Jega calls for creation of a special vehicle to free Nigeria from parochial and reckless politicians

By our reporter/ A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have led Nigeria astray for the past 21 years.

Jega who stated this while speaking during a lecture organised by Kwara Visioners Network for Rural Development in Kwara State, said the two dominant parties are becoming incapable of directing the country in the right way.

According to him, there is, therefore, a need to create a special vehicle that can go into alliance and work together to free the country from the stranglehold of parochial and reckless politicians.

“The current two dominant parties – APC and the PDP – with their quality recruitment and leadership selection processes who have shared power and have tended to lead Nigeria astray in the past 21 years are becoming incapable of directing Nigerian political and governance processes in the right direction,” he said.

“The dominant elites in these parties are self-centered, preventing the few good ones among them to be impactful. They are also fractious and quarrelsome and lacking even enlightened self-interest.”

The former INEC boss who equally dismissed speculations in some quarters that he was joining the 2023 presidential race, explained that his mission was to contribute to positive change in politics.

While stating that he is a registered member of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Jega noted that he hasn’t told anyone he is interested in running for the position.

He also reacted to moves for the electronic transmission of results in general elections, criticising the National Assembly for downplaying its importance.

According to him, the constitutional provision that prohibits the use of technology is a hindrance to electronic voting, asking the lawmakers to remove the legal encumbrance for electronic voting to be possible in the 2023 elections.

“In fact, INEC has used it in some elections in parts of the country. It is a pilot scheme which all the stakeholders have been observing and said is good.

“The next thing is to remove the major hindrance in the use of technology because there is a constitutional provision which says that electronic voting is prohibited,” the former INEC boss explained.

“Many Nigerians who are in support of electronic voting are blaming INEC for saying it cannot use electronic voting. They have forgotten that there is a legal provision that says electronic voting is prohibited.”