OBASANJO CALLS FOR OVERHAULING OF INEC, DISMISSAL OF ITS CHAIRMAN, ADVOCATE FOR SHORTER TENURES FOR INEC OFFICIALS.

The former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the overhaul of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) including dismissal of its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu and other officials at all levels.
This is coming in the wake of the 2023 general election, which Obasanjo described as a “travesty” in a pre-recorded speech titled, “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria”, delivered at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University.
Obasanjo argued the need for reforming the electoral system to restore credibility and trust, stating that an implementation of shorter tenures for INEC officials to prevent the undue influence of politics and corruption.
He advocated for a rigorous vetting process to ensure that only impartial, non-partisan individuals with unimpeachable reputations are appointed to these critical positions.
The former president emphasized that INEC’s leadership must demonstrate unwavering independence, transparency, and incorruptibility.
Obasanjo also pointed to the commission’s failure to utilize cutting-edge technologies, specifically the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), during the 2023 presidential election, despite promises to the contrary made by Chairman Yakubu.
The former president said the 2023 election was marred by systemic failures and a lack of transparency and criticised INEC’s failure to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), despite promises made by Yakubu and which would have enhanced the electoral integrity.
“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes.
“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail. INEC willfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse,” Obasanjo stated.
Yakubu was appointed by former president, Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and reappointed in 2020 for another five-year tenure. His tenure is expected to expire next year.