Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as a transparent and credible process during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Shehu also commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, for what he called his humility and restraint in the aftermath of widespread commendations for the commission’s handling of the election.
The Osun governorship election was held on Saturday, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party declared the winner. Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who was credited with 404,107 votes.
The result was announced on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.
Shehu Says Osun Election Changed His View of Amupitan
Reflecting on the election, Shehu said he initially had reservations about Amupitan’s appointment as INEC chairman, citing concerns over a 2020 legal brief attributed to the electoral chief.
According to Shehu, the document, which was reportedly presented to an international audience, characterised violence in Nigeria as a religious conflict involving attacks against Christians.
“I don’t know him, and we never met. I have no reason to wish to meet him, either,” Shehu said, recalling his initial reaction to Amupitan’s appointment.
He argued, however, that violence in Nigeria has affected citizens across religious, ethnic and linguistic divides.
“The violence affected and still affects followers of all religions and speakers of every language,” he said.
Shehu said the controversy surrounding the document initially led him, like others, to question whether Amupitan was the appropriate choice to lead INEC.
He noted that Nigeria’s electoral system had progressively improved under successive INEC chairmen, singling out former commission chiefs Attahiru Jega and Mahmood Yakubu for particular praise.
According to Shehu, Jega oversaw what he regarded as Nigeria’s strongest election since the disputed June 12, 1993 presidential election, while Yakubu strengthened the involvement of civil society organisations and domestic and international observers in the electoral process.
INEC’s IReV Platform Draws Praise
Shehu said the conduct of the Osun election had significantly changed his assessment of Amupitan’s leadership of INEC.
He pointed specifically to the electronic transmission and uploading of polling results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal, IReV, which he said contributed to the transparency of the process.
“Now, look at what has just happened in Osun State. Under Amupitan’s leadership, the country has attained a transparent electoral process,” Shehu said.
He added that civil society groups, European Union representatives and local and international observers had commended aspects of the election, particularly the seamless publication of results on IReV.
For Shehu, the development represented an important step in Nigeria’s continuing effort to strengthen public confidence in elections and improve the transparency of result management.
Shehu Praises Amupitan’s Restraint
Despite the positive reactions, Shehu said he was surprised that Amupitan had not publicly celebrated the commission’s performance.
“With all the loud acclaim that followed, however, I have been asking myself, where is the captain of the ship, Professor Amupitan?” he asked.
Shehu contrasted the INEC chairman’s silence with what he described as the tendency of some Nigerian public officials to publicly claim credit for achievements.
“We are a country of wilful behaviour, chest-beating public officials who are proudly and aggressively proclaiming success without achieving half of what we are talking about here. Where is he?” he said.
He ultimately described Amupitan’s restraint as unusual in Nigeria’s public sector and urged the INEC chairman to acknowledge the commission’s performance.
“We are not used to seeing this kind of humility, patience, and restraint,” Shehu said, adding that Amupitan should be allowed to “dance to the drums in celebration.”
Shehu’s comments come as scrutiny of Nigeria’s electoral institutions remains high, with the performance of INEC, the reliability of electronic result transmission and the transparency of election management continuing to shape public confidence in the country’s democratic process.
