A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has called on President Bola Tinubu to dismantle the country’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The senior lawyer stated this in a Twitter post on Thursday.
Agbakoba, however, commended Tinubu’s administration over the recent suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele and the Chairman of the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
“Full congratulations go to President Tinubu @officialABAT for getting rid of Emefiele, Bawa, fuel subsidy, and forex corruption. Endemic corruption has suffered a massive blow.
“Next, it is for the president to dismantle INEC @inecnigeria Everyone will agree that logistically, the 2023 elections are the worst in our history. I do not refer to the merits of the election results. Many results are disputed and are in tribunals. Both petitioners and respondents suffered at the hands of an incompetent INEC.”
Agbakoba added that it is paramount for the INEC Chairman to leave to allow huge reforms of the electoral framework of the country.
He continued: “As we await rulings from the courts, massive reforms of the electoral framework ought to begin. However, this means that the INEC Chairman will have to leave office by resignation or removal; otherwise, the reform task will be impeded.
“I quickly add that the suggested reforms have nothing to do with the merits of the election results at all. Both winners and losers of the elections were victims of the failure of INEC.
“Confidence in Nigeria’s democracy will be enhanced by a deep cleansing of INEC.”
