Partners for Electoral Reform, a civil society organisation (CSO), has raised concerns regarding the recent call for the removal of Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Olisa Agbakoba, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), had urged President Bola Tinubu to dissolve INEC and dismiss Yakubu, citing the logistical challenges faced during the 2023 elections, which Agbakoba deemed the worst in Nigeria's history.
During a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, June 22, 2023, Ezenwa Nwagwu, convener of the CSO, argued that the positive aspects of the 2023 elections outweighed the negative outcomes. Nwagwu highlighted certain factors that contributed to the logistical setbacks, such as the naira redesign policy of the naira, which caused cash shortages for both citizens and institutions.
This policy decision by the central bank had a detrimental impact on the election's logistics, particularly for INEC, as their operations relied on vendor relationships. Furthermore, Nwagwu mentioned the issue of fuel scarcity that occurred during the election period, further complicating the circumstances.
Nwagwu acknowledged that INEC has historically faced challenges in efficiently managing logistics, particularly when combined with the currency swap, as Nigeria also dealt with issues of insecurity and banditry in various regions of the country.
While INEC appears to be receiving the brunt of the criticism, Nwagwu emphasized that the political class should not be exempted from accountability for their involvement in electoral violence and voter apathy witnessed during the elections.
"It is not to say that there were no issues. An election is not a church service; it is a competitive enterprise. We must hold the real culprits accountable for the challenges encountered during the election," Nwagwu stated.
He further clarified that INEC does not cause voter suppression or perpetrate violence during elections. Instead, Nwagwu attributed such actions to politicians collaborating with disgruntled INEC officials. He expressed concern that the focus of discussions surrounding the 2023 elections has primarily centered on INEC while neglecting the roles of security agents, political parties, and their candidates in contributing to flawed electoral processes.