Africa’s progress depends on democracy, credible polls, says Jega

Chairman, Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG); Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (left); Director, Africa Initiative for Governance; Mrs. Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede; First Africa Initiative for Governance Fellow; Prof. Attahiru Jega; Chief Executive Officer, Africa Initiative for Governance; Ms. Chienye Ogwo, and Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, Sir Paul Collier, at the public lecture titled “Electoral integrity in Africa: Lessons from Nigeria’s 2011 and 2015 Elections”, delivered by Jega at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. PHOTO: ADE OMOLAJA<br />

The progress of African countries depends on good governance, which itself depends on credible elections, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, told a gathering at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University.

The former national elections umpire revealed that, among others, INEC got the names of dead people and fictitious people like those of Mike Tyson and England’s Queen Elizabeth off the electoral register to give Nigeria credible elections.

He told the audience, for 2011 elections, “we did minimal reorganisation and put square pegs in square holes and also asked for three months extension,” so as to put some things in place and give the elections “ some credibility.” But thereafter, the commission was overhauled and with the aid of technology, INEC delivered in 2015.

Jega, who spoke on: “Electoral integrity in Africa: Lessons from Nigeria’s 2011 and 2015 Elections,” cited both a United Nations (UN) report and an Harvard professor’s research, Classifications of African regimes, to back the claim that good governance had a correlation with credible elections.
He then noted that the continent had a bad record for fraudulent elections. “Poorly conducted elections are the norm in Africa.” Ironically, “for Africa to progress we need to deeply entrench democracy and elections with integrity contribute to that.”

He said after the 2007 elections, many Nigerians had written off INEC, and that he was warned by friends not to take the job in June 2010, as nobody with any reputation had occupied the chair and came out without sin.

He revealed that part of the keys to the success of the 2015 elections was that the commission had to “create a level playing field for all the parties and contestants without favouring the incumbent.”

Jega, who doubles as the inaugural African Initiative for Governance (AIG) fellow, was commended by Oxford Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Sir Paul Collier, for demonstrating “courage” during the conduct of the 2015 elections that brought in the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

AIG founder and Chairman, Aigboje Aig- Imoukhuede, said Jega made “history,” not just in Nigeria, but for Africa as well. Imoukhuede, who is also the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said “we had a good fortune of a good leader appointed to lead INEC,” and the end results have justified this.

Both Collier and Imoukhuede noted that not only had he moved the goalposts for Nigerian elections, but for those of the entire continent of Africa.
Making reference to the recent elections in both Ghana and Gambia, where the ruling parties lost to the opposition parties, Collier said, “two countries in West Africa owe a debt to Jega.”

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