Former Delta State governorship aspirant Fidelis Oditah expressed disappointment over the departure of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without any explanation for the technical issues that hampered the transmission of election results during the 2023 presidential election. In an interview on Arise Television, Oditah said it was regrettable that Yakubu was allowed to leave without disclosing the nature of the glitches that affected result 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. The 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 results, with some candidates and parties alleging irregularities and discrepancies. The inability to transmit results electronically as planned sparked doubts about the credibility of the election.
As the new leadership of INEC takes over, expectations are high that the Commission will address the technical and logistical challenges that arose during the last election. The handover to Agbamuche‑Mbu marks a new chapter for the electoral body, and it remains to be seen how the new leadership will tackle pending issues and work towards restoring public trust. The development has attracted interest within the electoral community, with many awaiting the new leadership’s plans to resolve outstanding problems and ensure the smooth conduct of future elections. As Nigeria continues its democratic journey, transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the electoral process remain pressing concerns.
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