Abuja – Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that a new approach is required to strengthen the country’s elections management to further consolidate on its democracy.
Yakubu made the observation during his consultative meeting with leadership of registered political parties at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu said that for four weeks in a role, INEC conducted four elections in Kogi, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kastina, each with its peculiar challenges.
“Naturally, there are matters arising from all the four elections that I mentioned, ranging from pre-election preparations to logistics, to security, to conduct of the polls, to collation and declaration of results.
“The commission believes that there are lessons to learn.
“Arising from that, a new approach is required to strengthen elections management in this country and consequently consolidate on our democracy further,’’ Yakubu said.
He said that the commission believes that the new approach could best be achieved through consultation with stakeholders, especially the political parties.
According to him, the commission will need to brief the political parties on a number of issues on which it will require their advice and inputs.
“In doing so, we should bear in mind that some of the issues are subjudice. So, we should avoid judgment on whom or which party is right or wrong.
“Instead, we should focus on lessons learnt and the steps we need to take going forward.
“The lessons we learn everyday should be critical to our future, else we shall continue to wobble in self-righteousness, and that the vision for greater future becomes truncated in a plural point that neither advance the cause of our election nor strength of our democracy.
“Here I am not saying that we should not look back but it should be such introspection that leads to a prognosis for a better future, while leaving the conscious issues that lie in-between to the judiciary until the matters are resolved,’’ he said
Some of the issues to be discussed, according to Yakubu, include the findings in the electoral process ranging from campaigns to voting, after voting and how to effectively deal with electoral offenders.
“Others include how to minimise rate of inconclusive election as well as matters arising from the spate of nullification of elections recorded from the 2015 general elections.”
The INEC chairman said the 2015 general elections recorded the highest number of election nullifications in the democratic history of Nigeria.
“As at yesterday 82 elections were nullified and still because we have two cases yet to be decided in Osun, another two cases yet to be decided in Bayelsa.
“In addition, to the nullified elections, there were 15 other upturned elections where the petitioners were declared winner by the court.
“We have since issued certificate of return to the 15 winners declared by the court in compliance with the judgments,’’ he said.
Yakubu added that the commission would also disuses relating simultaneous accreditation and voting process as introduced in the Southern Ijaw , Bayelsa, on whether to sustain or maintain status-quo in future elections.
He, however, disclosed that the commission had also registered a new political party, the Young Democratic Party (YDP), who also had it representative at the meeting.
“With the registration and certification of YDP, we now have 30 political parties in Nigeria.’’
He pledged that INEC shall continue to place premium on political parties as well remain an unbiased election management body. (
