The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has clarified that the Commission does not directly receive funding nor maintain an account for donor funds.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has clarified that the Commission does not directly receive funding nor maintain an account for donor funds.
The assertion was made during the maiden visit of His Excellency Gautier Mignot, the newly appointed European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The EU Ambassador, who assumed office just days prior on January 24, 2025, chose INEC as his first stop in Nigeria, underscoring the longstanding partnership between the EU and Nigeria’s electoral body.
Professor Yakubu expressed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral democracy through continued collaboration with the EU and other stakeholders.
Yakubu highlighted the EU’s ongoing support, particularly through the European Union-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) initiative, which funds various institutions contributing to democratic governance.
However, he emphasized that the EU and other development partners provide indirect support, including technical services, consultancy, and stakeholder engagements. Direct funding for INEC’s core electoral activities, such as voter registration and election technology procurement, remains the responsibility of the Nigerian government.
He said,”I would like to seize this opportunity to clarify a matter over which there is some misunderstanding in certain quarters. For the record, the Commission does not receive direct funding and we do not have an account into which donor funds are warehoused.
“The EU and other development partners provide indirect support in areas such as the publication of reports, retreats, engagement with stakeholders, as well as consultancy and technical support services in various areas, through the implementing partners selected and appointed by them. Their support does not involve any direct funding of core electoral activities of the Commission such as voter registration, production of PVCs, training and renumeration of ad hoc staff, electoral logistics, and the procurement of sensitive materials, including election technology. These activities remain the sovereign responsibility of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Yakubu also acknowledged the EU Election Observation Mission’s (EU-EOM) report following the 2023 General Election, which included 23 recommendations. Eight of these were directed at INEC, addressing areas such as electoral staff training, voter registration, and the participation of marginalized groups, among others.
The INEC Boss reassured that INEC had already begun implementing many of these recommendations, noting improvements in recent elections.
The visit comes as INEC prepares for further electoral reforms, including consultations with political parties, civil society organizations, and security agencies. The Commission is also reviewing its strategic planning tools ahead of the next general election.
Yakubu reiterated INEC’s commitment to its collaborative efforts with both local and international partners to continue enhancing Nigeria’s electoral process.
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