INEC: Osun, Ekiti polls give us confidence that 2023 elections will be successful

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the conduct of the Osun and Ekiti polls gives it confidence that the 2023 elections will be successful.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said this on Wednesday at a retreat on the Ekiti and Osun polls to share lessons for the coming general election.

Yakubu said in both the Ekiti and Osun polls, the commission was prompted to be proactive in the implementation of pre-election activities such as training, printing of the voters’ register, preparation of the Registration Area Centres (RACs), and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

He added the opening of polling units and the commencement of polls was impressive.

“However, while the commission draws vital lessons from the conduct of the most recent off-cycle elections, managing the forthcoming general election is huge. The voter population, number of polling units, election personnel, security considerations, logistics and so on are enormous,” he said.

“Conducting a general election will be an entirely different experience but the principles remain the same. Afterall, following the successful conduct of the Ekiti governorship, some people wondered if the same can be repeated in Osun because of its much bigger size and population. As it turned out, Osun was an improvement on Ekiti. This gives us confidence that working on the same principles, the general election will also be successfully delivered.”

Yakubu said though elections in Nigeria have become more complex over the years, the introduction of technology has made the electoral process more transparent.

“The truth is that in last one decade or so, the conduct of elections in particular and the management of the electoral process in general have become more complex. Voting populations have become larger and more diverse in terms of their voting needs and expectations,” he said.

“Electoral Commissions are subjected to greater public scrutiny and under increasing pressure to adequately respond to the diversity and complexity of the needs of various electoral stakeholders to ensure seamless voter registration processes, expand voter access to polling units, and address issues of inclusivity for marginalised groups.

“Over the last two electoral cycles (2011-2015 and 2015-2019), the commission made concerted efforts to respond to these diverse and complex needs. Significant improvements have been recorded in the conduct of elections. Overall, elections have become better organised and more transparent.”