President Bola Tinubu has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be fully equipped to carry out its constitutional responsibilities with excellence and independence.
Speaking on Tuesday at the flag-off ceremony for the construction of the new INEC national headquarters annex in Abuja, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He emphasized the critical role of the electoral body in sustaining public trust and democratic governance in the country.
“Today’s ceremony is not merely about bricks and mortar. It is about the strength of our democracy, the independence of our institutions, and the future of our electoral integrity.
“INEC has been and remains the backbone of Nigeria’s democratic journey. Its role in conducting free, fair, and credible elections is central to the trust our people place in their government and in our democratic process,” he said.
President Tinubu stated that democracy in Nigeria remains a work in progress and that institutions like INEC must evolve in capacity and infrastructure to meet the aspirations of citizens and future challenges.
The President assured that his government is focused on building not only the physical infrastructure but also on providing the necessary legal and policy frameworks to empower INEC.
“We are committed to ensuring that INEC is fully equipped not only in infrastructure, but in law, policy, and resources to carry out its constitutional mandate with courage, fairness, and excellence,” the President declared.
Describing the new annex as more than a construction project, he said the building represents national ideals and democratic resilience.
He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for initiating the project, which he described as ‘‘another important step towards the protection of our democracy.”
President Tinubu charged the project stakeholders to maintain professionalism excellence.
“To the contractors, supervisors, and stakeholders involved in this project, let quality, speed, integrity, transparency guide your work. You are not just building an edifice. You are building trust in our nation,” he said.
President Tinubu reminded Nigerians that democracy is a shared responsibility, saying:
“This democracy is not a destination, but a journey. Together, let us strengthen our institutions, safeguard our freedoms, and protect the future.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, assured Nigerians that the annex building will be completed within President Tinubu’s first term in office.
He clarified that the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2025 and is being supervised by the FCT through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
Wike explained that the INEC annex is among several public structures recently approved for renovation or new construction by FEC to meet the capital’s growing infrastructural needs.
“With the kind of support the President has given to us, we’ll make sure that the contractor delivers,” he said.
Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, described the ceremony as a moment of personal fulfilment, noting that after almost 10 years of persistent effort, the construction of the INEC annex building is finally a reality.
He recalled the historical trajectory of the Commission’s office accommodation challenges, pointing out that the current headquarters, commissioned in December 1997, has become “severely congested.”
“Commissioned in December 1997, it was originally planned to cater for eight Commission members—that is, a Chairman and seven full-time Commissioners—10 departments and directorates, and 500 staff.
“Since then, the activities of the Commission have become more extensive, and the staff strength at the headquarters has more than doubled.
“Today, there are 13 full-time Commission members, a Chairman and 12 National Commissioners, 22 departments and directorates, and 1,048 staff.
“Consequently, every facility is overstretched, from offices to meeting rooms for the Commission’s 15 standing committees and other activities, including regular engagements with stakeholders. General staff meetings always take place outside the Commission.
“In response, the Commission was compelled to rent two buildings in Wuse Zone 2 to ease the situation,” he said.
Professor Yakubu highlighted the longstanding partnership with the Federal Capital Development Authority in addressing INEC’s space constraints.
“When the Commission relocated its headquarters from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, it was the FCDA that provided it with offices in Garki to accommodate the national headquarters as well as the FCT office.
“When the facility became overstretched, the FCDA again built our present headquarters. The building in Garki now operates exclusively as our FCT office.
“In fact, today’s groundbreaking event is the third time in the last 34 years that the FCDA, in the discharge of its responsibilities, is stepping in to either provide office accommodation or alleviate the Commission’s space constraint,” he said.
The INEC Chairman explained that the new building is designed to meet the Commission’s current and future needs.
He said provisions have been made for offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, a 1,000-seat auditorium, and offices for IT-based facilities such as the Election Monitoring and Support Center.
“Beyond these facilities, the building has provision for a museum to serve as a repository for the physical and digital history of elections and electoral activities in Nigeria.
“This will afford citizens—particularly students that regularly visit the Commission on excursion—the opportunity to appreciate the evolution of our electoral history, as is the case in many jurisdictions around the world,” he said.
The INEC chairman said the existing headquarters will remain operational and will be complemented by the new annex upon completion.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
June 17, 2025
