As Professor Mahmood Yakubu exits office after
completing his constitutionally allowed two-term, 10-year tenure as
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
experts have offered mixed assessments of his legacy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast
programme, The Morning Brief, on Wednesday, Samson Itodo,
Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, commended Yakubu’s reforms but
criticised the level of political interference that weakened the Commission’s
independence.
“You cannot wish away that Professor Mahmood
introduced remarkable reforms,” Itodo said. “We are yet, as a country, to
maximise the utility and potential of those reforms because of the actions of
our politicians. But I think one thing Professor Mahmood leaves behind, to a
large extent, is a weak INEC — weak to the extent that there is a lot of
political interference with its functions.”
According to Itodo, partisan appointments and external
influence undermined the Commission’s credibility and eroded public confidence
in elections.
“A classic example is the appointment of partisan
Resident Electoral Commissioners. The chairman is not the appointing authority,
but under Professor Mahmood, we saw how three Resident Electoral Commissioners
were removed from office because of either insubordination, lack of competence,
or manipulating the electoral process,” he said.
He added that the level of trust in the electoral
system had significantly declined.
“There are several setbacks you can look at. Where is
the level of trust today in the electoral process? Other actors interfered with
INEC’s functions, and that deepened the lack of integrity of the process,” he
noted.
However, Itodo acknowledged Yakubu’s landmark
achievements, particularly in technological innovations that transformed
Nigeria’s elections.
“One of the greatest legacies Mahmood leaves behind is
the automation of our electoral processes, especially the introduction of
technology,” he said. “The BVAS and IReV were game-changers. They deepened the
integrity of the accreditation process and enhanced transparency.”
He also praised Yakubu’s commitment to inclusion,
citing INEC’s efforts to involve women, youths, and persons with disabilities
in electoral participation.
“Ten years in the life of an institution is indeed a
long time,” Itodo remarked.
Yakubu officially handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu,
the Commission’s oldest serving National Commissioner, who now serves as Acting
Chairperson.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to nominate a new INEC Chairman,
subject to Senate confirmation.
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