Jega emphasised the importance of free, fair and peaceful elections, and he suggested that achieving this goal would require a change in the attitude and disposition of governors.
Jega pointed to their actions and inactions as potential triggers for electoral violence.
The former INEC chairman acknowledged that insecurity might undermine the credibility of elections but said that several measures were required to reduce or completely eradicate violence and difficulties associated with insecurity during polls.
Jega spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during a roundtable discussion and public presentation of policy papers on citizens’ rights and the effect of insecurity on elections, with the theme ‘Strengthening Electoral Integrity in Nigeria,’ organised by Electoral Hub with support from the Open Society Foundations.
He said, “We have seen in the past that the actions and inactions of political leaders, particularly the governors, are major catalysts for violence, whether in Imo or Kogi and it is crucial, one of the most immediate things that needs to be done, is for the incumbent governors to show sensitivity and responsibility to recognise that no life needs to be lost in a contest for political office.
“I think once they can moderate attitudes and dispositions, then they better be in terms of having free, peaceful and fair elections.
“Remember the damage that insecurity can do to the integrity of elections, there are a lot of things we need to do to minimise if not eliminate the risks of violence and then challenges of insecurity related to our elections. This is aimed at sensitising all citizens especially INEC and even voters on what needs to be done to address the challenges of insecurity and violence in the elections.”
Speaking further, he said, “Trust is something you build over time and you have to keep on working, being very transparent, inclusive and sharing information and consistency to earn public trust and confidence.
“I know INEC has been doing its best, but for many citizens, it would appear as if their best is not good enough, what they need to do is to keep trying and doing their best to be more inclusive to develop capacity for strategic communication, and to work extra hard to gain trust and confidence of the public.”
During the event, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, explained that the House is working hard to unbundle INEC by drafting a bill that would establish an agency in charge of electoral offences and a tribunal because the electoral commission is working too hard.
