Following its performance in the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will have less credibility to conduct future elections.
According to Jideofor Adibe, a Political Science Professor and Elections Analyst, the electoral body is contributing to the nation’s problems.
“INEC as presently constituted, I am not sure they have enough legitimacy to organise future elections, but INEC is only a part of the problem,” he stated.
He lauded the Commission for embracing technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in improving on the electoral process.
Speaking on Roadmap 2023, a pre-recorded programme that highlights election issues and and tracks personalities on Channels Television, Adibe noted that Nigerians would have trusted INEC more if results were uploaded from polling units immediately after the polls were concluded.
“There is also the problem of our politicians. The BVAS I believe is a good technology that ought to have been able to help us, if the uploading of the results at the polling units immediately after elections are concluded.
“If they were done, maybe perhaps some of the loss of confidence in the body could not have happened,” he stated.
On logistics, he faulted the Commission’s engagement of Lagos State Parks Management Committee MC Oluomo, a loyalist to the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, to distribute election materials.
During the interview, he pointed out that if INEC had responded differently to situations, the citizens would have trusted them more.