Outgoing Chairman of Nigeria’s Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday bade farewell to his counterparts throughout West Africa, calling for renewed dedication to regional collaboration amongst election administration our bodies.
Yakubu spoke through the extraordinary basic meeting of the ECOWAS Community of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) held in Banjul, Gambia, marking his remaining participation within the discussion board as INEC chairman.
His look got here amid latest speculations that he had been faraway from workplace by President Bola Tinubu — rumours that intensified on Wednesday when Labour Occasion officers met with an appearing chairman, Sam Olumekun, on the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Nevertheless, Yakubu had earlier dismissed the claims by presiding over the Fee’s weekly administration assembly on Tuesday. His Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, clarified that Yakubu was in Gambia attending the ECONEC assembly, and Olumekun solely acted in his absence.
In his handle, Yakubu reminded the meeting of the essential position electoral commissions play in safeguarding democracy throughout the sub-region. He lamented the reversal of democratic positive factors in West Africa, noting that whereas all ECOWAS international locations have been underneath democratic rule in 2017, 4 of them at the moment are being ruled by non-democratic regimes.
“Sadly, that’s not the case,” Yakubu stated. “However I stay hopeful that democracy will quickly return to these nations. We should proceed to work collectively to strengthen our establishments and defend electoral integrity.”
The INEC boss, who as soon as served as President of the ECONEC Steering Committee, additionally paid tribute to former members of the community, acknowledging their efforts in selling credible elections and democratic governance.
Yakubu’s tenure, which started in 2015 and was renewed in 2020, is predicted to conclude later this 12 months.
