Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the accuracy of vote counts in Nigerian elections, attributing the issue to the presence of what he called “ghost voters.”
Speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa in Abuja, Jonathan stressed that the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is vital to restoring trust in the electoral process.
He argued that unless INEC officials are willing to resist political pressure — or step down when asked to compromise elections — the country’s electoral credibility will remain fragile.
“In Nigeria, you can’t get an accurate count of votes because I believe that we have too many ghost voters,” Jonathan said.
He emphasized the need for electoral officials with strong moral principles, adding, “We must have credible people. From what (ex-INEC Chairman, Attahiru) Jega said, political leaders who are so domineering will pressurise you to do what is wrong; you should be able to resign and leave.”
Jonathan warned that without principled individuals at the helm of the electoral body, Nigeria’s democracy would continue to suffer setbacks.
“If you are accepting to be Chairman of INEC or to be a commissioner of INEC, then you should be ready to say, ‘If I’m pressurised to do what is wrong, I will take care of the democratic people and walk away,’” he added.
The former president highlighted the importance of a robust electoral system, where only legitimate voters participate and each vote counts.
“When both parties are strong, and the system cannot be manipulated, only real human beings will cast and their votes will count,” he affirmed.
Jonathan also criticized the regionalization of the electoral process, noting that it often influences religious and political groups, which affects the credibility of elections.
“Sometimes, if I listen to the prediction by religious men and women and so on, their predictions tend to go towards the regional interest. So, when the electoral process is so regionalised, we are going to have issues,” he stated.
He underscored the need to fine-tune voter registration systems and other electoral processes to strengthen democracy, questioning the point of democratic governance if the system itself is unreliable.
“If our systems for electing leaders are not fine-tuned, then what is the point of democracy?” he asked.
Jonathan called on Nigeria to set an example for the West African region by conducting fair and transparent elections, especially given the country’s influence in the sub-region.
Reflecting on recent elections across West Africa, he acknowledged the logistical issues, technical failures, and violence that marred Nigeria’s 2023 elections, despite INEC’s efforts to enhance transparency through technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Results Viewing Portal.
He compared Nigeria’s experience with countries like Ghana and Liberia, where elections were peaceful and credible despite limited use of technology.
“Late last year, Ghana conducted general elections which were indeed successful, despite the application of limited technology,” he noted, praising Ghana’s Electoral Commission and security forces for ensuring fairness.
Jonathan highlighted the peaceful power transition in Liberia, where former President George Weah conceded defeat, as a positive example of democratic maturity. He also noted the challenges in Sierra Leone and Senegal, where allegations of irregularities sparked tensions.
“It is instructive that in countries where more technology was deployed, like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the electoral process threw up more agitations, legal battles and political tensions,” he observed, emphasizing that technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections without integrity-driven leadership.
Despite recent military coups in countries like Mali and Niger, Jonathan praised the region’s overall progress toward democratic governance, noting that elections are now widely accepted as the legitimate pathway to power.
He called for greater youth participation, stronger electoral bodies, and reforms to address underlying issues like poverty and inequality, which often fuel instability.
“There is no doubt that the future of democracy in Africa lies in addressing the root causes of instability, including poverty, inequality, and climate change,” he said, urging political leaders to promote good governance and peaceful coexistence.
Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, also spoke at the event, highlighting the persistent challenges undermining West African democracies — from political interference to funding issues and deliberate attempts to weaken electoral processes.
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