The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has been sworn-in for a second term of office.
President Muhammadu Buhari performed the swearing-in on Wednesday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting.
In an interview with State House Correspondents soon after taking his oath, the INEC boss pledged to discharge his duties to the best of his ability.
Yakubu also promised to conduct credible elections for Nigeria, as demonstrated recently in the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
“I am privileged to be Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission twice and it is a responsibility I am going to discharge consistent with the oath of office I took and in allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have clearly demonstrated in recent elections that elections are getting better and they will continue to get better,” he said.
The INEC Chairman also advocated the speedy amendment of the country’s electoral act, to enhance efficiency and conduct of more credible elections.
He said: “By coincidence today, the National Assembly is holding a public hearing on the amendment of the electoral legal framework. This is important and this time around, working with the National Assembly, we’ll ensure a speedy passage of the amendment bill and once it is assented to, it will help us enormously in confronting the challenges ahead.
“The preparations for 2023 general elections have proceeded in earnest, we need certainty and therefore the electoral legal framework is fundamental, without which we cannot formulate our regulations and guidelines.
“Without our regulations and guidelines, we cannot conclude work on the manual for the training of ad-hoc staff for the elections. So, from here, I am going to proceed to the National Assembly, so work begins in earnest and we have already started.”
