Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised concerns over Nigeria’s electoral system, stating that accurate vote counts remain elusive due to the presence of ‘ghost voters.’
He warned that until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is led by individuals of integrity, election credibility will continue to be questioned.
According to The Punch, The former president spoke at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa, held in Abuja.
Jonathan asked that electoral officers should be willing to resign rather than succumb to political pressure to manipulate election results. He argued that a lack of credible leadership within INEC has fueled public distrust in Nigeria’s elections.
“In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters,” Jonathan said. He stressed that political leaders often pressure electoral officials to engage in malpractice, and only those with strong moral convictions can resist such influence.
The former president referenced the experiences of ex-INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, who previously admitted to facing immense pressure from politicians. Jonathan also insisted that anyone taking up a leadership role in INEC should be prepared to walk away rather than compromise the electoral process.
“If you are accepting to be chairman of INEC or a commissioner, 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 stated.
