The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called on the National Assembly to expedite action on proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral legal framework.
Yakubu made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with the European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-up Mission, led by Barry Andrews, who also headed the EU Mission during the 2023 general election.
He stressed that early passage of the amended electoral law is crucial for INEC’s effective planning ahead of the next general election.
“Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as the election draws nearer,” Yakubu warned.
The INEC chairman explained that the commission had thoroughly reviewed all eight recommendations directed to it in the EU Election Observation Mission’s 2023 report. He recalled that while the 2019 EU report made 30 recommendations—11 of which were directed to INEC—the 2023 report listed 23 recommendations, with eight (34.8%) for the commission and the remaining 15 (65.2%) for other stakeholders, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and civil society.
Yakubu noted that INEC had already implemented recommendations requiring only administrative measures and was working with stakeholders on cross-cutting reforms while awaiting legislative action on areas that need statutory review.
“As you are aware, an election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require a review of our electoral legal framework. For this reason, the commission has engaged with the National Assembly, including participating in a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters,” he said.
He assured that INEC would continue to engage with the EU and other observer groups, acknowledging their role in improving Nigeria’s elections.
In his remarks, Andrews said the mission was in Nigeria to assess progress on implementing recommendations from its 2023 report. He noted that while constitutional reform was more complex, the EU was pleased with the progress so far.
“We recognize that there are certain time constraints, both in terms of judicial and administrative reforms. Of course, constitutional reform is somewhat more complex, but all of these recommendations are made against international standards that the EU, Nigeria, and most countries have committed to,” Andrews stated.
He added that the mission was particularly interested in steps taken to enhance transparency in the publication of results during off-cycle governorship elections held after the 2023 polls.
