The Chairman, Board of The Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdulahi Zuru, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will leverage on the lessons learnt in the 2023 general election to ensure that the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi are conducted in full compliance with the electoral legal framework.
Zuru gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja at the institute’s annual Professor Abubakar Momoh Memorial Lecture with the theme: “The 2023 General Election: Lessons Learnt in Preparation for Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States Off-cycle Governorship Elections”
He said the lecture series which commenced in 2018, normally focuses on very significant electoral happenings or upcoming events since the last memorial lecture.
Zuru stated: “Let me also, on behalf of the Commission, assure you all that INEC will leverage on the lessons learnt in the 2023 General Election to ensure that the Governorship Elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi are conducted in full compliance with the Electoral Legal Framework and in a free, fair, credible, inclusive and verifiable manner.”
Also, the Director General of TEI, Dr. Sa’ad Idris also called on the electoral body to use the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States governorship elections to fine-tune its policies, processes and procedure towards achieving a more credible, transparent and acceptable electoral outcome.
He said It was therefore imperative to draw insight from it, taking a critical look at what went well, what needs to improve, as well as avoid some pitfalls of the 2023 general election, going forward.
The director-general noted that the successful conduct of the 2023 general election provided a pedestal upon which the Commission prepares for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in the three states mentioned above.
His words: “Despite all the effort made by the Commission to ensure a seamless and credible 2023 General Election, it has its challenges, aside from the successes.
“Consequently, the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States Governorship Elections are yet another opportunity for the Commission to fine-tune its policies, processes and procedure towards achieving a more credible, transparent and acceptable electoral outcome, aimed at strengthening and deepening our democratic culture.”
The keynote Speaker and a member of Governing Councill of TEI, Prof. Adele Jinadu, said Nigeria’s 2023 general election held out the promise of what might be characterised as a critical set of federal and state elections in the political and electoral history of the country.
He added that the promise flowed from the prospects of new political groupings and political realignments, and an exponential increase in the country’s youthful voting population, brought about, particularly by the rise of the Obidient Movement, the smouldering embers from the EndSars Protest.
Jinadu stressed that the promise galvanised national and international interest in the 2023 elections in offering an alternative choice to the Nigerian electorate for an alternation in power, beyond that offered between the APC and PDP.
He stated: “Unfortunately, the promise faded and disappeared in the twilight of and in the two days following the presidential and national assembly elections on February 2023, when it became clear that there might be no alternation of power after all.
“The shock and disappointment were palpable, especially among national and international stakeholders who had expected the elections to turn out to be a critical election. The result of the disappointment, I conjecture, was their attribution of the development to the mismanagement of the elections by INEC.”
Jinadu noted that this explained their vicious attack, both within and outside the country, on the electoral body and their consequent attempt to delegitimise it and the results of the presidential elections