Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has yesterday said the Nigerians are not getting accurate vote counts from the electoral umpire because the votes are riddled with ‘ghost voters.’He therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC chairman and his team to resist the pressure to manipulate elections.
Jonathan was speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa held in Abuja.
According to the former Nigeria leader, men of integrity must be in charge of the INEC, those who will chose to resign than to succumb to election rigging, otherwise the nation’s electoral system will continue to grapple with a credibility crisis.
Jonathan said, “In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters.
“We must have credible people. From what (ex-INEC Chairman, Attahiru) Jega said, political leaders who are so domineering will pressurize you to do what is wrong; you should be able to resign and leave. You should be able to resign and walk away, please.
“If we don’t have this kind of people, then we are in trouble. And I don’t want any INEC official to say I was pressurized. 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 pressurized to do what is wrong, I will take care of the democratic people and walk away’.
‘’And if we don’t have such people managing our electoral management bodies, if what we have are people who will continue to go in a circle, we will not get what we want.”
Therefore, he called for a robust electoral system that works to ensure credible elections.
He explained that “When both parties are strong, and the system cannot be manipulated, only real human beings will cast and their votes will count”.
Jonathan also criticized the regionalization of the electoral process, stating that it is a major hindrance to Nigeria’s desire to elect capable
leaders.
He noted that regionalization has deeply infiltrated the system, affecting all facets, including religious groups.
“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. And that will be controlled by de-emphasising sort of key areas.
Jonathan queried “If our systems of electing our leaders are not fine-tuned to the level that the voter card will work, then what will be so great about democracy”?
He reiterated the importance of improving the voter registration system and electoral processes to ensure that democracy functions effectively.
“If our systems for electing leaders are not fine-tuned, then what is the point of democracy?” he questioned.
Jonathan added that as we parade Nigeria the giant of Africa, we must set an example by conducting clean and peaceful elections otherwise the respect we deserve will just be illusion in the West African sub-region we clamour.
Highlighting some of the problems like, the logistical issues, delayed voting in some areas, violence and technical glitches that marred the 2023 general elections despite the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the Results Viewing Portal by INEC to enhance transparency, he describe the incident as unfortunate.
Citing similar challenges that confronting elections in Sierra Leone and Senegal, where allegations of irregularities, including voter intimidation, ethnic tensions and controversial results undermined the polls, we are far in the woods.
He added, ‘’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.
Explaining he said, “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.
“Two other countries, Liberia and Senegal also conducted general elections with limited deployment of technology. In these countries, the processes were generally peaceful, transparent and credible with a high voter turnout.
‘’In the case of Liberia, incumbent President George Weah conceded defeat to the opposition candidate Joseph Boakai after a closely contested runoff, setting a positive example for democratic transitions in the region.
‘’The pre-election period in Senegal was notably marred by protests, arrests of opposition figures, and concerns about the independence of the judiciary. However, it was pleasing to observe that once the election process kicked in, the polling processes progressed without hitches, resulting in a free and fair outcome.’’
He observed that the high voter turnout in Liberia, Senegal and Ghana as well as a peaceful transition of power in these countries demonstrated public enthusiasm for democratic participation and consolidation.
‘’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.
‘’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,’’ he noted.
The former Nigerian leader called for sustained progress in democracy within the Economic Community of West African States to foster hope
among citizens.
He applauded the West Africa’s democratic progress despite recent setbacks, referencing the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic.
He noted, “Although some nations have regressed to military rule, West Africa has largely transitioned from the dark days of pervasive military rule to a region where elections are the primary means of transferring power.
‘’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.
‘’The fact that the military regimes are now treated as an aberration within the Economic Community of West African States speaks eloquently to this progression and highlights the resilience and determination of our people to embrace democracy as a way of life.
‘’This is, indeed, a clear departure from the not-so-distant past when many nations in the sub-region experienced long spells of political instability or military dictatorship with some of the leaders even playing an active role in the formation of ECOWAS in 1975.’’
Meanwhile, He advocated for robust youth participation in the electoral process, strong and independent electoral institutions and electoral reforms as well as efficient use of technology.
‘’There is no doubt that the future of democracy in Africa lies in addressing the root causes of instability, including poverty, inequality, and climate change.
‘’Political leaders and citizens alike must commit to promoting good governance and a culture of tolerance, inclusion, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence,’’ he further advised.
In his remarks, former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in his keynote address, highlighted persistent challenges limiting democratic development in West Africa.
“Political interference in the appointment (and/or removal) of electoral commissioners and other electoral management body officials; intimidation/targeting of electoral officials to ensure desired outcomes; obstruction of legal reforms to extend EMB powers (for example to strengthen oversight of campaign finance) or more broadly provide for more inclusive electoral processes.
“Introduction of rules that enable fraud or manipulation, for example through weak regulations around registration or voting procedures, or strategic changes to electoral laws which significantly favour incumbent
