The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called on the National Assembly to hasten the passage of proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral laws, stressing that early reforms are critical to the commission’s preparations for the next general election.
Yakubu made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with the European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria, led by Barry Andrews, who headed the EU Mission during the 2023 general elections.
The INEC chairman warned that delays in finalizing the legal framework could unsettle the commission’s work as the election draws nearer.
“Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as the election draws nearer,” Yakubu said.
He explained that INEC had reviewed all eight recommendations from the EU Election Observation Mission’s (EU EOM) 2023 report that were specifically directed at the commission. According to him, some recommendations requiring administrative measures had already been implemented, while others that need collaboration with different stakeholders are ongoing.
Yakubu noted that a total of 142 recommendations for electoral reform emerged from INEC’s post-election review of the 2023 polls. These, he said, include both internal measures and proposals requiring constitutional and legislative backing.
The EU EOM 2023 report contained 23 recommendations, with eight (34.8%) directed at INEC, and 15 (65.2%) targeted at other stakeholders, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and civil society.
Yakubu assured the EU delegation that INEC will continue to engage observer groups, stressing that their input had helped improve the conduct of elections over the years.
On his part, Barry Andrews said the mission’s visit aimed to assess progress made in implementing the EU’s recommendations. He praised INEC’s efforts but noted that constitutional reforms would require more time.
Highlighting lessons from off-cycle governorship elections conducted since 2023, Andrews said the EU was particularly interested in INEC’s steps to enhance result transparency, one of the key recommendations from their report.
