After 10 unbroken years as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s tour of duty comes to an end next month. But as his last days in the national assignment gradually draw close, his tenure for a record 10 years remains unprecedented in the nation’s democratic history.
A one-time lecturer and professor of Political History and International Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as well as former executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Yakubu was first appointed head of the electoral umpire by late President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2015.
He assumed office on November 9, the same year, and after the first five years, his appointment was renewed in 2020 for another five-year term. His reappointment came a year after the highly disputed 2019 presidential election.
For the records, INEC was established in 1998 to oversee elections in Nigeria. The commission, as presently configured, was preceded by different electoral bodies at various times, such as the Electoral Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 1958 and the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) in 1960, which organised elections in the formative years of Nigeria’s independence.
Under the military, different commissions managed elections, but were dissolved after change of governments.
In 1995, the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime created the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), but it was later replaced by INEC in 1998 under the then head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).
The outgoing INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who incidentally became the fifth INEC chairman since 1998 has not only become the longest serving head of the electoral umpire, he has the distinction of presiding over two general elections (2019 and 2023).
He also superintended over multiple off-cycle elections for governorship, state and National Assembly polls, among others.
In executing these assignments in the past 10 years, many have questioned the competence and neutrality of the electoral umpire and its leadership. This is especially so among politicians when things don’t go their own way.
In 2019, the outcome of the presidential election was highly contentious and the final winner, the late President Buhari’s mandate had to be validated by the apex court.
The 2023 polls, particularly the outcome of the presidential election drew even greater umbrage from a large segment of the populace. In the eyes of many, the infamous ‘technical glitch’ appeared to have diminished the innovations and achievements of the Mahmood Yakubu leadership of INEC.
However, under Yakubu, many have also applauded the technologies introduced by the electoral commission that greatly improved the credibility and outcome of several elections across the country.
One of the most significant technological tools is the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
In 2020, the electoral umpire also introduced INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), an online platform designed to promote transparency in the electoral process during the Edo State governorship election.
IReV allows for the easy dissemination of polling unit results, making the electoral process more transparent and accountable to citizens. The portal also provides accessibility for the general public to access and view official election results in real-time. The IReV provides an easy way for citizens to verify the results, increasing the credibility and preventing electoral malpractices in the electoral process.
Under Yakubu, there has been an increased participation of the civil society in real electoral process.
As part of efforts to promote electoral integrity, civil society organisations like Yiaga Africa have been involved in deploying statistics and information technology as part of its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) election observation interventions. The PVT deploys citizen observers to sampled polling units while providing accurate and timely information on the process through the feedback received via coded text messages and analysed via a technological database. Thus, the PVT can also verify the accuracy of election results that will be released by the electoral commission. This methodology has been used in multiple elections in Nigeria, including the 2019 presidential and other off-circle elections.
There are claims in some quarters that Nigerians have lost confidence in INEC. Such assertions may be unsupported by empirical facts.
In recent times, INEC has faced criticisms from various civil society and religious organisations, which raised concerns over what they perceived as growing public disillusionment with the electoral process.
Responding to these criticisms recently, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi argued that the evidence points in a different direction-highlighting robust public engagement in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
‘The notion that Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral process is more of a myth than a reality, as those who proclaim it lack convincing evidence to support it,’ Oyekanmi said.
He hinged his argument on what he described as the high level of participation, particularly among young Nigerians, in the current voter registration drive as a strong indicator of public trust.
‘On the contrary, the high level of participation by Nigerians, especially the youths, in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, which began on August 18 this year with online pre-registration, shows that citizens still have confidence in the process,’ he added.
Despite its pitfalls, Oyekanmi said the 2023 polls marked a major improvement in the country’s electoral system, particularly in terms of diversity.
‘The 2023 general election, more than any other election, demonstrates this fact. The election produced the most diverse National Assembly since the restoration of democracy in 1999,’ he said.
He buttressed this further with statistics, adding that in the Senate, seven political parties secured seats: All Progressives Congress-59, Peoples Democratic Party-36, Labour Party-eight, New Nigeria People’s Party -two, Social Democratic Party-two, All Progressives Grand Alliance-one, and Young Progressives Party-one. In the House of Representatives, eight parties won seats: APC-177, PDP-117, LP-35, NNPP-19, APGA-five, African Democratic Congress-two, SDP-two, and YPP-two.
That pattern, he noted, continued at the state level, with nine parties winning seats in state assemblies. These included APC-533, PDP-355, LP-38, NNPP-29, APGA-20, YPP-eight, SDP-seven, A-one, and ADC-one. In the gubernatorial elections, APC won 16 states, PDP-10, LP-1, and NNPP-1.
The recent bye-elections were proof that ‘Nigerians have kept faith with the electoral process,’ he stated.
What Oyekanmi did not lose sight of was what he described as a contradiction in the behaviour of some INEC critics.
‘Ironically, some of the most ardent critics of INEC are also in the forefront of calling for electoral reform to transfer Local Government elections to the same commission. Surely, they cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road,’ he said.
There has never been perfection in any human enterprise, including INEC.
There are certainly grey areas in the electoral ecosystem and elections management that need to be improved upon, but INEC under Yakubu has recorded remarkable successes in the last 10 years.
Many have suddenly forgotten that it was under him that an INEC returning officer, Prof. Peter Ogban was convicted by a High Court in Akwa Ibom State last year.
Over the years, the job of an INEC chairman has become (as we say in this part of the world) a thankless job. Yakubu is not an exception. He has laid the building blocks for greater credibility in the electoral umpire.