Obasanjo calls for sack of Mahmood Yakubu, other INEC leaders at federal, states, LGs

Mr Obasanjo described the 2023 general election as a “travesty”.

by Bakare Majeed


Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the dismissal of the Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, and officials of the commission at all levels as part of a reform of the electoral process in Nigeria.

Mr Obasanjo made the call in a paper he presented at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum, Yale University, in the United States. The annual lecture honours the late Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe.

He delivered the address, titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria”, in a pre-recorded speech played at the event.

In his speech, Mr Obasanjo described the 2023 general election as a “travesty”, adding that the reform of the electoral system is a key agenda for the country.

The former president also called for shorter tenures for INEC officials and a more rigorous vetting process to prevent the appointment of partisan individuals.

“As a matter of urgency, we must ensure the INEC Chairperson and their staff are thoroughly vetted. The vetting exercise should produce dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal – city, town, and village – levels, with short tenures to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and to re-establish trust in the electoral system by its citizens,” he said.

He argued that “The INEC Chairperson must not only be absolutely above board but must also be transparently independent and incorruptible.”

Mr Obasanjo said the commission willfully failed to utilise two main technological tools at its disposal—the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV)—during the 2023 presidential election, despite the promises made by Mr Yakubu.

“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail. INEC wilfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse,” he said.


INEC’s credibility battle

INEC faced criticism after the last general elections, particularly over the failure of the IReV platform during the presidential election, which INEC blamed on a technical glitch.

The IReV platform was central to post-election litigation, but these cases were dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

PREMIUM TIMES also published a special report showing how Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the election in Rivers State based on IReV reports, while INEC declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the state.

Mr Obasanjo backed Mr Obi during the last presidential election and, during the collation of results, called for the cancellation of some results that did not pass the “credibility and transparency test”. His call for the then-president to halt the collation was widely criticised by many.

INEC has also faced criticism over its conduct during the Edo State off-cycle governorship election.

Concerns have also been raised about the appointment of partisan individuals to leadership roles within INEC.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported instances of partisan individuals being appointed as Resident Electoral Commissioners. In the most recent appointments by Mr Tinubu, four nominees were found to have partisan affiliations, particularly to Mr Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

While Mr Obasanjo made strong arguments for electoral reform, his record in overseeing elections during his presidency is not impeccable.

The 2003 and 2007 elections under his tenure were widely regarded by local and international observers as some of the worst in Nigerian history.

The winner of the 2007 presidential election, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, acknowledged that the election was flawed and initiated electoral reforms, although these were not completed before he died in 2010. His successor, Goodluck Jonathan, continued the reform process.


Mr Yakubu’s tenure

Mr Yakubu was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and was reappointed in 2020 for another five-year tenure. His tenure is expected to expire next year.

PREMIUM TIMES contacted the spokesperson for INEC, Sam Olumekun, to get the commission’s reaction to the call by the former president, but he did not answer his calls or respond to a text message sent to his phone.


Africa is too big to fail—Iheka

In his remarks, the head of the Yale Africa Initiative, Cajetan Iheka, said some of the questions Mr Achebe raised in his book The Trouble with Nigeria are still relevant today.

He argued that intellectuals must go beyond asking questions and begin to provide answers.

“Ours is thus an intellectual exercise but also a socio-political project. As we deliberate, let us heed Achebe’s demand that we take a hard and unsentimental look at the crucial question of leadership and political power. But we must also do so with civility and respect—the kind of civility and respect that Achebe modelled and commanded with his grace and dignity.

“To that end, how do we discuss and tackle leadership in Africa without involving those who have had the privilege of leading and those who aspire to lead? We are thus grateful to their excellencies and other distinguished guests who have travelled to engage with us today,” he added.


Obi, Otti, Ezekwesili in attendance

Aside from Mr Obasanjo, other Nigerians present at the event included Peter Obi, the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, and former Minister Oby Ezekwesili.

Mr Obi participated in two different panel sessions: a discussion on “Leadership and Democracy in Africa” and “Intergenerational Panel: Young People and the Future of Leadership in Africa”.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/755069-obasanjo-calls-for-sack-of-mahmood-yakubu-other-inec-leaders-at-federal-states-lgs.html

OBJ the father of corrûptîóñ in Nigerian democracy, bàstàrdîzed the system, set the tone for reckIess córruptîon and dèfèàtèd every hope of growth for the 16 years he had access to power, the moment he Iost access to power, he started talking about doing the right thing.
"... election is a do or d!e affair for me" the infamous quote by OBJ.

Did he sack Maurice Iwu?

He can come and sack him..

Coming from person wey use Maurice Iwu anyhow for fraudulent elections..

Till date, we’re yet to know what happened to the $16billion meant for electricity project during Obj regime..

Mahmood Yakubu dey learn work for where OBJ inec man maurice iwu dey.

Tinubu will not agree to sack Mahmood Yakubu until he finishes 2027 election riggery.

Sack Mahmood and appoint Maurice Iwu, right? Obasanjo should spare us this holier than thou attitude. It’s simply laughable. Mahmood has greatly improved our electoral system. The number of governorship and senate seats won by the opposition during the last general election says it all. Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu conducted the worst election in Nigeria’s history. He’s in no place to advice anybody about who should be INEC chairman or not.

