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Prof Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman
HIGHLIGHTS
Outcome reflects voting pattern, strength of candidates
Puts BVAS efficiency at 98%, Smart Card Reader (2019) 29.2%
5 political parties produced State Governors
7 parties won Senatorial seats,
8 parties represented in the House of Representatives
9 parties in State Houses of Assembly
INEC receives 215 case files on electoral offenders from Police
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in his first post-election review, has scored the 2023 general election as one of the best in terms of planning and outcome.
He spoke at a meeting with the resident electoral commissioners (RECs) held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He said the outcome represents the most divergent outcome in terms of political parties in the history of democracy in Nigeria.
He said: “Despite the divergent opinions about the outcome of the election, the overall outlook suggests that it is a fair reflection of a complex multi-party democracy. We wish to remind Nigerians that elections were held for a total of 1,491 constituencies made up of one Presidential, 28 Governorship, 109 Senatorial, 360 Federal Constituencies and 993 State Assembly seats.
“Our record shows that these elections have produced the most diverse outcomes ever recorded since 1999. Today, five political parties produced State Governors, seven parties won Senatorial seats, eight are represented in the House of Representatives and nine in State Houses of Assembly. Clearly, the 10th National Assembly is certainly the most diverse in party representation since 1999.
“In some States around the country, different political parties controlled the legislative and executive arms of Government. What is clear from these records also is that the days of single party dominance of our national politics are probably gone. Furthermore, many prominent candidates lost in the constituencies they contested, and political parties lost in some of their presumed strongholds.”
On the issue of technology, he said “Our records show that the success rate for BVAS accreditation stands at 98% compared to the Smart Card Reader’s 29.2% during the 2019 General Election.”
He confirmed that the Police have concluded investigation of the conduct of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State and submitted the case file to INEC, adding that “appropriate action will be taken in a matter of days and Nigerians will be fully informed.”
“I can also confirm that we have received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following their arrest and the conclusion of investigation into electoral offences arising from the 2023 General Election. We are working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the alleged offenders.
“Already, the NBA has submitted a list of 427 lawyers across the country who have volunteered to render pro bono services to the Commission. They are not charging legal fees but by mutual agreement the Commission will provide a token amount to cover for filing fees/expenses. We are most grateful to NBA and its President, Yakubu Maikyau SAN, for this historic collaboration. Similarly, we are working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the prosecution of cases relating to vote buying and associated violations.”
