Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has criticised Nigerian politicians for his or her rising desperation to win elections in any respect prices, warning that the “do-or-die” angle stays a serious impediment to the nation’s democratic progress.
Speaking on Monday, October 27, on the joint commencement ceremony of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies and the University of Benin in Abuja, Jega mentioned the nation’s democratic journey, regardless of spanning 25 years, continues to face deep challenges.
He famous that electoral malpractice, violence, and mistrust within the system persist as a result of many politicians deal with elections as a battle fairly than a civic obligation.
“When we see the desperation of these politicians, it is very clear, as former President Obasanjo said, that they engage with elections with a ‘do-or-die’ mentality. We must win by whatever means are necessary,” Jega mentioned.
According to him, the harmful tradition of profitable at any value has steadily weakened public confidence in elections and governance.
READ ALSO: Jega Accuses Politicians of Bribing Professors to Rig Elections
He defined that Nigeria has been “literally muddling through democratic development” since 1999 as a result of absence of real dedication to truthful play.
Jega additionally careworn that no election is with out flaws, however integrity should stay the guideline of each electoral course of.
“No elections are perfect and none are likely to ever be,” he acknowledged.
He added that electoral credibility “is relative and measured as a continuum from the extreme worst-case scenario to the ideal best-case scenario.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political historical past, Jega identified that the obsession with energy has outlined the political tradition for many years, recalling that in 2007, then-President Olusegun Obasanjo famously described elections as a “do-or-die affair.”
