INEC unveils committee for review of projections for future elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, February 8, inaugurated a committee for the review of its current strategic plan as well projections for future elections including the 2023 general poll.

INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu inaugurated the Committee in Abuja.

He said that INEC believed that it could not approach election management on an ad hoc basis; without deliberate plans.

“This plan will form the basis set for the full formulation of the election project plan for the 2023 general election.

“It will also help the commission to identify all events; programmes; as well as actions that needed to be implemented before the 2023 general election.

“It will also help us to track the offseason, governorship election taking place between 2021 and 2023 to ensure that these elections are also properly implemented.

“As you are aware, there are three such elections. The first one for which we have already issued, released the timetable and schedule of activities are the Anambra governorship election taking place in November,” Yakubu said.

He added: “Next year, we have two offseason governorship election, in Ekiti State and Osun state.

“Both the strategic plan and the election project plan will enable the commission to monitor all the processes through our election management system platforms.

“So, this is a very important exercise for the commission to undertake.”

He also said that the inaugurated committee was the third of its kind in the history of INEC; since the beginning of the era of deliberate planning for elections.

“The commission believes that we cannot approach election management on an ad hoc basis; but rather, we must deliberately plan for elections.

“So the commission produced a strategic plan to cover the period of 2012 to 2016. Then we reviewed the plan to cover 2017 to 2021. Now we are reviewing the plan again, to cover 2022 to 2026,” Yakubu said.

The committee was given 10 point terms of reference and 40 days to submit its report.

The 17-member 2017-2021 Strategic Plan and 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Committee, was headed by retired AVM Ahmed Mua’zu, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Strategy.

Some Members of the committee included National Commissioners, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of Lagos state and Adamawa.

Mua’zu represented by Ibeanu thanked INEC for recognition; assuring that members of the committee will live up to expectations.

Mua’zu said INEC had deliberately formulated its plans to make sure that its activities were properly programmed and sequenced.

“This enables the commission to properly audit its activities and measure the level of success that recorded. It will also give the commission an opportunity to plan for the future.

“So, this is a very critical part of the work of the commission now; and members of the committee will not take this responsibility lightly,” he said.

He also said one of the tasks before the committee was to assess the level of implementation of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan.