Goodluck Jonathan, the former president, has said that the participation of “ghost voters” was preventing the country from receiving accurate vote totals during elections.
Additionally, he asserted that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s chairman and other officials would be better off resigning than caving in to pressure to rig elections.
Jonathan expressed these concerns at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa held in Abuja on Tuesday, February 25.
The former leader claims that unless there are honest individuals in INEC who would sooner quit than give in to pressure to rig elections, the country’s electoral system would continue to struggle with a crisis of trust.
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 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.
“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 pressurised. 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’.
‘’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.”
The former President emphasised that without strong and ethical leadership in electoral management, the electoral system would remain flawed.
He called for a robust electoral system that works to ensure credible elections.
“When both parties are strong, and the system cannot be manipulated, only real human beings will cast and their votes will count,” he affirmed.
Jonathan also questioned the electoral process’ regionalisation, saying it is a big obstacle to Nigeria’s aim of electing effective leaders.
Regionalisation has permeated every aspect of the system, including religious groups, he said.
“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.
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“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?” Jonathan queried.
He stressed 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.
Nigeria, a nation with significant influence in the West African subregion, must lead by example by holding free and fair elections, Jonathan continued.
He recalled 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.
Jonathan also cited the difficulties facing elections in Senegal and Sierra Leone, where claims of irregularities, including intimidation of voters, ethnic tensions, and contentious outcomes, weakened the votes.
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.
“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.
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‘’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.
He called for sustained progress in democracy within the Economic Community of West African States to foster hope among citizens.
Jonathan commended 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.’’
He advocated 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.
The 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 incumbents
“The withholding of funds and other resources from electoral operations and attempts to discredit the EMB,” Jega stated.
