Politicians, electorate biggest danger to 2023 polls – Jega

Tamarauemi Ebimini

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said that politicians and even electorate are the biggest danger to the success of February 25 and March 11 general elections.

He said this on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote at the public sensitisation on peaceful co-existence and the need to have hitch-free elections, organised by the Abuja National Mosque Da’awah and Welfare Foundation (ANMDWF).

“The so-called political class as active partisans and candidates, contestants in elections, are the category of stakeholders with perhaps the least noticeable improvements in the ways in which they engage with the electoral process since 1999.

“Their mindset is to achieve victory at all cost; to win elections deploying ‘all means necessary’; seeing electoral contests as a “do-or-die” affair. As they have done since 1999, they have continued to do, and are likely to do in 2023,” he said

A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said that politicians and the electorate are the biggest danger to the success of February 25 and March 11 general elections.

He said this on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote at the public sensitization on peaceful co-existence and the need to have hitch-free 2023 elections, organized by the Abuja National Mosque Da’awah and Welfare Foundation (ANMDWF), with the theme ‘Towards a free, fair, and credible 2023 general elections’.

According to him, it is generally acknowledged both at home and abroad that this year’s general elections are the most consequential elections to be held globally.

He noted that the attitude and disposition of the electorate, including citizens who qualify to register and to vote, is also a major concern.