2007 election worst in Nigeria’s history – Prof Jega

 

 

Immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, has said the 2007 elections were manifestly the worst in Nigeria’s history as described by both domestic and international observers.

Jega disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while delivering the medain edition of the University of Abuja Public lecture titled ‘ Electoral Reforms in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.

He said the EU observer mission, noted that the election fell short of basic international standards and were characterised by violence and crude use of money to buy votes.

He said “there was reckless mobilization of ethno_ religious cleavages and heightened use of money and thugs to influence results”.

He said the pre_electoral process, such as party primaries were conducted in grossly undemocratic fashion, in many cases‎ the results were said to have gone to the highest bidder.

According to him, winner of the 2007 presidential election, late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, him seld had admitted that the elections that brought to power had serious flaws.

He said the country would have been engulfed in constitutional crises had the 2011 and 2015 general elections stale mated into a run off ,if there were to be no outright winner.

He said ‘’Presidential run off would have ignited constructional crises .We recommended to national Assembly since 2013 to amend certain sections of the constitution particularly those requiring 7 days to conduct run off but they have not heeded our request. It is a compelling necessity’’

On the need for a sustainable electoral reforms the former INEC boss, said given the fact that elections are the major pillar of leadership selection and governance in liberal democracies, constant and un-seizing effort for the reformation of the electoral process is imperative, especially in all countries that are democratizing.

He said’’ It is especially necessary in countries in transition to democracy, such as Nigeria, where there is a long history of badly conducted elections; where elections have been bastardized, and where many voters have become despondent and have virtually given up hope of their votes counting in choosing their elected executives or representatives in legislatures’’.

The former ASUU boss further lamented that Nigeria’s fledging democracy needed to be demerged from what he called ‘’ series of badly conducted elections’’ that creates perpetual political instability and easily reverse the gains of democratization.

According to him ‘’If adequate care is not taken, badly conducted elections can undermine democratization and replace it with authoritarian rule, of the civilian or military varieties. At best, they can install inept and corrupt leadership that can herald, if not institutionalize bad governance’’.

Earlier in his welcome address at the lecture Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Micheal Adikwu, said the Public Lecture series was instituted to create interactive activities beyond the usual classroom setting.

He said” the lecture series is designed to constantly bring together staff and students from all faculties as well as established professionals outside the borders to cross fertilize knowledge and ideas’’