Mahmood Yakubu, the nominee for the position of Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has told the Senate that one major challenge that confronted him in his first five year was the postponement of the 2019 election by one week.
Yakubu who is currently being screened by Senator Kabiru Gaya, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano South led Senate Committee on INEC that the postponement was a major issue that he learnt a lot from, and hope that such a situation or experience does not occur again.
He also told the Committee that if confirmed by the Senate for another five-year tenure, he will return to the University to lecture because of the passion he has for the teaching profession.
Yakubu who noted that there is a need for very strong institutions and manpower for effective service delivery, said, “the Commission has the largest data of citizens in Africa, we have introduced several portals for nomination of candidates, accreditation of journalists and observers for election.
“One of the portals is for the offload of results from polling units. We have also improved accreditation for people with physical disability including albino. We have also tried to do accreditation for people displaced in IDPs.
On Challenges, he said, “one of the most is having to postpone for a week, the 2019 general elections. It was a most painful decision. But learning from that, we are working very fast to ensure that it doesn’t happen again as we approach 2019. We have learnt a lot and elections are getting better.”
He cited the timely and adequate deployment of logistics for the Edo and Ondo governorship election.
Source: Vanguard
