Atedo Peterside: INEC Under Mahmood Yakubu Was National Disgrace

Renowned banker and philanthropist, Atedo Peterside has lambasted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under former chairman Mahmood Yakubu as a "national disgrace," citing widespread irregularities and a loss of public trust that could lead to unrest in future elections.Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Anap Foundation, made the remarks during a Monday interview on Channels Television's Politics Today programme, reacting to the recent appointment of Justice Joash Amupitan as INEC's new chairman.President Bola Tinubu appointed Amupitan to succeed Yakubu, whose two-term tenure as Nigeria's chief electoral officer ended in October after nearly a decade in office since 2015. The National Judicial Council recommended Amupitan, a retired judge, and the Senate confirmed his nomination last week. He was sworn in on October 23 at the Presidential Villa.While expressing cautious hope for the new leadership, "I will never say never"—Peterside unleashed a scathing critique of Yakubu's era, pointing to systemic failures that undermined electoral integrity."You just have to go on their IReV [INEC Result Viewing portal]. If you have time, I will take you there myself and show you result sheets they upload mutilated, sometimes with figures changed, and in some cases, they even forget to change the words," Peterside said, highlighting apparent tampering and incompetence in result transmission during past polls.He extended his criticism to the judiciary, accusing it of failing to enforce standards in electoral disputes. Peterside backed calls from Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, former Bayelsa State governor, to amend the Electoral Act and shift the burden of proof from petitioners to INEC itself."I heard former governor Dickson saying in the senate that we have to amend the Electoral Act in some important way," Peterside noted. "See, this is where our judiciary has not lived up to the required standards. I agree with Senator Dickson that the burden of proof should shift to INEC. You can’t allow a situation where INEC can do anything, bring out rubbish results, mutilated and everything and then argue that it’s for the victim to prove that what they’ve done is wrong, when even a blind man can see that what they’ve done is wrong".Peterside warned that the erosion of confidence in both INEC and the courts risks pushing Nigerians toward "self-help" measures potentially vigilante actions or disruptions during upcoming elections if reforms are not urgently implemented.His comments come amid ongoing debates over Nigeria's electoral framework, particularly following the controversial 2023 general elections, which were marred by allegations of vote manipulation, technical glitches, and delays in result uploads. Yakubu's tenure saw the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV portal, intended to enhance transparency, but critics like Peterside argue these tools were undermined by poor execution.

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