- Obasanjo said Nigeria is sinking into insecurity, division, and underdevelopment.
- At the event, he also described the situation in Nigeria as chaotic under “Baba-go-slow” and “Emilokan” reign.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria needs to appoint credible leaders to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with short tenures.
Obasanjo said this at the Chinua Achebe leadership forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
In his keynote address, Obasanjo described the 2023 general election as a “travesty”.
The former president stressed that reforming the electoral system is crucial for the country, adding that INEC officials require thorough vetting.
“As a matter of urgency, we must make sure the INEC Chairperson and his or her staff are thoroughly vetted,” Obasanjo said.
“The vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan, actors with impeccable reputations.
“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at all levels – with short tenures – to prevent corruption and reestablish trust.
“The INEC Chairperson must not only be absolutely above board, he must also be transparently independent and incorruptible.”
Obasanjo emphasized that Nigeria must prevent electoral interference, protecting elections from foreign and local actors to safeguard democratic integrity.
He added that clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns are necessary to ensure transparency and accountability.
“On the local level, we should implement and enforce clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns,” Obasanjo advocated.
The former president alleged that INEC intentionally failed to utilize the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and election viewing portal (IReV) technologies during the 2023 presidential election.
“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results,” he said.
“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail.
“INEC wilfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities.”
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