By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday said that the necessary amendments to the Electoral Act will be completed before the 2027 elections.
Yakubu also debunked the insinuation in some quarters that he had been sacked and declared that he remains the country’s chief electoral officer.
The INEC Chairman spoke while fielding questions from State House correspondents after President Bola Tinubu inaugurated two National Commissioners at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
He said the commission, along with relevant stakeholders, reviewed the 2023 general elections and came up with 142 recommendations, adding that eight required electoral amendments.
Yakubu, who said he was at the seat of power for the inauguration of two national Commissioners from the South-east and North West, said that the commission now has the full complement of commissioners as required by law.
He said, “We are here today for the swearing-in of two national commissioners. As you are aware, the commission comprises a chairman and 12 national commissioners drawn based on two commissioners per geopolitical zone.
“So, vacancies existed for the North West and the South East, and the Senate has screened and confirmed the nominees. Today, Mr President performed the swearing-in.
“So, we have almost the full complement of commissioners. As we are also aware, about two weeks ago, we lost one of our commissioners, Maj-Gen Modibbo Alkali (retd), may his soul rest in peace. So, now we have almost the full complement of commissioners.”
The INEC boss said the commission has interfered with the National Assembly on electoral reforms.
Two weeks ago, it had a retreat in Lagos with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral reform.
“Thereafter, the National Assembly is going to organise a public hearing, and it’s after the public hearing that now a new bill will, at the end of the day, be submitted to the President for assent,” he said.
He further stated, “So, we’re working with the National Assembly on electoral reform, but at this point, I’m not going to give you any more details. You will hear from the National Assembly, whose responsibility it is, but we reviewed the 2023 general elections independently.
“We engaged with the stakeholders. We came up with 142 recommendations out of these 142 recommendations, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendment, and we discussed this with members of the National Assembly.
“So far, so good. We are happy with our discussions with them, and we are also happy with the speed with which they want to proceed so that we’ll have some necessary amendments done to the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
•Says, ‘I’m still INEC chairman’
When asked to comment on the controversy surrounding his office and the speculation that he had been sacked, he said that he remained the country’s chief electoral officer.
He said, “I don’t think we need to waste time so much on this unnecessary speculation. As far as the law is concerned, and as far as I’m aware, I remain the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, under the Constitution, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation, and under the Electoral Act, the returning officer for the presidential election.”
The two new INEC Commissioners are Mallam Tukur Abdulrazaq Yusuf, representing the North West, and Prof Sunday Nwambam Aja, from Ebonyi State, representing the South-East.
The President also swore in two Commissioners to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) ‘s board.
Ikpeme Kenneth Ndem (Cross River State) and Justice Buba Ibrahim Nyaure (retd), Taraba State.
