institutionalised continuous voter registration, expanded stakeholder consultations, and strengthened its internal systems. Importantly, Prof. Yakubu opened INEC’s doors wider to civil society, media, and other groups, and prioritised transparency in election management.
“He was also gender-sensitive, creating the first crèche at the INEC headquarters to support nursing mothers at work,” Nwadishi added.
She, however, expressed concern over persistent challenges, including insecurity, vote-buying, voter intimidation, and voter apathy, which continue to undermine the credibility of elections.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Pioneering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Nigeria (PAACA), Chief Ezenwa Nwagwu, described Yakubu’s tenure as a period of remarkable innovation.
He highlighted the digitisation of electoral processes—particularly the electronic transmission of results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV)—as a transformative step that promoted transparency.
“Though it was not perfect, it was a step in the right direction. The INEC candidate nomination portal was another innovation that helped end the culture of politicians attempting to influence INEC officials. It brought sanity and contributed significantly to advancing our electoral process. Continuous voter registration was also a major reform that must be sustained,” Nwagwu said.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Emmanuel Aiyede of the Department of Political Institutions, Governance and Public Policy at the University of Ibadan, said that technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections. He argued that the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on institutional integrity and civic responsibility.
“Democracy cannot rely solely on technology. The future of Nigeria’s elections will depend on institutional cooperation and civic responsibility,” he said.
Aiyede described Yakubu’s decade-long leadership as “a rehearsal for the future,” urging the new INEC leadership to strengthen local elections, deepen voter participation, improve result management, and institutionalise post-election accountability.
“His leadership has shown that credible elections are not miracles of circumstance but outcomes of discipline in law, in process, and in principle. The Commission he leaves behind is not perfect, but it is purposeful—not without critics, but undeniably credible in its evolution,” Aiyede said.
