Obasanjo Demands Removal of INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu and Other Officials Amid Calls for Electoral Reform…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the dismissal of Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other commission officials at all levels, as part of a broader effort to reform Nigeria’s electoral system.
Obasanjo made the remarks during a presentation at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, where he delivered a pre-recorded address titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria.” The event, which honors the late Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, featured a discussion on leadership and governance in Africa.
In his speech, Obasanjo described the 2023 general elections as a “travesty” and emphasized the need for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s electoral process. He called for a thorough vetting of INEC leadership to ensure the appointment of impartial and credible individuals. He also advocated for shorter tenures for INEC officials to prevent political interference and corruption.
“We must ensure that the INEC Chairperson and their staff are thoroughly vetted,” Obasanjo said. “The selection process should prioritize dispassionate, non-partisan individuals with unblemished reputations. Furthermore, the appointment of new, credible leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal levels is crucial to restoring public trust in the electoral system.”
Obasanjo stressed that the INEC Chairman must not only be above reproach but also demonstrably independent and incorruptible. He also criticized INEC for failing to utilize critical technological tools like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which had been touted as innovations to ensure election integrity.
“These tools were promoted as solutions to election rigging and transparency issues,” Obasanjo pointed out. “However, INEC willfully failed to use them, result
