Yiaga Africa has asked President Bola Tinubu to publish the names of potential candidates for the position of chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subject them to public scrutiny before screening by the national assembly.
Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, will step down in October after serving the maximum two terms, totalling 10 years, while about 10 national commissioners will also leave office before the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Friday during a roundtable discussion on “Safeguarding the Independence of INEC”, Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga Africa, said the transitions “would perhaps make INEC weaker and also impact the quality of the next elections”.
“And so, we have said that aside from the constitutional requirements of questionable integrity and non-partisanship, there’s a great need to look for people who have experience in elections or in a related field because elections are a complex technical activity,” Itodo said.
“The second point is to look for individuals who are independently minded, individuals who cannot be swayed by any form of political persuasion, individuals who can withstand political pressure because it serves the interest of Nigeria, whether it is the incumbent or even the opposition.
“And for the third part, you need people with mental alertness. The INEC job is very complex and tasking, so you need people who are alert to manage elections.
“Before he sends a nomination to the national assembly, can you publish the list of people he’s considering, ask citizens and civil society and professional organisations to submit objections and memos on those people, interview them, and have a first screening process before you send those names?
“If the next elections are really going to be credible and the perception of integrity is going to be high, it’s going to begin with the appointment process for the next INEC chairman and the national commissioners.
“And so, we are saying that the president has an opportunity, and the national assembly does have an opportunity to do what will inspire public confidence in this electoral process and let them not treat these appointments with any form of executive overreach or political manipulation.”
