The outgoing INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu, has done his bit, argues OJI ONOKO
Even in the twilight of his tenure, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is still spitting fire. Speaking to the visiting European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria at his office on Thursday, September 30, he had declared: “Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as election draws nearer.” His plea to the National Assembly therefore, was to expedite action on passing amendments to the electoral legal framework. “An early passage of the law is critical to the commission’s planning for the next general election,” he affirmed.
That is vintage Mahmood Yakubu, whose thoughts on the independence of the electoral body, sanctity of the electoral process, deployment of technology, transparency and accountability, show the dynamics of a man with a clear vision of an ideal INEC Nigerians should be proud of.
At one forum, for instance, the Professor of Political History and International Studies had asserted: “INEC’s loyalty is solely to Nigeria and its people, ensuring that election outcomes are determined only by the votes cast.” He had added that INEC is an umpire responsible for providing a level playing field to all and that credible elections “stem from credible managers, with results determined exclusively by eligible voters.”
It is clear from the above that the INEC helmsman was determined to make the necessary changes in order for Nigerians get their long-sought credible, transparent, free and fair elections. He spoke the right words which resonated with majority of Nigerians. His calm mien exuded confidence and his track record at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) where his reforms as the chief executive left a lasting impact on the operations of the agency, was reassuring.
He was bold in making suggestions on ways and means to make INEC a more responsive body. On handling electoral violations like hate speech and financial inducement, he insists that the commission lacks the necessary capacity and training to handle them hence his suggestion of the urgent need to establish a dedicated body, the Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal to deal with such cases.
Indeed, for Mahmood Yakubu, reform is his watchword and innovation, his mantra. Nothing illustrates this driving force better than his single mindedness in pushing for the repeal and reenactment of the old Electoral Act. The new Act, dubbed, Electoral Act 2022 repealed the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 and introduced far reaching changes to the management of the Electoral Body.
Specifically, it provided financial autonomy for INEC; Extended Timeframe for Election Notice; Provided early conduct of Primaries; Introduced Electronic Voting and Transmission of Results and Exclusion of Political Appointees. The changes no doubt improved the electoral process in the country.
The corollary was the introduction of hi-tech to replace the drudgery of manual operations which dogged the commission for years, making the electoral body slow, sluggish and unable to speedily respond to emerging challenges. Thus the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) replaced the Smart Card Readers {which was anything but smart} ensuring secure voter authentication using both fingerprint and facial recognition. BVAS was touted as the ultimate device for preventing voter disenfranchisement through PVC buying. Another innovation was the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), designed to upload polling unit results in real-time. This was applauded as a game changer.
The 2023 general election during which the new technology was put to real test on the field, had mixed results – working perfectly in certain locations while failing woefully in others. The off-cycle elections that INEC conducted thereafter have however, shown remarkable improvement in the devices.
In spite of the advances the INEC chairman made in upscaling the electoral system, he earned a dubious moniker – “Mr. Inconclusive” due to the numerous inconclusive elections that took place under his watch. Some notable instances include the 2016 Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections.
It is a tag the INEC chairman vigorously disagrees with. “First, what is an inconclusive election? It’s an election in which a winner has not emerged at first ballot, that is essentially what it is. So now you mobilize and remedy the problem and make a declaration. Is it strange in Nigeria? It’s not strange. In 2013, was the Anambra governorship election concluded on first ballot? In 2015, the governorship election in Taraba state was declared inconclusive, the commission remobilised and concluded the election two weeks later. In 2011 and 2015, the Imo governorship election was inconclusive, the commission remobilised. In 2015, Abia election was inconclusive, the commission remobilised,” he contends.
It is ironical that such a cerebral go-getter who is the first chairman of the commission to serve two terms consecutively, should have such a dubious title hanging on his neck. And for what? Sticking to the laws guiding the conduct of elections and declaration of results!
Still, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu would be stepping out with his head held high.
Onoko a journalist and media consultant, writes from Abuja. He can be reached on ojionoko2007@yahoo.com
