The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to work harder to convince Nigerians that the electoral body can conduct free and credible elections in the future.
In a statement released yesterday, the group noted that the series of rulings delivered by the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal after the 2023 general elections had, to a large extent, vindicated INEC. It said the outcome of the litigations showed that the polls were largely credible and reflected the will of the people. “All the judgements delivered so far are clear indications that INEC, to a very large extent, conducted a credible election across the country,” the statement read.
The youth group, however, admitted that no election is entirely perfect, stressing that the commission must continue improving to meet Nigerians’ expectations. “While the elections may not have been 100 percent error free, the fact that no governor was removed through the courts proves that the process was transparent enough,” the council stated.
Reacting to recent comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who described the 2023 elections as a travesty, the Ohanaeze youths said the elder statesman lacked the moral ground to criticise INEC. They accused him of having laid the foundation for the country’s electoral challenges. “It is ironic that Obasanjo is calling out INEC today when results were written in government houses during his era,” the group added.
The statement further appealed to Professor Amupitan to engage more with stakeholders across the country to rebuild confidence in the electoral system, strengthen the use of technology such as BVAS and IReV, and ensure greater transparency in future polls. The group maintained that Nigeria’s democracy could only grow when both the electoral umpire and political actors demonstrate sincerity and commitment to fair play.
Ohanaeze concluded by urging Nigerians to support reforms aimed at enhancing the credibility of the electoral process rather than casting blanket blame on INEC. It said constructive engagement, rather than accusations, would help consolidate democracy and ensure that every vote truly counts.