In a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Tonight on Monday, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), shared his perspective on the recently concluded 2023 general elections, characterising them as ‘credible in many substantial aspects’.
Jega clarified that his favourable assessment of the polls wasn’t necessarily a defence of the incumbent INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, News About Nigeria reports.
Amidst mixed reactions to the elections, which included debates on outcomes, legal disputes, and decisions by election petitions tribunals and the Court of Appeal, Jega offered insights.
“In many substantial aspects, it was credible,” he said, acknowledging challenges in certain areas that, according to him, were avoidable.
He emphasised the tendency to attribute blame to the leadership of the electoral management body, drawing from his own experience of facing such blame during his tenure.
However, Jega argued that blame should be appropriately distributed, adding that politicians played direct roles in areas facing very serious challenges, which, in turn, influenced and somewhat limited the powers of INEC and its chairman.
“In areas where we have seen serious challenges that are avoidable and should have been avoided, I believe that to a large extent — and you asked me to be very frank with you — we have a tendency to heap blame on the leadership of an electoral management body and I have had my own fair share of those kinds of blames,” he added.
While acknowledging the unfortunate occurrences during Mahmood’s tenure, Jega said, “To my mind, it’s unfortunate it has happened on the watch of Yakubu Mahmood but it has happened not because — to my mind, I have no evidence that he is complicit in these things.”
