Disturbed by the high number of elections cancelled after the 2015 general elections, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu Thursday said that an investigation would be launched into why 82 elections were nullified.
The number is 48 or 141.2 per cent more than the 34 elections nullified in 2011, while only 20 were cancelled in 2007.
Yakubu disclosed the probe when he met the media and some Civil Society Organizations and said that the commission will study the circumstances that led to the nullification of the elections and evolve measures to tackle the related issues.
As at Tuesday, 82 elections have been nullified pending the outcome of two more cases each in Osun and Bayelsa states.
Yakubu said, “Now, we have 82 elections nullified by the Court of Appeal, two of which will still proceed to the Supreme Court.
“But in addition to the nullified elections, we have 15 other elections where petitioners were declared winners by the courts. The courts did not decide that we should conduct re-runs there. They said that we should issue Certificates of Return to those declared winners by the courts,” he explained.
He expressed confidence that INEC will study the circumstances that led to the nullifications of the elections and develop measures to tackle them.
-Leadership