Expect Electoral Reforms Before 2027 — INEC Chairman

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has assured that all required amendments to the Electoral Act will be finalized before the 2027 general elections. He shared this update on Monday while addressing journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated two new National Commissioners.

Responding to recent rumors about his tenure, Professor Yakubu firmly rejected claims of his dismissal from office, clarifying that he continues to serve as the country’s Chief Electoral Officer. “I am still here,” he stated, dispelling suggestions that he had been removed.

The INEC Chairman revealed that the Commission had undertaken a thorough evaluation of the 2023 general elections in partnership with key stakeholders, resulting in 142 recommendations for electoral reform. He highlighted that eight of these recommendations necessitate changes to either the Constitution or the Electoral Act.

“We engaged with the stakeholders. We came up with 142 recommendations. Out of this 142, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendment, and we discussed this with members of the National Assembly,” he said. Yakubu stressed that the Commission is diligently collaborating with legislators to ensure the necessary reforms are implemented.

He noted that INEC recently organized a retreat in Lagos with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral reform. “Thereafter, the National Assembly is going to organize a public hearing, and it’s after the public hearing that now a new bill will, at the end of the day, be submitted to the President for assent,” he said.

Yakubu mentioned that while the National Assembly would provide further details on the reform process, INEC is pleased with the level of cooperation and the speed at which lawmakers are tackling the reform agenda. “So far so good, we are happy with our discussions with them, and we are also happy with the speed with which they want to proceed so that we’ll have some necessary amendments done to the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.

He also confirmed that, with the recent swearing-in of the new commissioners from the Southeast and Northwest, the Commission now has the complete number of national commissioners as stipulated by law.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli