By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday said the proposed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters is not about bricks and mortar but it symbolizes strength of Nigeria’s democracy.Tinubu stated this at the official flag-off of the design and construction of a new INEC headquarters in Abuja.

He said INEC has been and remains the backbone of Nigeria’s democratic journey. Tinubu said construction of its headquarters signal the unwavering support from his administration for INEC’s autonomy, capacity and growth.According to him, “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 processes. For this reason, it is only right that such a pivotal institution is housed in a structure that reflects its dignity, responsibility, and national significance.”This new headquarters is a clear signal of our unwavering support for INEC’s autonomy, capacity, and growth. It will provide not just a home, but a hub for innovation, planning, training, and transparency in electoral administration”.He noted that Nigeria’s democracy is still growing and therefore assured that INEC is properly equipped in order to carry out its constitutional mandate with courage, fairness, and excellence.Addressing Nigerians he said, “To all Nigerians, I say this: democracy is not a destination but a journey. Together, let us strengthen our institutions, safeguard our freedoms, and protect the future”.The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike in his address said the project was awarded by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), in March 2025, which will be supervised by the FCT through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).He therefore assured that the structure will be given all the time it is required to ensure that the project is completed during his first tenure.Chairman INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, lamented that for years the Commission has been grappling with inadequate office accommodation and the present national headquarters is severely congested.He said, “Commissioned in December 1997, it was originally planned to cater for eight Commission members (a Chairman and seven full-time National Commissioners), ten Departments/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/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 II to ease the situation.”Over the last ten years, we made every effort to alleviate the situation until sometime last year when the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory came to the rescue. I wish to make it clear that this is not the first time that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) is constructing an office for the Electoral Commission. 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 ground breaking 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.”As the end user of the facility, our technical department submitted the concept of the proposed building which is what the FCT is currently executing. We made provision for offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, a 1,000-seat auditorium and offices for some of our IT-based facilities such as the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC). Beyond these facilities, the building plan 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.”The main building opposite the present site shall remain the National Headquarters of the Commission. When completed, the new building will complement the main building. For me personally, this is a special occasion. After almost ten years of persistent effort, the construction of the INEC Annex Building is finally a reality”.The INEC Chairman on behalf of his team thanked Mr. President for making it happen.