Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and other key officials of the electoral umpire.
He said a holistic overhauling of the commission will ensure electoral integrity.
The former president made the call at the weekend via a recorded video address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
Obsanjo stated that Nigerians must ensure that the INEC chairman and his staff were thoroughly vetted, adding that the vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan, actors with impeccable reputations.
He argued that the electoral process must be revamped to ensure fairness and transparency.
Obasanjo also suggested reducing the tenure of the INEC Chairman and other top officials, proposing this as a measure to prevent the appointment of partisan individuals to the commission.
“The last election was a disaster. To restore trust in our electoral process, we must overhaul the leadership of INEC,” Obasanjo asserted.
“As a matter of urgency, we must ensure the INEC Chairperson and their staff are thoroughly vetted.
“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal city, town, and village levels, with short tenures to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and to re-establish trust in the electoral system by its citizens,” Obasanjo added.