Unbundle INEC for efficient performance, ban carpet crossing - Jega

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The immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has renewed call for the unbundling of the commission.

Jega also called for a comprehensive review of the processes and procedures for the appointment of the INEC Chairman and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Jega spoke on Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Abuja, organised by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters.

INEC and the 19 registered political parties were, however, absent at the event.

Jega, a former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, and professor of Political Science, also wanted a review of a law prohibiting inter-party defections, adding that the practice of jumping from one party to another had destroyed discipline and democratic ethos.

According to him, “A candidate will be elected on party a platform and he gets to the office and joins party b without first resigning and relinquishing the position he or she holds in trust for the electorate. This has destroyed the essence of our democratic ethos.”

On how political parties field presidential candidates, he said, “Look at the number of registered political parties in Nigeria and each fielding presidential candidates but at the end of the day, only two or three score significant votes while the majority do not receive any vote.

“If we are serious about our electoral reforms, there must be a threshold for political parties to meet before fielding candidates in presidential elections. The rule must be set that parties that failed to secure a certain amount of votes would not be allowed to present presidential candidates. There must be sanity in the polity and we must get it right.

“It is not only a huge waste of human and material resources, it’s absurd to have parties that cannot win a seat in the local council to field presidential candidates in a general election. The Electoral Act and INEC guidelines should be reviewed.”

Also, the founder of The Albino Foundation, Jack Ekpele, sought amendment to electoral laws to give room for persons living with disabilities to fully participate in the electoral process