Yakubu Wants INEC Unbundled before 2023 Elections

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday called for the unbundling of the commission before the conduct of the 2023 elections.

Yakubu said yesterday in Abuja at the public hearing on the Electoral Offences Commission Bill that INEC, as presently constituted, was overburdened with electoral duties.

He added that the commission had secured 60 convictions out of those being prosecuted for 125 electoral offences.

Yakubu expressed disappointment over the delay in the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, saying barely a year and nine months to the 2023 general election, the National Assembly is yet to pass the bill.

He said 2023 general election would hold on February 18, 2023, and the commission was anxious to know the legal framework to govern the conduct of the polls.

He said the timetable for the election would be released immediately after the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 6, 2021.

He said: ”In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the 2023 general election. The public hearing on the bill was being done 13 years after the recommendation of the Uwais Committee in 2008. And beyond that, there had also been so many reports basically calling for action on electoral offenders.

“No doubt, INEC is saddled with so many responsibilities ranging from the registration and regulation of political parties, registration of voters, delineation of constituencies, conduct of elections/by-elections/referendum/recall and prosecution of electoral offences, among others.

“We look forward to the day when highly placed sponsors of thuggery, including chieftains of political parties and candidates, will be prosecuted.

“The tasks are herculean. At last, we are here today for public input into the Bill for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission, 13 years after the recommendations of the Uwais Committee (2008), echoed by the Lemu Committee (2011) and, most recently, the Nnamani Committee (2017).”

If the bill is passed by the National Assembly and eventually assented into law by the president, the activities of the commission will be unbundled.
According to him, the commission has achieved 60 convictions out of the 124 cases being prosecuted, adding that INEC will like to see more prosecution of election offenders and their sponsors.

Yakubu said: “By the principle established by the commission, 2023 general election will hold on Saturday, 18 February 2023, which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today. We hope to release the timetable and schedule of activities for the general election immediately after the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold on November 6, 2021.

“In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the election. We are confident that the National Assembly will do the needful in earnest.”

On the activities of the commission, he said: “Of the numerous responsibilities carried out by the commission, the prosecution of electoral offenders has been one of the most challenging.”

He said INEC was excited by yesterday’s public hearing.

He added: “I would like to reiterate our appeal to the National Assembly for the expeditious passage of the Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021 and the pending review of the electoral legal framework generally.
“We are confident that the National Assembly will conclude work on the legal framework in earnest. The commission is anxious to know the legal framework to govern the conduct of the 2023 general election.”

Yakubu said the commission would submit a detailed clause-by-clause comment on the bill to the Senate Committee on INEC ahead of the commencement of the committee’s technical work.

He also urged the National Assembly to avail itself of some of the works of the Uwais Committee and others during its consideration of the bill.

He said: “There are recommendations along the lines of the Uwais Committee from the reports of the police investigation, INEC administrative enquiries, court judgements, reports by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and reports by several accredited election observers.”

Earlier in his keynote address, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya, had said that the bill provided for the commission to investigate and prosecute electoral offenders on the powers of the Attorney-General, adopt measures to prevent, minimise and eradicate electoral offences.

He said: ”There have been a lot of controversies in the news lately, that some of the recommendations submitted to the joint committee of the National Assembly on INEC and Electoral Matters have not been considered. Let me clarify here that every memorandum on the Electoral Bill 2021 has gone through a joint technical committee and the representative to draw a conclusion to the process and seek the president’s assent within this quarter.

”The Senate Committee on INEC and the leadership of the National Assembly sincerely appreciate your continued positive participation in improving our laws and your support in lending your hands to building democratic institutions required for the sustenance of our developing democracy.”