Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has pledged to address Nigerians’ grievances over the management of election results in 2023.
While acknowledging that the collation and returning officers performed under extraordinarily challenging circumstances during the elections, Yakubu told Nigerians that the commission will identify areas of strength and weakness and implement reforms where necessary.
The INEC chairman made the remarks yesterday during the commission’s post-poll review meeting with collation and returning officers who participated in the general election of 2023.
Today, we’re having a meeting with the Collation Officers, who are yet another important set of election authorities, he added. Today’s event is attended by the 37 State Collation Officers for the Presidential Election (SCOPEs).
Several of you also served as returning officers for the 28 governorship elections. For the parliamentary elections, we invited the senatorial district collation officers—who also served as the returning officers for senatorial elections—from each of the six geographical zones of the country.
The invited collation and returning officers include 1,462 federal and state constituencies, comprising 360 federal, 993 state house assembly seats, and 109 senatorial districts.
We focused on the senatorial districts since they are bigger and dominate the other constituencies.
The Commission is aware that, as collation and returning officers, you worked very hard to advance the processes as collation officers or to finish them as returning officers by meticulously and physically filling out specific forms as required by law.
Since many of you have worked in comparable positions for at least three election cycles, you have experience managing outcomes. The Commission appreciates your dedication, selflessness, and dedication to preserving our democracy.
“At the same time, several Nigerians have expressed concerns about outcome management at various levels. We may still have a broad conversation about the subjects, and more importantly, share our experiences on how to proceed, even if some of the themes are the subject of active legal battles and are so sub judice. The Commission thus believes that at this meeting, we will identify our advantages and disadvantages as well as the crucial adjustments we must make going forward.
“More specifically, and based on your actual experience in the General Election of 2023, we would like to hear your perspectives on the processes and procedures related to the recruitment, training, and posting of Collation and Returning Officers; travel arrangements for getting to and from your places of assignment; and the role of technology in result management, among others.”
When the evaluation efforts are complete, according to Yakubu, a full report will be produced in line with the Commission’s policy.