Founder of the ANAP Foundation, Atedo Peterside, has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under its immediate past chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, describing the commission’s performance as “a national disgrace.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Peterside reacted to the recent change of leadership at the electoral body, following the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman.
Peterside said Yakubu’s tenure was marred by controversies that deeply eroded public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
“INEC under Mahmood Yakubu was a national disgrace,” he said bluntly, noting that “many Nigerians no longer trust the electoral body or the judiciary.”
He warned that unless confidence is restored, citizens might increasingly resort to self-help during future elections — a development he described as dangerous for democracy.
“When people lose faith in institutions meant to protect their votes and deliver justice, they begin to take matters into their own hands,” Peterside cautioned.
The business leader and governance advocate urged the new INEC chairman to take bold steps to rebuild transparency, accountability, and credibility in the electoral process.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman on October 23, a week after his appointment was confirmed by the Senate following a screening session on October 16.
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
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