OBASANJO calls for leadership change at INEC, proposes shorter tenures

Monday, November 18, 2024 -Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has advocated for the appointments of new and credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with short tenure to prevent corruption and re-establish trust.

Obasanjo made this call during the Chinua Achebe leadership forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Speaking on ‘Leadership failure and state capture in Nigeria,’ Obasanjo described the 2023 general elections as a travesty.

The former military head of state said reforming the electoral system was a key issue for the country, adding that INEC officials need thorough vetting to prevent partisan appointments.

He called for urgent thorough vetting of the INEC chairperson and the entire staff, saying that the vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal—city, town, and village levels—with short tenures—to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption and re-establish trust in the electoral systems by its citizens.

“The INEC chairperson must not only be absolutely above board, but he must also be transparently independent and incorruptible,” Obasanjo said.

According to him, Nigeria must prevent electoral interference at every level, protecting elections from foreign and local malevolent actors to safeguard democratic integrity.

He further stated that there should be an implementation of clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns to ensure transparency and accountability.

According to him, INEC intentionally failed to utilise the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and election viewing portal (IReV) technologies during the 2023 presidential election.

“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes,” he said.