Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that accurate vote counts are impossible in Nigerian elections due to the presence of “ghost voters.” He also called for electoral officials to resign rather than succumb to pressure to manipulate results.
Speaking at a YIAGA Africa conference in Abuja, Mr. Jonathan said that the electoral system will only gain credibility when individuals of integrity are appointed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters,” he said.
He urged INEC officials to be prepared to resign if pressured to compromise electoral integrity. “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’.”
Mr. Jonathan also criticised the regionalisation of the electoral process, saying it hinders the election of capable leaders. He noted that regionalism has infiltrated all aspects of the system, including religious groups. “Sometimes, if I listen to the prediction by religious men and women and so on, their predictions tend to go towards the regional interest,” he said.
He stressed the importance of improving voter registration and electoral processes to ensure effective democracy. “If our systems for electing leaders are not fine-tuned, then what is the point of democracy?” he queried.
Mr. Jonathan highlighted the logistical issues, delayed voting, violence, and technical glitches that marred the 2023 general elections, despite the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the Results Viewing Portal. He also pointed to challenges in elections in Sierra Leone and Senegal.
He contrasted these with the successful elections in Ghana, Liberia, and Senegal, which he said demonstrated public enthusiasm for democratic participation and consolidation. He noted that countries with more technology, like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, experienced more agitations and legal battles. “This development, therefore, underscores the place of the human element in deepening the roots of democracy,” he said.
He advocated for robust youth participation, strong electoral institutions, electoral reforms, and efficient technology use.
Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in his keynote address, highlighted persistent challenges including political interference in appointments, intimidation of electoral officials, obstruction of legal reforms, and withholding of resources from electoral operations.
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