‘2023 elections had positive outcomes’ — CSO faults calls for sack of INEC chairman

Partners for Electoral Reform, a civil society organisation (CSO), has faulted the call for the sack of Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), had asked President Bola Tinubu to disband INEC and sack Yakubu.

Agbokoba had said the 2023 elections were the worst in Nigeria’s history logistically.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, on Thursday, Ezenwa Nwagwu, convener of the CSO, said those who followed the 2023 elections would agree that the positive sides of the polls far outweighed the negative outcomes.

“The issue of the unnecessary colouring of the naira, which brought about shortage of cash both for citizens and for institutions, and for an organisation like INEC that its activities actually depend on vendor relationship. That catastrophic policy of the central bank was a setback for logistics for the election,” he said.

“We also know the issue of fuel scarcity during that period. The circumstance around that election was held around the period of fuel scarcity and the rest of them.”

He noted that over the years, the issue of logistic challenges is something INEC has not been able to manage efficiently because coupled with the naira swap, Nigeria was battling with issues of insecurity and banditry in some parts of the country.

Ezenwa said while INEC seems to be taking all the heat, the political class is being excused for its roles in electoral violence and voter apathy experienced during the elections.

“I’m not saying that there were no issues. An election is not a church service. Election is a competitive enterprise. We give comfort to the real people who cause challenges in the election,” he said.

“INEC does not cause voters suppression. Politicians do this in collaboration with disgruntled INEC officials, right? INEC does not unleash violence, politicians unleash violence.

“Now 90 percent of the time discussing 2023 elections, you focus on INEC, you leave the role of security agents. You leave the role of the political parties and their candidates and the role they play in making bad elections.

“INEC officials were killed in 2023, they are Nigerians. INEC officials were kidnapped. By whom? Who kidnapped them? Who murdered them? We provide comfort for the political class and their inability to embrace reforms and conduct themselves in a manner that allows for free and fair elections.

“So I’m not saying there were no issues and nobody can say that. But I am more interested in the positives and those who should criticize.

“When you say INEC said it will upload results in real-time and it didn’t do so. I am saying that is a moral issue. It has nothing to do with the law. Because the law has been satisfied when collation and announcements have been concluded.”