Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde, a leading political philosopher with expertise in public policies, politics, and governance, has criticized the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yakubu Mahmood, over the outcome of the immediate past 2023 presidential election. Professor Onigbinde claimed that the INEC boss had "messed up" following the poll that saw Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge as the winner.
Opposition parties have been demanding the nullification of the election, which they deemed fraudulent and unconstitutional. In his interview, Professor Onigbinde alleged that the 2023 presidential election, "without prejudice to the outcome of court judgment," was "not free and fair," adding that "INEC deliberately disabled BVAS for the presidential election."
Professor Onigbinde clarified that being a member of the professorial cadre, Yakubu's incompetence cannot be attributed to all professors. He cited the example of a professor who was the returning officer for Abia governorship election who rejected a bribe from politicians.
Professor Onigbinde also pointed out that APC was aiming for an agenda, and INEC chairman's appointment is not typically chosen from the dominant ethnic group, especially where there are chances that a presidential candidate is likely to emerge and win. He cited the example of how Jonathan never met Attahiru Jega before he appointed him, and when Jega left, nobody expected Buhari to pick from his Fulani ethnic group.
When asked to explain what he meant by Nigeria cannot be redeemed by election, Professor Onigbinde stated that elections are not enough to solve Nigeria's problems. He opined that while elections are an essential part of the democratic process, they cannot be a panacea for Nigeria's deep-seated socio-political and economic challenges. He added that good governance, transparency, and accountability were necessary ingredients for a successful democracy.
