Electoral reforms coming before 2027 polls, says INEC chairman

Electoral reforms coming before 2027 polls, says INEC chairman

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said that all necessary amendments to the Electoral Act will be completed before the 2027 elections.

He stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Monday.

He also debunked the insinuation in some quarters that he has been sacked, insisting that he still remains the Chief Electoral Officer for the country.

The INEC Chairman spoke while answering questions from newsmen after he joined other guests to witness the inauguration of two National Commissioners by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the umpire, the commission, alongside relevant stakeholders, has reviewed the 2023 general elections and came up with 142 recommendations, adding that out of the number, eight require electoral amendment.

Professor Yakubu, who said that he was at the State House for the inauguration of two national Commissioners from Southeast and North West, said that the commission now has a full complement of the commissioners as required by law.

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On electoral reforms, the INEC boss said that the commission has been interfacing with the National Assembly, adding that two weeks ago, it had a retreat in Lagos with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral reform.

“Thereafter, the National Assembly is going to organize a public hearing, and it’s after the public hearing that now a new bill will, at the end of the day, be submitted to the President for assent,” he said.

“So, we’re working with the National Assembly on electoral reform, but at this point, I’m not going to give you any more details. You will hear from the National Assembly whose responsibility it is, but we reviewed the 2023 general elections on our own.

“We engaged with the stakeholders. We came up with 142 recommendations out of this 142 recommendations, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendment, and we discussed this with members of the National Assembly.

“So far so good, we are happy with our discussions with them, and we are also happy with the speed with which they want to proceed so that we’ll have some necessary amendments done to the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

Electoral reforms coming before 2027 polls, says INEC chairman