Mahmood Yakubu’s INEC Reforms Are Real — But So Are the Doubts

By Admin

When Professor Mahmood Yakubu was appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015, many Nigerians braced themselves for either reform or regression. Nearly a decade later, it’s clear he brought reform. But whether it’s the kind that can rebuild public trust is still up for debate.

Yakubu’s tenure has been marked by undeniable technological transformation. He introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), allowing for biometric verification at polling units. He launched the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), promising Nigerians the ability to monitor results in real time. He also expanded the voter register, cleaned it up, and helped deliver the Electoral Act 2022 — a bold piece of legislation that gave INEC more teeth than ever before.

Yet, even as Yakubu’s INEC ushered in a digital era, it stumbled at the moment Nigerians needed it most the 2023 presidential election. Despite promises of transparency, the real-time transmission of results failed spectacularly. INEC blamed technical glitches. The opposition cried sabotage. And millions of Nigerians felt betrayed.

The credibility of that election continues to haunt the Commission’s reputation.

Still, it would be unfair to place all Nigeria’s electoral dysfunction at Yakubu’s feet. His reforms didn’t fail in a vacuum. They collided with deep-rooted political interference, institutional rot, and a system that resists transparency at every turn.

But here’s the rub: public trust doesn’t come from fancy tech or new laws. It comes from keeping promises. And in 2023, INEC didn’t keep its biggest one.

Yakubu now has one more shot the 2027 general elections. He’s in his final term. The tools are in place. Nigerians are watching.

Will he go down as the reformer who modernized Nigeria’s elections or the man who raised hopes, only to dash them at the ballot box?