Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that all necessary amendments to the Electoral Act will be completed before the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, following the swearing-in of two new National Commissioners by President Bola Tinubu, Yakubu also dismissed widespread rumours of his removal. “I am still here,” he said, reaffirming his role as the Chief Electoral Officer of Nigeria.
Yakubu explained that INEC had conducted a detailed post-election review of the 2023 general elections in collaboration with stakeholders, resulting in 142 reform recommendations. Of these, eight require constitutional or legislative amendments.
“We engaged with stakeholders and came up with 142 recommendations. Eight of these will require changes to the Electoral Act or the Constitution. We’ve already discussed these with members of the National Assembly,” he said.
To push the reforms forward, Yakubu noted that INEC recently held a retreat in Lagos with the joint Senate and House committee on electoral reform. A public hearing will follow, after which a bill will be submitted to the president for assent.
While he stressed that the National Assembly will take the lead in further communicating the reform process, Yakubu expressed confidence in the current pace of work. “So far, so good. We’re satisfied with our discussions and the urgency lawmakers are bringing to the process,” he said.
He also confirmed that with the swearing-in of the new commissioners representing the Southeast and Northwest, INEC now has its full complement of 12 national commissioners, as required by law.