President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in two newly appointed commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, dismissed widespread speculation that he had been removed from office.
Speaking with State House correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yakubu affirmed his position and clarified that no such action had been taken by the President.
“I don’t think we need to waste time on unnecessary speculation. As far as the law is concerned, and to the best of my knowledge, I remain the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the federation under the Constitution, and the Returning Officer for the presidential election under the Electoral Act,” Yakubu said.
The INEC chairman also revealed that the Commission had forwarded 142 recommendations to the National Assembly as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral process following its internal review of the 2023 general elections.
“We reviewed the 2023 general elections on our own. We engaged with stakeholders and came up with 142 recommendations. Out of these, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendments, and we have already discussed them with members of the National Assembly,” he said.
READ ALSO: [Rivers Crisis:] Fubara Visited Me With Two Govs – Wike
Yakubu expressed satisfaction with the lawmakers’ response and pace of action.
“So far, so good. We are happy with our discussions with them and the speed at which they want to proceed to ensure necessary amendments are made ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
He added that INEC’s collaboration with the National Assembly was progressing steadily.
“Two weeks ago, we held a retreat in Lagos with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral reform. Thereafter, the National Assembly will conduct a public hearing, after which a new bill will be introduced,” he explained.
The submission of recommendations and continued legislative engagement, Yakubu said, are part of the Commission’s commitment to ensuring more credible and transparent elections in the future.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply