In the aftermath of the 2023 elections, Professor Jideofor Adibe, a distinguished Political Science expert at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has voiced a strong opinion regarding the conduct of the elections, suggesting that Mahmood Yakubu, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should have considered resigning.
As Nigerians exercised their voting rights earlier this year to elect key figures, including the president, governors, and lawmakers at both national and state levels, the electoral process faced significant scrutiny. Notably, the presidential election drew extensive criticism from both local and international observers.
In Professor Adibe’s perspective, the challenges and criticisms surrounding the 2023 elections point to a need for accountability and responsibility at the highest levels of the electoral commission. Advocating for Yakubu’s resignation, Adibe raises questions about the overall management and execution of the electoral process under his leadership.
This viewpoint sheds light on the growing concerns and discussions within the political landscape regarding the transparency, fairness, and effectiveness of the 2023 elections. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how these perspectives will shape the discourse on electoral governance and leadership in Nigeria.
The criticisms were enough for the INEC chief to have stepped aside, according to Adibe.
“I think I have this several times even in 2019. INEC cannot deliver anything now because it has a legitimacy crisis,” the professor of political science said on Channels Television’s end-of-year show, “2023: Year Of Transition”.
“The first thing that should have been done is for Professor Mahmood to go. In climes where honour means anything, even if you feel you have done your best, to the extent that international and local observers have condemned and heavily criticised the conduct of the election, the best thing you should do is to step aside. His life does not need to depend on it. You step aside for the sake of the integrity of that institution. And for as long as it remains, I don’t think anybody will think they can get anything from INEC.”
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