By Ismail Omipidan, Romanus Ugwu, Ndubuisi Orji, Idu Jude, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it would train high profile members of the Benin Republic Electorale Nationale Autonomie (CENA) on how to conduct successful elections has sparked off another round of controversy among Nigerians, with some saying there was nothing positive to learn from Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
Others, however, believe that the fact that INEC may not have done creditably well in Nigeria was not enough reason to write it off, insisting that the electoral umpire has what it takes to do well abroad.
INEC’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, received a 12-member delegation, comprising National Commissioners, Directors and critical staff in Abuja, yesterday.
He revealed that their mission is to understudy INEC’s processes and procedures for conducting elections ahead of its three crucial polls, comprising Legislative and Local Elections in January 2026, and the Presidential election in April 2026.
He noted that the delegation is particularly interested in the legal framework for elections in Nigeria, the design and printing of election materials and forms, the recruitment and training of poll officials, election budgeting and mode of payment to different service providers, security during elections, the use of technology, the accreditation of local and international observers.
Yakubu said: “Early last month, we received a letter from CENA indicating its interest to undertake a study visit to INEC Nigeria as they prepare for what they described as their most complex election in 2026. For the first time in its history, CENA will be conducting three elections within a period of three months.
“Legislative and Local Elections will be held in January 2026, to be followed by the Presidential election in April 2026. For this reason, the President of the Commission is leading a 12-member delegation, comprising National Commissioners, Directors and critical staff to understudy our processes and procedures.
“In particular, CENA is interested in the legal framework for elections in Nigeria, the design and printing of election materials and forms, the recruitment and training of poll officials, election budgeting and mode of payment to different service providers, security during elections, the use of technology, the accreditation of local and international observers, engagement with electoral stakeholders and other aspects of Nigeria’s electoral experience.
“In response, the commission has drawn up an elaborate programme for the visit covering all aspects of the electoral process. Various Departments within the Commission are scheduled to brief the visitors.
“Peer learning and support will help to strengthen processes. I want to assure CENA that we will fully share our experience with you and make available relevant documents that will enrich your understanding of our processes,” he stated.
Coming barely a week after some Nigerians tackled Yakubu over his claim that INEC taught its Ghana counterpart how to conduct credible elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the commission, as presently constituted, cannot teach any country how to conduct credible elections.
Reacting through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the opposition party noted that INEC is allegedly the worst electoral body in the world, adding that INEC has consistently failed to conduct credible elections in the country.
He also admonished Benin and other countries that may want to come to seek support from INEC to run “for their lives” as there was nothing good to learn from INEC.
“How can you provide inspiration to people, when you have not been able to inspire yourself? It is clear that INEC in Nigeria is the worst electoral umpire in the world, and human civilisation.
“It has not been able to put out a successful attempt to conduct effective electoral processes. This has been indicated in 2019, 2023. And it is not looking any good. Not just the general elections, including the off-season elections. So, it has not been able to put its own house together to conduct elections credibly for Nigeria. There is no way it can go and provide technical services to other countries.”
In the same vein, former member of House of Representatives and 2023 Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, observed that in as much as INEC has the capacity and equipment to train staff on the good conduct of elections, it also has failed to justify it with poor willpower to carry out elections that reflect people’s mandates in Nigeria.
“There are individuals in INEC who cannot just do the right thing, even when the integrity of the body is at stake. The INEC wilfully violated its guidelines severely, especially when it said it would transmit the 2023 election results electronically. Now the question is, do you remove the outcome of several elections you conducted out of your professional conduct? Have electoral offenders ever been punished after being found guilty? So, INEC can have all technical collaborations with people or countries, but has that reflected in what they do in Nigeria?” Edeoga asked.
But the National Publicity Secretary of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, noted that INEC may perform better outside the country because the Commission has the necessary organisational resources to do the job better abroad, compared to its performance in Nigeria.
“Well, it depends on the party inviting INEC. INEC may not have been performing optimally in Nigeria but it certainly has the necessary organisational resources to do a good job. Whether it performs creditably is a function of many factors at play, including the character of the electorate in general, desperation of political contestants, government interference, the judiciary, to list a few.
“Just recently, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu declared during the celebration of the success of the national elections in our West African neighbouring country that they copied a lot from us. This is counterintuitive if we look at it from the prism of INEC ‘s performance in our clime.
“But it proves the point that actual performance doesn’t necessarily equate to organisational capacity and capability. So, in my opinion, INEC can teach others well. Let’s just hope it learns from its students, so to speak”. Prof. Muhammad-Baba said.
Also speaking, former Secretary General of ACF, Anthony Sani told Daily Sun that INEC may not have done well enough in some people’s eyes, it has nonetheless done well to train others who are less endowed.
“This is because in the mechanism of community living and in the comity of nations, we must not be perfect before we can train others, or we must not be rich before we can help the poor. See what happens in America. There are many poor Americans, yet America helps other countries when many of the citizens are poorer.”
But Faruq Abbas, a Lagos-based lawyer thinks otherwise. He told Daily Sun that he believes INEC has done reasonably well enough in conducting elections in Nigeria to qualify it to teach other African countries how to conduct elections in a complex and challenging terrain.
“INEC has significantly improved in conducting elections in Nigeria from 1999 to date. Although there are still a few logistical challenges that INEC usually faces during the general elections, I believe that the experience that INEC has garnered from 1999 till date will be helpful to any African country in conducting its elections. The major challenge facing the conduct of a free and fair election in Nigeria is the issue of vote buying, and INEC has no role to play in tackling this scourge. Vote buying can only be addressed by political parties, political actors, and law enforcement agencies, but they have all failed to tackle vote buying in Nigeria. Finally, I believe that the results of the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria were a true reflection of the voting pattern of Nigerians because the eventual winner of the election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, lost his base of Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory,” Faruq Abbas said.
