2023: INEC Will Strictly Apply Electoral Laws Without Fear, Favour – Yakubu
As part of its determination to ensure a credible, fair, free, inclusive and transparent elections in 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed that it will scrupulously apply laws, particularly the Electoral Act, 2022 without fear or favour.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who made the vow on Wednesday in Abuja, at the 4th Memorial Lecture in honour of the Late Director-General of The Electoral Institute (TEI), Prof. Abubakar Momoh, assured that the Commission shall only guarantee that all valid votes count and the winners are decided solely by the voters.
This was as he described the Electoral Act as ingredients for political party building, stabilisation of electoral rules and democratic consolidation.
The INEC Chairman, who was represented by the Commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, said that electoral body has no preferred political party or candidate.
Yakubu therefore advised political parties, candidates and stakeholders to carefully study and take note of some of the major features introduced by the amended 2022 Electoral Act particularly as the 2023 general elections draws near.
The INEC boss particularly urged political party leaders to specifically take note of possible implications of the changes on the upcoming elections, noting that the happenings that accompanied the recently conducted party primaries attest to this.
According to Yakubu; “These changes include amongst others, the conduct of early party primaries by political parties, technological changes in the electoral process;
“The Commission’s power to review the decision of the returning officer and over voting based on the number of accredited Voters”.
The INEC Chairman noted that the new initiatives served as the bedrock for the reviewed Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections in 2022, and the review of the Manual for Election Officials, 2022, stressing that that the use of electronic devices were now legally allowed in the accreditation process for voters, collation of results and in the general conduct of elections.
Yakubu said; “These include, the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED); INEC Results Viewing Portal (IRev) and other technological devices”.
The INEC Chairman said that the innovations are intended to deepen the electoral process in the country, adding that their optimal performance in the just concluded gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun States were eloquent testimony to their electoral value.
Yakubu expressed optimism that political party chairmen and members would be committed to ensuring that the 2023 general elections are devoid of deliberate infractions to the 2022 Electoral Act.
He said that it can be achieved essentially by allowing the electoral process to run smoothly to grow a rich democratic culture and acceptable election outcome.
