By Naomi Sharang
Political stakeholders, on Wednesday, urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to consolidate on achievements recorded by his predecessor, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
They said that the next frontier for Nigeria’s democratic consolidation lies in deepening and sustaining institutional culture.
The stakeholders made the call at a colloquium on “Ten Years of Leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of INEC”.
Organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), the colloquium had the theme: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Reflections on a Decade of INEC Leadership”.
Keynote Speaker, Prof. Emmanuel Aiyede, a scholar of democracy and election, said that as INEC enters a post-Yakubu era, the challenge would be two-fold.
“To preserve the gains of digital transparency while addressing the operational bottlenecks that accompany them.
“Technology must now evolve from tools of election-day administration to instruments of long-term democratic planning.
“Powering data-driven decisions on constituency delimitation, voter education, logistics and security coordination.
“Equally, the commission must continue to professionalise its human capital. Machines can authenticate fingerprints, but only human integrity can authenticate elections,” he said.
He said that the future would demand a new generation of electoral managers fluent in both law and technology.
“INEC requires individuals who can navigate not only codes and algorithms but also the ethical dilemmas of power, persuasion and public trust.
“For Nigeria, the path ahead is both challenging and promising.
“As network infrastructure improves and as digital literacy expands, the full promise of the BVAS and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) will begin to unfold.
“This will reduce human errors and strengthening confidence in the ballot as the ultimate arbiter of legitimacy,” he said.
Aiyede, while commending Yakubu, said his legacy was profoundly shaped by his achievements of unprecedented institutional stability.
“As the first INEC Chairman to be appointed to two consecutive terms, he provided a rare continuity that proved crucial for long-term planning and the implementation of sustained reforms.
“His administration delivered a suite of technological innovations that fundamentally altered how elections are conducted in Nigeria.
“The most visible of these innovations was the delivery of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS),” he added.
On her part, Executive Director, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi, said that under Yakubu’s leadership, INEC recorded remarkable gains.
“From the deployment of technology through BVAS and IReV, to improved logistics planning and stakeholder engagement.
“These innovations have reduced electoral fraud, curtailed identity theft and deepened public confidence in parts of the process,” she said.
Nwadishi called on the new INEC chairman, Prof. Amupitan, to consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor, strengthen security collaboration, improve welfare and logistics for ad hoc staff and deepen inclusivity and public trust.
Similarly, former Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Enugu State, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, commended Yakubu on the recall processes of some senators during his tenure.
“Only Yakubu had the “temerity” to test the law on recall of elected representatives.
“Prof. Yakubu in 2017, was the first to test the process of recall as enshrined in Section 69 of the Constitution in the case of Sen. Dino Melaye and the most recent, that involving Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“This tested the institutional integrity of INEC. It has been there, many chairmen didn’t have the temerity to do that,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Francis Onyeukwu
