The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the National Assembly to fast-track amendments to Nigeria’s electoral legal framework in preparation for the next general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja while hosting Barry Andrews, Head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-Up Mission to Nigeria.
Yakubu stressed that an early passage of the legislation is critical to the commission’s planning, warning that “uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as election draws nearer.”
The INEC boss revealed that the commission had reviewed the eight recommendations specifically addressed to it in the EU mission’s report on the 2023 polls. He explained that administrative actions had already been taken where possible, while other recommendations requiring collaboration with stakeholders or legislative intervention were still in progress.
Recalling the 2019 polls, Yakubu noted that the EU made 30 recommendations, 11 of which were directed at INEC, with three classified as priorities. The remaining 15, he added, required the involvement of other state institutions, political parties, and the judiciary.
In response, Andrews said the EU team was in Nigeria to assess how far INEC had implemented its 2023 recommendations, particularly in areas of constitutional and electoral reform. He commended the progress made so far but noted that time constraints around judicial and administrative reforms remain a concern.
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