There can be no true reform on electoral procedures if rogues like Mahmoud remain in INEC. He has to go, to instill confidence in the electoral system.

Cash-and-carry Judges like Kekere-Ekun the CJN is another albatross bedevilling the electoro-judicial system in Nigeria. She is one the reasons why Imo State is now up in flames. She installed an unpopular 419er who came forth in the Imo Guber into Douglas house as Governor. Imo State has known no peace since then.

Total cleansing and purging is needed, else 2027 will just be another charade mired with electoral opacity..

I completely agree with president Obasanjo

OBJ, Maurice Iwu

Baba abeg no make me laugh. Sack who? Do u think that a corrupt man like Tinubu can sack the worst INEC chairman in the history of Nigeria? If he sacks him how do u expect him to win 2027? Even if he's sacked another corrupt person will be appointed by the clueless president so let him continue manipulating election results for material benefits while we wait for posterity to judge him.

People have lost total confidence on Prof Mahmud, people no longer care so much about going to vote because results are prewritten, next thing he will quickly advise complainants to go to court instead of doing internal checks, it's about the future of the country and not about the party we belong even though the system favours APC more, but look at what other parties are doing with local government elections

The evil Mahmoud has done is enough

Dalohad:
There can be no true reform on electoral procedures if rogues like Mahmoud remain in INEC. He has to go to instill confidence in the electoral system.

Cash and carry Judges like Kekere-Ekun the CJN is another albatross bedevilling the electoro-judicial system in Nigeria.

Total cleansing and purging is needed, else 2027 will just be another charade enhanced by electoral opacity..

go n read about obj n Maurice iwu before u come n display your madness here

Prof Humphrey Nwosu (RIP) remains the bravest electoral chairman in Nigeria’s modern history

Good bless u sir.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal – city, town, and village – levels, with short tenures to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and to re-establish trust in the electoral system by its citizens

Such an impossible demands.

It will be a very vigorous fight to change the system of things in this country.

Only God knows when such a Character will ever emerge to rescue Nigeria.

Sharpsharp00123:
go n read about obj n Maurice iwu before u come n display your madness here

🤣 THANK YOU!!!

“The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible then treat possibilities as probabilities.” -Charles Dickens

Do we have short memory in this country?

No be this same obasanjo carry out the worst rigging in the history of west Africa

SyrusdeHansome:
Baba abeg no make me laugh. Sack who? Do u think that a corrupt man like Tinubu can sack the worst INEC chairman in the history of Nigeria? If he sacks him how do u expect him to win 2027? Even if he's sacked another corrupt person will be appointed by the clueless president so let him continue manipulating election results for material benefits while we wait for posterity to judge him.

hope u knew Maurice iwu announced election results when people were still voting on d field

Go n ask your father about Maurice iwu n obj before u talk n u will change those words

People were waiting for election materials in some states n Maurice iwu don announce winner

U these kids self, it's like many of u just started following election in 2023 cos it seems u know nothing about the past elections

Omoawoke:
Do we have short memory in this country?

No be this same obasanjo carry out the worst rigging in the history of west Africa

One which even the late Yar'adua publicly attested to!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Maurice Iwu's godfather is talking.

Matrice iwu. The Obasanjo administration conducted the worst general election in Nigerian history. Even Late Yarudua attests that the election that resulted in his presidency was marred by corruption, falsification of figures, Ballot box snatching and open day ballot paper thumbprinting

Yet, Marrice. Iwu was not fired... Obasanjo will be remembered for conducting three of the most corrupt general elections in the history of the country. The first occurred in 1978. The second election was held in 1983, followed by the third in 2007. These three elections were the worst in Nigerian history during Obasanjo's tenure.

Omoawoke:
Do we have short memory in this country?

No be this same obasanjo carry out the worst rigging in the history of west Africa

many of those fools hailing obj now are indomie generation who knew nothing about previous elections

I am sure if their Peter obi contested election when obj was still active in d game they won't love him one bit

Fayose made it clear that they wrote election results on obj bed n that's y fayose is always telling obj to keep quiet when he's trying to form Saint

Imagine Maurice iwu declared election results in many states when those people haven't even gotten election materials

Even yaradua made it clear the election that brought him in was flawed cos obj just called him that he's d next president

These fools don't even know anything about d same obj they are hailing today, the same obj that removed any governor undemocratically when he doesn't dance to his tune

They will call him ipob soon

Shameless and useless man that used Maurice Iwu to rig elections and even wanted to elongate his tenure in office. Old cargo.

Same thing sane minds have been saying that APC and their election rigging miscreants kept insulting people over

Obasanjo was given a second chance as civilian president but messed up big time.

Ebubu8:


Did he sack Maurice Iwu?

you get correct sense!

dre11:
Obasanjo calls for sack of Mahmood Yakubu, other INEC leaders at federal, states, LGs

Mr Obasanjo described the 2023 general election as a “travesty”.



https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/755069-obasanjo-calls-for-sack-of-mahmood-yakubu-other-inec-leaders-at-federal-states-lgs.html

Delusional
Says someone that organized the worst election in the history of Nigeria democracy
Argue with yaradua
My people were still voting in my village when this baba mandated INEC to announce yaradua

E NOR POSSIBLE.
KO SE SE.

KO LE WORK

YAKS will RETIRE after 2027