A former governorship aspirant in Delta State, Fidelis Oditah, has expressed disappointment over the departure of Prof Mahmoud Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without providing explanations for the technical issues that hindered the transmission of election results during the 2023 presidential election.
In an interview on Arise Television, Oditah stated that it is regrettable that Yakubu was allowed to leave without disclosing the nature of the glitches that affected the election results transmission. This comes 48 hours after Prof Yakubu handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu as the Acting National Chairman of the Commission.
Oditah noted that Yakubu had previously attributed the problems to unspecified glitches, but failed to provide further details before his departure. This lack of transparency has raised concerns about accountability and the integrity of the electoral process.
The 2023 presidential election was marked by controversy over the use of technology to transmit election results, with some candidates and parties alleging irregularities and discrepancies. The inability to transmit results electronically as planned had sparked concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.
As the new leadership of INEC takes over, there are expectations that the Commission will address the technical and logistical challenges that arose during the last election. The handover of power to Agbamuche-Mbu marks a new chapter for the electoral body, and it remains to be seen how the new leadership will tackle the pending issues and work towards restoring public trust in the electoral process.
The development has sparked interest in the electoral community, with many awaiting the new leadership’s plans to address the outstanding issues and ensure the smooth conduct of future elections. As Nigeria continues to navigate its democratic journey, the need for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the electoral process remains a pressing concern.
