Obasanjo Calls For Overhaul Of INEC, Demands Sacking Of Mahmood Yakubu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the immediate dismissal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and all other officials of the commission, citing widespread failure in maintaining electoral integrity.

Obasanjo’s remarks came during a recorded address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.

The former president described the current state of Nigeria’s electoral process as untenable and underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reform.

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“The INEC chairperson and his staff must be thoroughly vetted, ensuring only dispassionate, non-partisan individuals with impeccable reputations are appointed,” Obasanjo said.

He emphasized that the vetting process should be robust enough to prevent political influence and corruption, restoring public trust in the electoral system.

Obasanjo’s remarks were particularly scathing regarding the 2023 general elections.

He accused INEC of failing to implement the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), both of which had been promoted as key technological innovations.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself, but in the end, they did not fail; INEC willfully failed to use or implement them, which led to widespread voting irregularities,” he said, likening the situation to “inviting the fox into the hen house.”

The former president’s comments reignited ongoing debates over the credibility of recent Nigerian elections. Obasanjo has long been critical of electoral processes in the country, and his latest call for a major overhaul of INEC adds to the mounting pressure on the electoral body.,

However, the Nigerian presidency swiftly responded, accusing Obasanjo of hypocrisy. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, slammed the former president’s criticism, reminding the public that Obasanjo’s own administration presided over what Onanuga described as “the most fraudulent election in Nigeria since 1960.”

Onanuga further stated, “It is hypocrisy writ large when a man who presided over the worst election in Nigeria demands the sack of the leadership of INEC.”

The controversy surrounding INEC’s conduct during the 2023 elections, including allegations of non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act, is a focal point for opposition parties.

Presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) had previously challenged the outcome of the elections, citing INEC’s failure to adhere to its own rules and regulations, particularly regarding the electronic transmission of results.

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court acknowledged that the failure of the IReV portal could erode public confidence in the electoral process.

Justice John Okoro noted that, “The non-functioning of the IReV may reduce the confidence of the voting public in the electoral process.”

Meanwhile, calls for reform have been gaining momentum across various quarters. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, recently described the conduct of the Edo State governorship election as “grossly flawed,” calling for radical electoral reforms.

“Anyone thinking of becoming president in 2027 and not considering disbanding INEC is not serious,” Amadi remarked on social media, further intensifying the discourse on the need for comprehensive reform.

In the same vein, Nduka Odo, a Public Affairs Analyst and Communication Scholar at Peaceland University, expressed his frustration over INEC’s repeated failures.

Odo criticized the body for its inability to ensure transparency and fairness in the Edo State election, pointing out discrepancies between the results declared and those uploaded on the IReV portal.

“The manipulation of results and lack of accountability among INEC officials are serious concerns that need to be addressed,” he stated.

Onyebuchi Igboke, the Project Manager of Advocacy Partnership for Good Governance, also weighed in, calling for the removal of the president’s power to appoint the INEC chairman.

“The INEC chairman dashed the hope of many Nigerians by failing to deliver on promises to transmit results electronically in real-time,” Igboke said.