By Muhammad Mamman
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has announced that the commission has fully implemented all administrative recommendations directed at it following the 2023 general elections.
Speaking in Abuja during a high-level meeting with the post-election follow-up and needs assessment delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), Prof Yakubu confirmed that INEC had acted on all 13 recommendations specifically addressed to the commission by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM).
The ECONEC team was led by Mrs Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission. The delegation was in Nigeria to evaluate the level of progress made in implementing reforms proposed in the aftermath of the 2023 polls.
“Of the 13 recommendations addressed to INEC, we have taken administrative action on all of them,” Prof Yakubu stated. “For those requiring legislative intervention, we await the outcome of the ongoing legal review by the National Assembly.”
He further noted that the remaining 24 recommendations from ECOWAS were directed at other institutions, including the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force, political parties, and key regulatory and media bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), civil society organisations, and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Yakubu highlighted that most of ECOWAS’s recommendations align with INEC’s internal review, which culminated in 142 proposals for electoral reform—developed through extensive consultation with national stakeholders.
“These are all available on our official website, along with the commission’s full 2023 general election report,” he added.
He also praised ECOWAS for its sustained partnership with ECONEC in deploying follow-up and technical assessment missions across member states, describing the initiative as “crucial to strengthening electoral democracy in the region.”
“This is part of a peer-review mechanism. In April, I participated in a similar mission to The Gambia, and today we are honoured to host our colleagues from Liberia and Ghana. This kind of engagement helps raise electoral standards across West Africa,” Yakubu said.
Peer Learning, Cross-Border Support Praised
In her remarks, Mrs Browne-Lansanah underscored the purpose of the visit as a peer-to-peer learning exchange designed to track how INEC has addressed both challenges and recommendations arising from the 2023 electoral cycle.
“We see this as a learning opportunity—not only for Nigeria but for all ECONEC member states,” she said. “The difficulties faced by one electoral commission are often shared by others across the region. Being able to discuss them openly helps us improve our systems collectively.”
She expressed deep appreciation to INEC for its technical and material support to Liberia’s electoral body, revealing that the Nigerian commission was instrumental in helping her agency establish its first dedicated ICT centre.
“Your assistance came at a time of need. Thanks to INEC and ECONEC, we now have a functional ICT room in Liberia,” she said.
Also in attendance were Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, and Mr Serigne Ka, Acting Permanent Secretary of ECONEC. International partners including the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), International IDEA, and the German Development Agency (GIZ) were also part of the mission.
