Politics
Votes Will Count In 2023, INEC Insists
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised Nigerians that their votes would count in the forthcoming general elections, stressing that measures have been put in place to ensure the efficiency of systems as well as adequate and trained manpower.
It, thus, encouraged Nigerians who are eligible and had obtained their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) ahead of the 2023 elections to come out en mass and participate in the voting process in next year’s general elections.
INEC assured Nigerians that the Commission has consistently improved on its manpower and systems, adding that the new Electoral Act had further increased public confidence, particularly the electronic transmission of results right from the polling units to the INEC database.
INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke at an event to mark the end of phase one of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) in Abuja, on Monday, appreciated the enduring commitment and support of the EU towards the strengthening of democratic institutions and the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
He commended the support received so far from the EU and other international partners which, he said, has helped INEC in policy formulations, improvement in systems and manpower, and other interventions in the past years.
He said: “INEC was a key beneficiary of the first phase of the EU-SDGN programme conceived under the National Indicative Programme 2014 – 2020. We received various supports in the areas of training and capacity building for staff, engagement with stakeholders, voter education and public enlightenment and the promotion of inclusivity.
“The support went a long way to complement INEC’s efforts at strengthening organisational and planning capacity, improvement of internal and external communications, more frequent consultation with stakeholders and advocacy for increased participation in the electoral process.
“The combination of these actions and activities not only enhanced public confidence in INEC but provided valuable assistance in strengthening the integrity and credibility of the electoral process. A major achievement in this regard is the progressive provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, especially the deployment of technology for voter accreditation and result management at polling unit level.”
He reiterated that the costs of electoral activities, including the acquisition of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for all elections, remain the responsibility of the Federal Government.
“Nevertheless, we appreciate the support of international development partners to enhance training and capacity building of officials, stakeholder engagement for a peaceful election, production and dissemination of messages for voter education and sensitisation, enhancing active and meaningful participation of Nigerians in the electoral process with particular reference to women, youth, persons with disability and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and, finally, election conflict mitigation, management and resolution,” he stated.
Prof Yakubu said that INEC considers the deployment of election observation missions as a means of enhancing public confidence and trust in Nigeria’s elections, adding that their recommendations have been useful in reviewing the processes and introducing progressive reforms in the electoral legal framework in line with global good practices.
He disclosed that INEC has already sent out letters to international organisations such as the United Nations, EU, Commonwealth, the African Union and ECOWAS inviting them to deploy observation missions for the 2023 general election.
“Very soon, advertisements will be placed in national newspapers and INEC’s website to invite applications from interested domestic organisations to observe the same election,” he added.
Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Maria Isopi, in her remarks, explained that the EU-SDGN was designed to assist Nigeria to deepen its democratic process through the empowerment of all stakeholders involved in the process.
She said that phase one of the programme yielded tremendous success, hence the flag-off of phase two.
Alhaji Abubakar, who is also the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that Chief Obasanjo’s latest public outburst against him is yet another failed attempt to rewrite history.
Alhaji Abubakar specifically said that if the true history of Chief Obasanjo’s political journey is ever written—free from selective recollection and personal bitterness, he (Atiku) would feature prominently as one of those whom God used to change the course of his (Obasanjo) life and political career.
These were contained in a statement the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President, Mr Phrank Shaibu, released in which Atiku said he watched the former President’s interview with profound sadness, but not anger, because it reflected the disposition of a man who has allowed personal resentment to cloud historical truth.
Alhaji Abubakar said the genesis of Chief Obasanjo’s hostility towards him is well known to Nigerians, stressing that he is proud that he stood against the third-term agenda and stood by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the words of Alhaji Abubakar: “I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition. If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour.
“No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty”.
Alhaji Abubakar noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals, but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.
He said: “The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict. It Is therefore unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution”.
The ADC Presidential candidate said it was particularly instructive that barely twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had”.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration,” he said.
Alhaji Abubakar further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits, saying: “History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom”.
He further said: “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Alhaji Abubakar, however, said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.
According to him: “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions”.
He added, however, that gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism.
Alhaji Abubakar particularly expressed disappointment that, at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardship, mass unemployment, insecurity and widespread despair, a former President would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions to the country’s challenges.
In the words of Atiku: “The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds”.
The former Vice President said he had deliberately maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Chief Obasanjo once occupied and in deference to the relationship they once shared.
He said: “That restraint should never be mistaken for weakness or docility. There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue. While I have no desire to engage in a public quarrel with a man I once stood beside in his most difficult moments, neither will I permit falsehoods, half-truths and calculated attempts to rewrite history to go unanswered.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to, are his own facts,” Alhaji Abubakar insisted.
The ADC presidential candidate reaffirmed that his attention remains firmly fixed on Nigeria’s future.
According to him; “I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination. Those who mistake my civility for capitulation, or my restraint for weakness, make a grave mistake.
“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people,” he stated.
According to the electoral umpire, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, and end on January 15, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
INEC also announced that campaigns for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026, and conclude on February 5, 2027, ahead of the polls slated for February 6, 2027.
The commission explained that the campaign schedule complies with the Electoral Act 2026, which stipulates that electioneering activities must not begin earlier than 150 days before an election and must end at least 24 hours before voting.
INEC urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to strictly adhere to the approved timetable and conduct their campaigns in accordance with the law, while encouraging the public to obtain electoral information only from its official communication channels to avoid misinformation.