INEC Takes Action: Major Changes Ahead As Stakeholder Feedback Shapes New Electoral Plans

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the commencement of actions based on the recommendations made by stakeholders following the 2023 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, revealed this development during the inaugural visit of the new European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

Yakubu stated that INEC has started revising its planning frameworks, including the Strategic Plan and the Election Project Plan, to prepare for future elections.

He mentioned that since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, INEC has received feedback from 206 national and international election observer groups.

The chairman pointed out that stakeholders, including the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), made a total of 23 recommendations, with eight of these specifically requiring INEC’s action.

Yakubu further emphasized that 15 of the recommendations need to be addressed by the executive, judiciary, legislature, and other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, the media, faith-based groups, and political parties.

“The eight specific recommendations for INEC involve the dissemination of the commission’s regulations and guidelines for elections, training of election staff, and the deployment of electoral technology,” Yakubu noted.

He added that other areas of focus include the result management process, continuous voter registration, cleaning the voter register, the inclusion of marginalized groups in the electoral process, and voting by internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The INEC chairman also highlighted that the commission conducted a thorough internal and external review of the 2023 elections, which involved its officials and stakeholders. The review led to the creation of a 524-page main report and a 74-page review report containing 142 recommendations. Both reports have already been published on the INEC website.