Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has made a passionate plea for a complete revamp of Nigeria’s electoral process. During a speech at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in the US, Obasanjo called for the removal of Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other officials at all levels,OBSERVERSTIMES report.
Labeling the 2023 general election as a “travesty,” Obasanjo emphasized the urgent need for electoral reforms to rebuild credibility and trust in the system. He also proposed shorter terms for INEC officials and a stringent vetting process to prevent the appointment of biased individuals.
Obasanjo stressed the importance of appointing new INEC leaders with impeccable reputations at all levels of government, highlighting the necessity for transparency and independence in the electoral process.
Additionally, Obasanjo criticized the failure of the INEC to utilize advanced technologies like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 presidential election. Despite assurances from Yakubu, these technologies were not implemented, resulting in widespread voting irregularities.
“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail. INEC wilfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse,” he said.
Obasanjo called for a complete overhaul of the electoral system and the removal of partisan individuals to restore public trust and confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
