President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the new annex building of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja, a significant step toward resolving the Commission’s long-standing office space constraints.

The event, held at the construction site of the proposed annex, drew top government officials and political stakeholders. In his remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed deep appreciation to President Tinubu for personally performing the ceremony, describing the project as a long-awaited milestone for the Commission.

“For a long time, the Commission has faced serious challenges with space. Every part of the current headquarters is overstretched — offices, meeting rooms, and workspaces,” Prof. Yakubu said.

He noted that the existing headquarters, which opened in December 1997, was originally designed to accommodate eight Commission members, 10 departments, and about 500 staff. However, INEC has significantly expanded over the years and now has 13 full-time members, 22 departments, and a workforce exceeding 1,000.

To manage the growing needs, the Commission resorted to renting additional office space in Wuse 2, Abuja. But Prof. Yakubu said the search for a permanent solution gained momentum last year when the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stepped in to support the construction of the new annex.

He also acknowledged the longstanding support of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), recalling how the agency provided temporary accommodation for INEC in Garki when it first moved its headquarters from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 and later built the current office complex.

The new annex, now underway, will feature modern office spaces, conference and meeting rooms, a 1,000-seat auditorium, and a state-of-the-art election monitoring and support center. It will also house a museum dedicated to preserving Nigeria’s electoral history in both digital and physical formats — a resource aimed at students, researchers, and the public.

Prof. Yakubu clarified that the new facility would complement rather than replace the existing headquarters, offering much-needed operational support.

“This is a very special moment for me personally. After nearly 10 years of planning and efforts, the project is finally taking off,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for enabling the project, as well as to the Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, FCT Minister, members of the National Assembly, political party leaders, and other stakeholders for their support.

The new headquarters annex is expected to significantly enhance INEC’s operational capacity, improve working conditions, and support the Commission’s mandate of conducting free, fair, and credible elections across the country.