Goodluck Jonathan, the former president, has cautioned politicians against manipulating elections for political purposes.
Speaking during a public lecture to commemorate the 80th birthday of AGF Kanu Agabi, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and the former President stated that established rules must regulate elections.
Politicians shouldn’t use the desire for triumph as an excuse for wrongdoing, he continued.
“In politics it’s a disaster. People do stupid things, even criminal things, and they will tell you it is politics. It is not politics. Politics has rules.
“Politics is like a soccer match. You play according to the rules and that’s why the courts start to mediate if you go against the rules. Otherwise you can do anything and win an election and walk away,” he said.
The ex-Nigerian leader further stated that the nation’s fight against corruption required more than laws and enforcement agencies.
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He emphasised that lasting change would depend on building a society where ethical conduct is valued and wrongdoing is rejected.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has stressed that enough funding is crucial for obtaining the security and logistical support needed to carry out the general elections in 2027.
During a goodwill speech at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, which had as its theme “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections”, Amupitan delivered this message on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State.
The INEC chairman noted that while the commission’s funding is constitutionally designated as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the breadth of its mandates necessitates continuous financial investment to facilitate effective electoral administration.
He elaborated that INEC bears responsibility for conducting not only presidential and National Assembly elections, but also governorship and state House of Assembly elections, managing voter registration, and overseeing the registration of political parties.
According to him, the commission additionally possesses statutory authority to direct the deployment of security agencies for electoral activities and voter registration processes, thereby establishing security as a fundamental component of the electoral framework.
He said, “Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you can do because of financial constraints. The system does make allocations of what is available and what is affordable at a particular time for the expenses and appropriation of the agencies, including the police and also including INEC.”
Amupitan emphasised that voter registration constitutes the cornerstone of legitimate elections, asserting that an inaccurate or obsolete voters’ register could compromise the electoral process’s inclusiveness.
