Samson Itodo, who leads YIAGA Africa as its Executive Director, recently highlighted that the core challenge confronting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is rooted more in politics than in technical issues.
During a Thursday interview on Arise Television, which was followed by Gistmania, Itodo emphasized the political nature of the obstacles facing INEC.
“The primary hurdle for INEC isn’t about technical capabilities but stems from political interference,” he explained.
“Consider the appointment mechanism-it’s fundamentally a constitutional issue. There have been suggestions to strip the president of the authority to appoint INEC officials, a change we fully support as part of the ongoing INEC reform efforts.”
“However, I remain skeptical that this constitutional amendment will be approved. The idea of removing the president’s appointment power faces significant resistance for understandable reasons.”
“Ultimately, it would require a president with true statesmanship to initiate constitutional changes that limit their own influence over INEC appointments,” Itodo concluded.