REMARKS BY THE INTER PARTY ADVISORY COUNCIL (IPAC) NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, DR YUSUF MAMMAN DANTALLE AT A ROUNDTABLE WITH CRITICAL ELECTORAL STAKEHOLDERS ON STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCES ORGANISED BY THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) WHILE RECEIVING A DELEGATION OF NATIONAL ELECTION BOARD OF ETHIOPIA (NEBE) AND COALITION OF ETHIOPIAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CECOE) ON EXCHANGE VISIT TO INEC, HELD AT THE COMMISSION’S HEADQUARTERS ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2025
Protocol
On behalf of leaders of political parties in Nigeria, l wish to congratulate the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu. It is a well-deserved appointment being a senior member of the electoral body. The nation will benefit from her impressive service record, wealth of experience in the electoral management body at this critical period of our democratic process.
I assure the Commission of political parties’ support, cooperation and collaboration in deepening democratic values among the citizenry, as well as ensuring a conducive environment for successful elections, political stability, mass mobilisation and well-being of Nigerians.
IPAC looks forward to collaborating with the new leadership of INEC as obtainable during the tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu who handed over on Tuesday, 7th October 2025.
Democratic leadership is a continuum, it is hoped that the acting Chairman, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu and her team will consolidate on the achievements of Prof. Yakubu and take the commission to the next level in our collective quest for a strong, stable, equitable and inclusive democratic society. More importantly, as citizens eagerly await the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections, and the crucial 2027 general election. All eyes are on INEC to improve on previous performance, enhance electoral integrity and credibility that will rebuild trust in the democratic system.
As the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, IPAC will continue to collaborate with critical stakeholders in consolidating and strengthening the nation’s electoral process and ensure it is fair, transparent and inclusive.
Council commends INEC for organising this roundtable with critical electoral stakeholders on stakeholders’ engagement experiences with the Commission on the occasion of the visit of a delegation of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations (CECOE). DrIt is commendable and will foster unity and deepen democracy in Africa as obtainable in West Africa through the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), despite unconstitutional regimes in some countries in the region.
It is therefore imperative to keep watering and nurturing and the tree of democracy to maturity in the continent to yield its fruits of political stability, economic prosperity, socio-religious harmony and security to the people.
Prof. Yakubu’s tenure as INEC Chairman marked a significant positive progressive shift in collaboration between the commission and political parties in Nigeria since the return of democracy on 29th May 1999. He was a team player with managerial acumen which he successfully deployed in running the commission for ten years, the longest tenure for any chairman of the nation’s electoral body since independence on 1st October 1960.
He implemented bold reforms in the electoral management body and carried critical stakeholders along from conception to implementation.
His stakeholders engagement policy was not limited to quarterly consultative meetings with leaders of political parties, his door was open to party leaders to discuss issues that would enhance sustainable democracy in the country.
His regular engagements with leaders of political parties on the introduction of various technologies including Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, continuous voter registration, uploading and submission of candidates nomination forms, polling and collation agents accreditations, updates on upcoming elections, review of past elections, electoral legal framework etc, enabled party leaders to make appropriate inputs, improved decision-making through diverse perspectives leading to increased support for the Commission’s rules, regulations, guidelines, technologies, timetable and schedules of activities for elections. At every stage of the implementation of INEC’s programmes, political partys leaders would be consulted. This promoted transparency and built trust between the commission and political parties.
As a multiparty democracy where the President appoints the Chairman of the electoral body, its National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, citizens are always apprehensive of Presidential influence in running the affairs of the Commission.
This is where the regular consultative meetings with leaders of political parties come in, as contentious issues are freely discussed, clarifications and corrections made. The result is mutual understanding in building a better democratic nation. This level of collaboration prompted the strategic role played by IPAC in ensuring that the collation of the 2023 election was not truncated.
Nigeria’s democracy is not yet perfect, we are not yet where we desire to be, definitely we are not where we used to be. Progress has been made. However, so much still needs to be done. Gradually, we will get there.
I have no doubt that the new leadership of INEC, though in acting capacity will continue and scale up the stakeholders engagements to foster collaboration, partnership, support and cooperation in advancing the nation’s electoral processes.
As the platform that produces all public officers in the country, IPAC is strongly determined and unwavering in its commitment in deepening democracy in the nation.
Together, we will build a better, greater and just democratic society.
Thank you and God bless you.
Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle
National Chairman, IPAC