Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, has restated INEC commitment to conducting credible, transparent, and inclusive elections across Nigeria.
Agbamuche-Mbu stated this during the quarterly consultative meeting between the Commission and leaders of political parties held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
In her welcome address at the third consultative meeting for 2025, Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu expressed appreciation to the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and political party leaders for their consistent engagement with the Commission, which she described as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system.
She also poured the encomium to her predecessor, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who bowed out of office on October 7, 2025, and described his legacy as “innovation, institutional strength and integrity.”
The acting Chairman further outlined the Commission’s activities for the year, including the successful conduct of bye-elections in 12 states on August 16, which covered two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine state assembly constituencies, confirming that declarations had been made and certificates of return issued to the winners in line with the Electoral Act, 2022.
On the upcoming polls slated for November, she noted that preparations for the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for November 8 were in top gear, with 10 of the 13 scheduled activities already completed, remaining the publication of the notice of poll on October 25, the end of campaigns on November 6, and the election itself.
Her words: “The Commission has been working assiduously and making arrangements for the successful conduct of the Anambra election,”. She also revealed that non-sensitive materials had already been delivered to the state, and voter education was ongoing.
Agbamuche-Mbu also provided updates on the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and other forthcoming gubernatorial polls in Ekiti, and Osun States disclosing that eight out of thirteen activities for the FCT elections had already been concluded.
On voter registration, she announced that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which resumed nationwide in August, had recorded encouraging participation from Nigerians. “This response is a testament that Nigerians believe in our democracy,” she stated.
The Acting Chairman further revealed that INEC received 171 requests for the registration of new political parties, with 14 associations meeting the initial requirements to proceed to the next stage of evaluation.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, congratulated Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu on her appointment and pledged the council’s readiness to work with the Commission to deepen democratic governance in Nigeria.
He praised the reforms initiated under the immediate past Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and expressed confidence that the new leadership would sustain the momentum.
Dr Dantalle urged INEC to ensure credible conduct of the upcoming Anambra election, describing it as “the litmus test of the new leadership.” He emphasized that success in Anambra would set the tone for future elections, including those in Ekiti, Osun, and the 2027 general elections.
Highlighting IPAC’s recent engagements with the National Assembly, Dantalle disclosed that the council had submitted proposals advocating the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), special seats for women, restoration of funding for political parties, and the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission.
He stressed the need for urgent action on these reforms, saying: “Nigerians expect credible, transparent, and inclusive elections where every vote counts.”
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