…Says Amupitan is a man of basic integrity
Our Reporter, Abuja
Legal scholar and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has accused former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, of “destroying elections in Nigeria.”
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Thursday, Odinkalu said Yakubu’s administration at INEC plunged the nation’s electoral system into chaos, eroded public trust, and turned elections into legal battles rather than democratic contests.
“Mahmood Yakubu perfected the act of producing multiple election results — one announced by INEC, another uploaded on IReV, another given to party agents, and yet another tendered in court. That’s criminal, and I’m not going to spare him on national television,” Odinkalu declared.
He maintained that Yakubu’s actions brought INEC “into disrepute” and “ruined” Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
“He brought elections in Nigeria into disrepute. He brought INEC into disrepute. Mahmood Yakubu ruined INEC, and we cannot spare him. He destroyed elections in Nigeria,” he stated emphatically.
Odinkalu backed his criticism with statistics showing a disturbing regression in the credibility of elections under Yakubu.
He recalled that under Professor Maurice Iwu in 2007, about 86.35% of contested offices were decided in court, while Professor Attahiru Jega, who conducted the 2011 and 2015 general elections, significantly reduced post-election litigations to 51% and 44%, respectively.
“By 2019, with four years to supervise elections, Mahmood Yakubu increased the number of offices that ended up in court to over 56%, and by 2023, that number had risen to 83%. That tells you everything you need to know — he destroyed the process,” Odinkalu said.
‘INEC is a Territory of Principalities’
Odinkalu, who described INEC as “a territory ruled by principalities and entrenched interests,” warned that the new INEC Chairman, Professor James Jatau, would face immense pressure from political actors seeking to influence the system.
“INEC is a thankless and lonely job. Every staff member is accounted for — every politician has people inside INEC. Before you say ‘good morning,’ someone has already reported it to a politician,” he explained.
Despite this, the human rights lawyer expressed strong confidence in the personal integrity and character of the new INEC helmsman.
“I know Joash Amupitan personally — we were in the same law school class, and we were admitted to the Bar on the same day. He is a person of basic decency and immense integrity. He’s also brilliant. I have no doubt about his character,” Odinkalu said.
He further noted that Joash’s background as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos equipped him with the administrative experience and resilience required for the difficult task ahead.
“Running a university like the University of Jos is no small feat — universities are very political places. So, he’s got the skill set. But INEC is different; it’s far more treacherous,” he cautioned.
Call for Electoral Reforms
Odinkalu urged Professor Amupitan to prioritize rebuilding INEC’s credibility by reducing the proportion of disputed elections that end up in court.
“Nobody expects perfect elections, but we must start reversing this dangerous trend. By 2027, we shouldn’t have over 80% of our elections going to court. That’s the first test of progress,” he advised.
The respected academic stressed that the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the independence and credibility of INEC.
“Joash has a job that is both thankless and monumental. But if he can restore public faith in INEC, history will remember him differently from his predecessor,” Odinkalu concluded.
