FG Embarrassed Over Inconclusive Elections,Plans To Restructure INEC

The Federal Government of Nigeria has considered giving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) an overhaul as a result of the recent inconclusive elections  and controversial decisions made by the electoral commission during the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.


According to the Federal government, the elections conducted under the leadership of the newly installed Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu had been far from convincing and needs to be refurbished.

The Presidency also voiced its embarrassment over the inconclusive elections in both states and considers them as "very bad testimonies for INEC" under its new leadership. Though the All Progressive Congress (APC) eventually won the Kogi state governorship election, the aftermath has led to court actions and disputes among Party candidates. The Bayelsa state governorship election is yet to be concluded until January 9 (the date scheduled by INEC).

According to a report by New Telegraph, President Muhammadu Buhari considers recalling some erstwhile Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who performed well while in service in their respective states to fill the noticeable gaps in the election management body.

 The plan of the Presidency is to promote these former RECs to the position of National Commissioners where they could use their vast and reliable experience to bear in the conduct of upcoming elections. It is believed that INEC lost a lot of valuable manpower after the former Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega quit and 16 RECs left the comission in June at the expiration of their tenures.

The appointment of a new INEC chairman and four National Commissioners has not performed up to desired expectations and investigations on the two elections showed that INEC suffered from lack of capacity as a number of those at the helm of affairs had little or no field experience in the system.

The Deputy Director,Public Affairs at INEC headquarters, Mr. Nick Dazang has however dismissed the alleged plans by the Presidency  to overhaul the electoral commission and claimed the reports are false.

Dazang also claimed to have crosschecked the information at the Presidency level stating there was no such plan by the Presidency at present.

He blamed the reported plans to overhaul INEC on some individuals and groups who want to create confusion due to their interest in having the commission restructured.

"There are many people who have so many interests and they would always find a way of pushing their interests through the media" He said.