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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has called on the National Assembly to speed up the passage of proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral legal framework.
Yakubu appealed 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 team during the 2023 general election.
He stressed that passing the amended electoral law early is vital for INEC’s effective planning ahead of the next general election.
“Uncertainty over the legal framework can disrupt the commission’s preparations as the election approaches,” he warned.
Yakubu explained that INEC had thoroughly examined all eight recommendations directed at it in the EU Election Observation Mission’s (EU EOM) report on the 2023 polls.
He recalled that in 2019, the EU EOM made 30 recommendations, 11 of which concerned INEC. In 2023, the report contained 23 recommendations, with eight (34.8%) requiring INEC’s action, only one of which was marked as a priority.
The remaining 15 recommendations (65.2%), including five priority ones, require action from other bodies such as the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and civil society.
Yakubu said INEC had already acted on recommendations needing only administrative steps and was collaborating with other stakeholders on those requiring joint action. For issues needing legislative changes, INEC awaits the National Assembly’s legal review.
He added that the EU’s recommendations, alongside others from national and international observers, were part of wide consultations during INEC’s post-election review.
The commission identified 142 proposals for reform and published its main 2023 election report over a year ago.
“An election is a process governed by law, and many of your recommendations require a review of our electoral framework,” Yakubu noted, adding that INEC had engaged the National Assembly and joined a retreat with its Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.
Yakubu assured the EU that INEC would continue collaborating with observer missions, whose input had improved Nigeria’s electoral quality and processes.
Barry Andrews said the mission visited INEC to assess progress in implementing the 2023 recommendations.
He noted significant progress but acknowledged time constraints in judicial, administrative, and constitutional reforms.
Highlighting off-cycle governorship elections, Andrews expressed particular interest in efforts to enhance result transparency — one of the EU’s key recommendations.
