From Victor Osula, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new headquarters annex for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
INEC, in a statement, described the event as a significant milestone in its efforts to resolve the long-standing issue of inadequate office space.
Speaking at the ceremony, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed appreciation to the President for personally attending the event.
He explained that the new complex would ease the strain on the commission’s current headquarters, which has become severely overcrowded.
“We are glad that the President found time to personally perform the groundbreaking of the INEC annex building. For years, the commission has struggled with space constraints,” Yakubu said.
The existing headquarters, opened in December 1997, was designed to accommodate only eight commission members, 10 departments, and about 500 staff.
Today, INEC has grown to 13 full-time commissioners, 22 departments, and over 1,000 staff.
“Every part of the building is overstretched — from offices and meeting rooms to spaces for key engagements. We now hold our general staff meetings outside the office,” he added.
To cope, the commission had to rent two office buildings in Wuse 2, Abuja. Yakubu noted that while this served as a temporary measure, the need for a permanent solution became pressing.
He credited the Federal Capital Territory Administration for stepping in last year to support the construction of the new annex.
He also recalled the past support of the Federal Capital Development Authority, which provided office space when INEC relocated from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 and later built the current headquarters.
The new annex will feature modern facilities, including offices, conference and meeting rooms, a 1,000-seat auditorium, and IT infrastructure such as an election monitoring and support centre.
It will also include a museum that preserves Nigeria’s electoral history in both digital and physical formats, aimed at students, researchers, and visitors.
Yakubu clarified that the new building is not a replacement for the current headquarters but a complementary facility to support the commission’s growing operations.
“This is a very special moment for me personally. After nearly a decade of pushing for this project, it is finally taking off,” he said.
He thanked President Tinubu, the Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the FCT Minister, members of the National Assembly, political party leaders, and other stakeholders for their support.
“May God continue to bless our collective efforts,” he concluded.
