Obasanjo Calls for INEC Reform, Short Tenure for Leadership

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called for the appointment of new, credible leaders at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stressing the need for short tenures to reduce the risk of corruption and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Obasanjo made this statement during his address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Speaking on the topic ‘Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,’ the former president described the 2023 general elections as a “travesty” and underscored the urgent need for electoral reforms in the country.

According to the former president, the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process is at risk due to the partisan nature of INEC appointments. He argued that the selection of INEC leadership should be based on a thorough and transparent vetting process, ensuring that only individuals with worthy reputations unaffiliated with political parties are appointed to key positions.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal levels, with short tenures, to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption,” Obasanjo said. He further noted that the INEC chairperson must not only be above board but also be independent and incorruptible, with full transparency in their actions.

The former president also criticised INEC’s handling of technological tools like the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Election Viewing Portal (IReV), which were introduced to improve the transparency and credibility of the 2023 elections. According to Obasanjo, these innovations were underutilised during the presidential election, undermining their potential to prevent election rigging and increase public trust in the electoral process.

Obasanjo also called for the implementation of clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns to ensure accountability and prevent the abuse of funds during elections.