My experience in conducting 2015 polls — Jega


For the first time after conducting the 2015 elections adjudged to be one of the country’s best, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, spoke about what the commission went through.
Jega, who is now teaching Political Science at Bayero University, Kano, spoke at the first University of Abuja Public Lecture Series with the theme Electoral Reforms in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.
The former INEC boss said the commission had to contend with unnecessary challenges created by some desperate politicians, who wanted to win election at all cost.
According to Jega, many of the politicians, who he described as ‘militicians’ have a mindset of capturing power through any means, thereby trying to subvert the will of the people.
The former INEC boss said that the commission was able to thwart the antics of the desperate politicians by ensuring effective compliance with the laws and remaining transparent and non-partisan throughout the process.
Jega said: “From my experience, I quite often say that Nigeria has a special breed of politicians (Militicians). They generally tend to believe that political power through elections has to be ‘captured,’ and this has to be done by hook or by crook; and by any means necessary. To them, winning election is, literally, a do-or-die affair.

Minefield
“INEC faced perhaps its greatest challenge in containing the predisposition and reckless mindset of Nigerian politicians. Any wonder then that our political arena increasingly resembled a bloody battlefield, with maiming, killing, burning, and unimaginable destruction of lives and property.
“Navigating the minefield of do-or-die politicians as an impartial electoral umpire required nerves of steel, and we had to quickly muster the requisite thick skin, as well as appropriate containment strategies.
“A series of badly conducted elections could create perpetual political instability and easily reverse the gains of democratization. If adequate care is not taken, badly conducted elections can totally undermine democratization and replace it with authoritarian rule, of the civilian or military varieties.


Check the Vanguard newspaper for the full story.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agric Ministry Introduces New Measures for Fertiliser Allocation

Bauchi State Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, has described as successful the 2013/14 E-Wallet System of fertiliser allocation and distribution in the country. To this end, he said, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is soon to introduce the National Agricultural Payment Initiative (NAPI) as a boost to the e-wallet system geared to biometrically capture the data of all farmers under the scheme. He attributed the non-implementation of the e-wallet fertiliser allocation this year to change of administration at the central level, and the non-payment of outstanding payment to agro dealers who supply the fertiliser. The director who spoke in an interview with journalists yesterday in Bauchi, said however that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is doing everything possible to offset the outstanding arrears to the fertiliser suppliers towards making headway in the programme. “There is also this new programme that is coming up, the National Ag
Read more

10 World Most Eloquent People

Image
Only the eloquent can adequately describe eloquence. It includes articulation, a mellifluous tone of voice and poise under pressure. To be eloquent is to speak well in a persuasive and deeply thoughtful way. Though it appears to come easily, eloquence does not often come naturally. The most talented speakers often have training in rhetoric and behavioral psychology. Here are 10 great examples of eloquent speakers who have made their mark on the world. 1. Martin Luther King, Jr “I Have a Dream” is perhaps the most powerful speech in American history. In poetic, unequivocal language, he explains how people can live up to their ideals for the sake of their children. 2. Abraham Lincoln In a speech only two minutes long, Lincoln explained the moral justification for the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address. 3. Winston Churchill In a few short years Churchill transformed himself from a burly, unemployed, failed novelist to a leader of the free world with
Read more

Over 3,000 mechanics register for Autofest training

Image
Thousands of auto technicians in Lagos have registered for Autofest which started Monday at the Blueroof of the Lagos State Television, Ikeja, western Nigeria. Organizers of the Autofest officially announced the free training while answering questions during a media parley. During the interactive session, Mr Gbola Oba, the COO of Automedics Limited, informed the audience about a partnership arrangement with two prominent mechanic associations in Lagos State to have their members trained in mechatronics and high tech, 21st century technologies in modern automobile. “Members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association of Nigeria (NATA) and Motor Mechanics and technical Association of Nigeria (MOMTAN) have both registered thousands of their members in Lagos for the training,” he said. Check the PM NEWS newspaper for the full story.
Read more