INEC Confirms Implementation of Key Observer Recommendations Ahead of Electoral Reform

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has disclosed that the electoral body is actively implementing a series of recommendations made by international election observation missions following the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during a high-level engagement with a delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), currently on a post-election assessment visit to Nigeria, the INEC Chairman emphasized that the Commission has adopted several observer recommendations as part of its broader electoral reform efforts. According to official sources, the ongoing reform includes a total of 142 recommendations developed through extensive consultation with key national institutions and stakeholders.

The visiting ECONEC team, led by Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, was in Nigeria to review the status of implementation of recommendations submitted by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM), which had monitored the 2023 polls. Yakubu noted that this follow-up exercise was part of standard democratic practice within the West African subregion and serves to enhance electoral transparency and institutional learning across nations.

He explained that of the 37 recommendations made by ECOWAS, 13 were directly addressed to INEC, while the remaining 24 involved other critical institutions such as the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Professor Yakubu affirmed that all recommendations requiring administrative action have been adopted by the Commission, while those needing legislative backing are currently under review by the National Assembly. He further noted that the detailed responses to each of the 13 INEC-specific recommendations have been consolidated into the Commission’s comprehensive post-election report, which is publicly available online.

During the meeting, the delegation from Liberia acknowledged Nigeria’s leadership within the ECONEC framework and expressed gratitude for the material and technical support INEC has provided to sister electoral bodies in the region. Mrs. Browne-Lansanah highlighted that INEC’s assistance had been instrumental in establishing an ICT infrastructure for Liberia’s electoral body, crediting Nigeria’s electoral commission with aiding capacity building efforts across West Africa.

The ECONEC team described the visit as an opportunity for peer learning and reflection, aimed at improving electoral practices not just in Nigeria but across the region. Members of the delegation expressed appreciation for the Commission’s transparency and its commitment to institutional growth, adding that lessons from Nigeria’s 2023 elections would guide reforms within their respective countries.