Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concerns over the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system, stating that inaccurate vote counts persist due to the presence of “ghost voters.”
Speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa on Tuesday, February 25, Jonathan stressed that without men of integrity at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the country would continue to face election credibility issues.
“In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters,” he said.
Jonathan urged electoral officials to prioritise integrity, stating that INEC leaders should resign rather than succumb to pressure to manipulate elections.
“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.’”
He further criticised the regionalisation of Nigeria’s electoral process, arguing that it prevents the emergence of competent leaders.
“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 also called for improvements in voter registration and electoral processes, stressing that Nigeria must set an example in conducting credible elections, given its influence in West Africa.
Reflecting on recent elections in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Senegal, he noted that while Ghana and Liberia had relatively smooth elections with limited technology, Nigeria’s poll was riddled with legal battles and disputes despite technological advancements.
“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.”
Despite setbacks, Jonathan praised West Africa’s democratic progress, noting that military rule is now treated as an “aberration” in the region.
“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 urged electoral reforms, youth participation, and strong institutions to address the root causes of instability, including poverty and inequality.
Meanwhile, former INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega highlighted the persistent challenges in West African elections, citing political interference, intimidation of electoral officials, and manipulation of laws to favour incumbents.
“The withholding of funds and other resources from electoral operations and attempts to discredit the EMB,” Jega added.