Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system, attributing inaccurate vote counts to the presence of “ghost voters.”
Speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa, held in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan said there is an urgent need for integrity within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He argued that electoral officials should be willing to resign rather than succumb to pressure to manipulate election results.
“We must have credible people. From what (ex-INEC Chairman, Attahiru) Jega said, political leaders who are so domineering will pressurise you to do what is wrong; you should be able to resign and leave. You should be able to resign and walk away, please,” Jonathan stated.
According to him, the absence of officials with strong ethical values in INEC would continue to undermine Nigeria’s electoral process. He insisted that anyone accepting a leadership position within the electoral body must be prepared to resist external pressure and prioritize democracy.
“If you are accepting to be Chairman of INEC or to be a commissioner of INEC, then you should be ready to say, ‘If I’m pressurised to do what is wrong, I will take care of the democratic people and walk away,’” he said.
Jonathan pointed out that unless the electoral system is strengthened, real voters will continue to be overshadowed by fraudulent practices.
“When both parties are strong, and the system cannot be manipulated, only real human beings will cast and their votes will count,” he affirmed.
He also criticized the deep-rooted regionalism in Nigeria’s electoral process, warning that it hinders the emergence of competent leaders.
“Sometimes, if I listen to the prediction by religious men and women and so on, their predictions tend to go towards the regional interest. So, when the electoral process is so regionalised, we are going to have issues,” he said.
The former president further emphasized the importance of refining the voter registration process and electoral framework to ensure the true essence of democracy is upheld.
“If our systems for electing leaders are not fine-tuned, then what is the point of democracy?” he questioned.
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Reflecting on recent elections across West Africa, Jonathan observed that despite the adoption of technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Results Viewing Portal, Nigeria’s 2023 general elections were marred by logistical failures, delays, violence, and credibility concerns.
Comparing Nigeria’s experience to elections in Ghana, Senegal, and Liberia, he noted that countries with fewer technological interventions managed to conduct peaceful and widely accepted polls.
“It is instructive that in countries where more technology was deployed, like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the electoral process threw up more agitations, legal battles and political tensions,” he noted.
He argued that while technology can enhance elections, its effectiveness depends on the integrity of those overseeing the process.
“This development, therefore, underscores the place of the human element in deepening the roots of democracy. It shows that the deployment of technology, no matter how elaborate or sophisticated, may not deliver the desired outcomes without the proven will of the authorities and the citizens to do the right thing,” Jonathan added.
Beyond elections, he stressed the need for continued democratic progress in West Africa, despite the resurgence of military takeovers in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
“Still, I believe we have made incremental progress. It is clear that West Africa has largely transitioned from the dark days of pervasive military rule and authoritarian regimes to a region where elections are now held routinely as the primary means of transferring political power,” he said.
The former president advocated for electoral reforms, increased youth participation in politics, and the strengthening of independent electoral bodies. He urged both leaders and citizens to commit to good governance, inclusivity, and peaceful coexistence.
Meanwhile, former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in his keynote address, highlighted major threats to democracy in West Africa. He cited political interference in the appointment of electoral officials, deliberate obstruction of electoral reforms, and manipulation of election rules as major obstacles to free and fair elections.
Jega further condemned the withholding of electoral funds, intimidation of officials, and strategic legal changes that favor incumbents, stating that such practices weaken democracy.
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