Yiaga Africa Criticizes INEC’s Election Result Review Guidelines, Calls for Inclusive Reforms
Yiaga Africa has expressed concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s recently announced extra instructions on the assessment of election result announcements.
On Thursday, INEC issued extra regulations and guidelines for reviewing election results under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Yiaga Africa applauded INEC’s move as “a positive step towards ensuring administrative safeguards for electoral integrity” in a statement signed by Samson Itodo, its executive director.
However, the agency cautioned that several aspects in the new rules could undermine the reforms it hopes to implement.
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Yiaga Africa highlighted concerns regarding inclusion, noting that the standards limit the ability to file reports for election result review to resident electoral commissioners, returning officers, and national commissioners.
The organization labeled this as a “exclusionary provision” that essentially excludes political parties, candidates, accredited observers, and their representatives, even if they have credible evidence of manipulated or illegal disclosures.
“By restricting the activation of the power of review to reports filed by INEC officials, some of whom may be complicit in the very infractions that warrant review, is counterproductive,” according to the statement.
“Evidence from recent elections revealed instances where electoral officers acted in blatant defiance of INEC’s directives, engaged in the manipulation of results, or abdicated their duties, thereby undermining the integrity of electoral process.”
Yiaga Africa has consequently requested that INEC quickly revise the criteria to increase the scope of eligible persons or companies entitled to submit information that could trigger the review process.
“The scope should include political parties, candidates, accredited party agents, and observers who were present during the collation.” “This will increase transparency, promote electoral justice, and reaffirm INEC’s commitment to credible elections,” the statement states.
