INEC Takes Action on 2023 Election Recommendations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it has begun to implement certain recommendations put forth by stakeholders following the 2023 general elections.

During the first visit of the new European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, to the commission on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this announcement.

He mentioned that INEC has already started reviewing its planning instruments, such as the Strategic Plan and the Election Project Plan, for upcoming elections.

Yakubu indicated that since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, the commission has received feedback from many of the 206 national and international groups and organizations accredited to observe the elections.

He pointed out that stakeholders, including the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), had provided a total of 23 recommendations, with eight needing action from the commission.

According to Yakubu, 15 of the recommendations also called for action from the executive branch, judiciary, legislature, and other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, the media, faith-based groups, and political parties.

“The eight specific recommendations for INEC involve enhancing the dissemination of the commission’s regulations and guidelines for elections, training personnel involved in election duties, and implementing electoral technology.

“Other focus areas include the management of election results, ongoing voter registration, improving the voters’ register, ensuring the participation of marginalized groups in the electoral process, and facilitating voting for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

“In our effort, the commission conducted a comprehensive internal and external evaluation of the 2023 general elections, incorporating input from our officials and stakeholders across various sectors.

“We have produced a 524-page main report and a 74-page review report, detailing 142 recommendations. Both of these reports have been uploaded to our official website,” he stated.

The INEC chairman also mentioned that the commission has started to implement elements of the recommendations that require only administrative action. For example, during some recent off-cycle, re-run, and bye-elections since the general elections, there has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of training for ad hoc staff, along with the deployment of additional BVAS machines for these processes,” he explained.

Yakubu further emphasized the significant advancements in the effectiveness of BVAS machines for voter accreditation, which now utilizes fingerprint or facial recognition technology.

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