INEC Confirms Implementing All 2023 Election Administrative Recommendations

INEC has confirmed the full implementation of all 2023 election administrative recommendations.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has confirmed that the commission has reviewed and taken action on key recommendations issued by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) following Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.

Yakubu made this known on Monday in Abuja while hosting a high-level delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), led by Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission. The ECONEC mission is in Nigeria to assess INEC’s implementation of the 2023 EOM post-election report.

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According to Yakubu, of the 37 recommendations issued by ECOWAS, 13 were directed at INEC, while 24 were meant for other stakeholders, including the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), political parties, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), civil society groups, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

“Of the 13 observations specifically addressed to INEC, the commission has considered all the recommendations that require administrative action,” Yakubu stated.

He further revealed that INEC is awaiting the National Assembly’s ongoing legal review to implement recommendations that require legislative changes. He added that the commission has prepared a detailed response on all 13 points and that much of the feedback aligns with INEC’s own 142 recommendations for electoral reform, available on its official website.

Yakubu praised ECOWAS for deploying both short- and long-term election observer missions, adding that election management is a multi-stakeholder responsibility. He recalled participating in a similar ECONEC mission to Gambia earlier in the year, describing the ongoing visit as part of a peer-learning process essential to strengthening electoral democracy across West Africa.

In her remarks, Browne-Lansanah said the mission was aimed at reviewing INEC’s handling of the 2023 polls and sharing lessons across the sub-region. She noted that the experience of Nigeria’s electoral process would help other ECONEC member countries improve their own systems.

“We see this mission as a lesson learned, not just for INEC Nigeria but also for our own election management bodies,” she said.

Browne-Lansanah also expressed appreciation to INEC and Nigeria for their continued support to Liberia’s electoral processes, especially through the donation of ICT resources which have enhanced Liberia’s election infrastructure.

The ECONEC delegation included Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana; Mr. Serigne Ka, Acting Permanent Secretary of ECONEC; and officials from international partners such as the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), and the German Development Agency (GIZ).