Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concerns over the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary in enabling the misconduct of politicians.
Speaking at the Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa, organized by Yiaga Africa in Abuja, Jonathan noted that unless electoral laws are thoroughly reviewed, Nigeria will continue to experience challenges in its democratic process.
He stressed that for elections to be conducted fairly, the judiciary must uphold its responsibilities. He also pointed out that a corrupt system creates an environment where wrongdoing thrives.
His words: “if elections must be done properly, then the judiciary must always play their role. And I always say that every human being have the feeling to cheat even if you are born from heaven, as long as you are human, that feeling that you must exploit, you must cheat is there, but if the environment does not accept it, then you become careful.
“Just like some countries are more corrupt than others, you see that even those countries that are not corrup, most of them, if they travel out and go to those corrupt countries, they become more corrupt because of the environment.
“Like I always compare the situation to football, if you have a referee and a Video Assistant Referee (VAR), that tolerate nonsense, the players plays anyhow, but if you get the no nonsense referee that means the INEC that plays the role of the referee and the judiciary looks the other way, they the politicians must do whatever they like because they want to win by all means.
“I can remember somebody told me about a judge, when a very senior politician and tough person called him to says you must do this and and he said i will not do it, even with a gun on my head. That is the kind of people we need right now.”
Acknowledging that, some countries have conducted peaceful and credible elections in region, the former Nigeria chief executive regretted that others were marred by violence, allegations of fraud, and institutional weaknesses.
“In February 2023, Nigeria held general elections and subsequently carried out a peaceful transition from one civilian administration to another.
“However, despite the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Results Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the process still experienced logistical issues, delayed voting in some areas, violence and technical glitches with the BVAS system.
“Sierra Leone also introduced new technology with the use of biometric voter registration ahead of its presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections in June 2023.
“However, there were allegations of irregularities including voter intimidation, ethnic tensions and controversial results which culminated in the opposition’s boycott of governance institutions.
“Late last year, Ghana conducted general elections which were indeed successful, despite the application of limited technology.
“The country, with a reputation of being one of Africa’s most stable democracies, lived up to this billing by conducting peaceful polling and smooth transfer of power.
“The Electoral Commission of Ghana and the security authorities played a crucial role in ensuring the elections were free, fair, and transparent, thereby demonstrating that Ghana’s democratic institutions and processes have continued to be resilient, even with limited technology.
“We must address these issues head-on by promoting a culture of inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law.”
