The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to extend their scrutiny to political parties and state electoral commissions to deepen democracy and enhance the conduct of elections.
Speaking during a visit by a coalition of CSOs to INEC’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Prof. Yakubu commended the civil society community for their contributions to improving the democratic process but emphasized that more needs to be done.
“No matter what INEC does, if other actors are not ready to play by the rules, we’ll continue to face challenges,” he said.
Prof. Yakubu highlighted the importance of credible party primaries, stating that flawed primaries have a direct negative impact on the entire electoral process.
He also expressed concern over the conduct of local government elections by state electoral commissions, saying, “We don’t hear anything from the civil society when elections are conducted at the local government level and all the candidates of the ruling party are declared winners.”
The Team Leader of the Civil Society Situation Room, Yinusa Z Ya’u, said his group shares a common interest with INEC in consolidating democracy and conducting peaceful elections.
The INEC Chairman was joined by National Commissioners and senior management members to receive the delegation.
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