Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concerns over Nigeria’s electoral credibility, stating that “ghost voters” prevent the country from getting an accurate vote count during elections.
Speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa in Abuja, Jonathan stressed the need for men of integrity in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He argued that officials should resign rather than yield to political pressure to manipulate elections.
Jonathan declared, “In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters.”
He urged electoral officers to uphold democracy by refusing to succumb to undue influence, citing the example of ex-INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, who faced political pressure during his tenure.
Jonathan emphasized, “Political leaders who are so domineering will pressurize you to do what is wrong; you should be able to resign and leave. If we don’t have such people managing our electoral bodies, we will not get what we want.”
His comments highlight ongoing concerns about electoral fraud and integrity in Nigeria’s democratic process.
