There should be open screening for INEC chairman, RECs – Yunusa Yau

Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yunusa Yau, has called for a transparent, citizen-involved process that will ensure that only credible and non-partisan individuals are confirmed to lead the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

There should be open screening for INEC chairman, RECs – Yunusa Yau

Yau made this call on Friday in an interview with Arise Television, stating that Nigerians must demand both a credible appointment process and urgent electoral reforms if the 2027 general elections are to be free, fair and widely accepted.

“Getting the electoral act to be amended is one leg of the conduct of the election. Getting credible people, non-partisans, to be at the head of this is also another leg.

Without both of these meeting what we call the threshold conditions, we will not be able to see the conduct of a free, fair, and credible election,” he said.

According to him, competence, courage and integrity not academic titles should be the deciding factors in choosing Nigeria’s next electoral umpire.

He further emphasised that the Senate must not repeat past mistakes where confirmations were rushed without adequate public scrutiny, warning that the credibility of INEC’s leadership will shape the integrity of future elections.