President Bola Tinubu says the building of a new headquarters for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike shows his government’s support for the electoral umpire’s autonomy.

Mr Tinubu, while inaugurating the construction of a new INEC annexe office to complement its current headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, said the project “is not merely about brick 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 roles our people play in their government and in our democratic process.

“For this reason, it is only right that such a pivotal institution is housed in a structure that reflects the dignity, responsibility, and national significance of that institution. The new headquarters is a clear signal of our unwavering support for INEC’s autonomy, capacity, and growth,” Mr Tinubu said.

The president pledged his administration’s commitment to ensuring that INEC was fully equipped to carry out its constitutional mandate.

Mr Tinubu commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for initiating the project.

In his remarks, the FCT minister explained that the project was part of the renovation and construction of public buildings approved by the FEC to reduce the shortage of accommodation.

He assured Mr Tinubu that the project would be given the needed attention to ensure its completion before the end of his tenure.

Also speaking, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the commission had been grappling with inadequate office accommodation for a long time, as the current headquarters, built in 1997, had been “severely congested.”

He said the headquarters was initially planned to cater for eight commission members – the chairman, seven full-time national commissioners, 10 departments/directorates and 500 staff members.

“Today, there are 13 full-time commission members – a chairman and 12 national commissioners, 22 departments/directorates and 1,048 staff,” he stated.

Mr Yakubu dismissed concerns about why FCTA was building an office for a commission that was supposed to be independent.

He said this was not the first time the FCTA had constructed an office for the commission, but the third time in the last 34 years.

The INEC chairman said that when the commission relocated its headquarters from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, it was the FCTA that provided it with offices in Garki to accommodate the headquarters.

He said the building plan has provisions for a museum to serve as a repository for the physical and digital history of elections and electoral activities in Nigeria.

Mr Yakubu said INEC’s main building would remain the commission’s national headquarters, while the new building would complement the main building.