The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has provided an update on the implementation of recommendations made by the European Union (EU) after the 2023 general election. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, spoke at a meeting with the EU Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria in Abuja, where he outlined the progress made on the EU’s suggestions.
The EU Election Observation Follow-up Mission, led by Mr. Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament, and accompanied by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Gautier Mignot, and other experts, aimed to assess the implementation of the EU’s recommendations midway between the last and the forthcoming general election. In 2019, the EU made 30 recommendations, with 11 specifically addressed to INEC. Of these, three were identified as priority and eight as general.
In 2023, the EU made 23 recommendations, with eight requiring action from INEC, including one priority recommendation. The remaining 15 recommendations, with five categorized as priority, require action from other entities, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and civil society organizations. Yakubu noted that INEC has taken administrative action on some recommendations and is working with other stakeholders to implement cross-cutting recommendations.
The INEC Chairman emphasized that the commission has prepared a detailed response to each of the EU’s direct observations and has shared this with the EU team. He also highlighted that the EU’s recommendations, along with those from other national and international election observers, were considered during INEC’s review of the 2023 General Election. This review resulted in 142 recommendations for electoral reform, which are available on INEC’s website.
Yakubu appealed to the National Assembly for expedited consideration of the electoral reform proposal, stressing that an early passage of the law is crucial for INEC’s planning for future elections. He assured the EU that INEC will continue to engage with international election observation missions and will soon invite the EU, Commonwealth, African Union, and ECOWAS to observe the 2027 General Election. The implementation of the EU’s recommendations is expected to improve the quality of Nigeria’s elections and electoral activities.
