Former Director-General of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has expressed optimism that the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, will not conduct elections marred by irregularities like those held under his predecessor, Mahmoud Yakubu.
Odinkalu made the statement on Thursday while fielding questions during an interview on Channels Television Politics Today.
He alleged that Yakubu’s administration perfected the act of producing multiple results in elections, citing the Edo governorship poll as an example.
“Josh will not administer an election like in Edo State, where there were four results,” Odinkalu said. “Mahmoud Yakubu perfected the act of producing elections in which there are four results — one he announces, one on IReV, another issued to party agents, and another tendered in court. That’s criminal. He brought elections and INEC into disrepute, and the new INEC chair will have to begin to address this.”
The rights activist also presented statistics to support his claim of declining electoral credibility under Yakubu.
He stated that in 2007, under Maurice Iwu, about 86.35% of election results ended up in court. However, he said, the figure reduced significantly under Prof. Attahiru Jega, who oversaw the 2011 and 2015 elections.
“Jega reduced the number of election cases in court from 86.35% in 2007 to 51% in 2011, and further to 44% in 2015. That shows progress,” he said.
Odinkalu pointed that the situation worsened under Yakubu, with election disputes rising again. “By 2019, the figure increased to 56.34%, and by 2023, it reached 83%. That tells you something — Mahmoud Yakubu ruined INEC,” he said.
He called on the new INEC chairman to rebuild credibility in the electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Joash has a job. Nobody expects perfect elections, but he must begin to redress this decline incrementally, so that by 2027, we won’t have over 80% of our elections going to court,” Odinkalu said.
