Nigeria election not perfect. But Ghana can learn lessons — Prof, Jega

Doreen Andoh Politics Dec - 16 - 2015 , 15:15

The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has been charged to emulate the success of the 2015 election, to uphold and promote Ghana’s democracy in the 2016 general election.

According to the immediate past Electoral Commissioner of the Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, the 2015 Nigerian election was not perfect but had a lot of successes to celebrate and serves as a guideline for other sister countries, including Ghana.

He said the healthy competition between Ghana and Nigeria needed not remain on the football field, but had to be extended to the completion of political stability between the two countries.

Professor Jega gave the charge while delivering a lecture, the first in the series, which formed part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra last Monday.

He, however, challenged Ghana not to hold an election using the Nigerian elections as the standard, but one that would beat Nigeria’s good example convincingly.

IEA 25th Anniversary Lecture Series

The IEA’s 25th Anniversary Lecture Series is being held on the theme: “Towards Free and Fair Elections; the Nigerian Experience.”

In his lecture, he shed light on the recent general election in Nigeria, factors that ensured the credibility of the electoral processes.

He expressed the readiness to assist the EC in Ghana whenever the need arose to enhance the upcoming local election in November 2016.

According to him, African countries can glean a lot from the election he had presided over in Nigeria.

Professor Jega said despite the many challenges of Nigeria’s 2015 election, it was successful and showed remarkable improvements in the level of credibility over the 2011 election.

“There is a lot that could be learned from Nigeria’s immediate past election by other countries in Africa. I want to say that all eyes were on Nigeria in 2015, so all eyes will be on Ghana in 2016 as you prepare and subsequently conduct your elections. As I mentioned earlier, as you have been beating us in soccer, you must now beat us in the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.” he added.

The baton to chalk up a better achievement is now with Ghana as the country prepares to hold general elections in 2016.

“If you have been beating us in soccer, you must now beat us in the conduct of free and fair election,” he teased Ghana into doing better.

The Former Nigerian Electoral Commissioner said specifically for Ghana and Ghanaians, Nigerians currently posed a big challenge to make the local election better than Nigeria’s.

“We used to be vociferous competitors on the football field, the Blacks Stars and the Super Eagles, but let us be vociferous competitors in the democratic arena,” he challenged.

He prayed that both countries would, consolidate and improve peace and security in their respective countries.

Political parties to do more

Professor Jega appealed to political parties in Ghana to support the EC and not leave the responsibility of voter education to the electoral body alone.

That, he said, was because political parties benefitted more and directly from valid votes more than any other entity, therefore, they needed to put all hands on deck to ensure maximum valid votes.

As a result, he charged political parties to do more than just getting their supporters out to vote on election day and also ensure they voted right.

Professor Jega said there was no point having a high voter turnout only for a good number of those ballots to be declared invalid.

Financial independence

Professor Jega underscored the need for electoral commissions to be financially independent to ensure credible and successful electoral processes.

“Financial autonomy of a commission is important. The situation where a commission has to go cap in hand to a government will undermine the integrity of the commission,” he said.

As Electoral Commissioner of Nigeria, he had played a leading role in ensuring credible and peaceful election in Nigeria.

His successful steering of affairs during the recent elections in 2015 ensured and guaranteed stability in the sub-region.

He has since become one of the most sought after figures in Africa and has to date received several awards including the 2015 Charles Manatt Democracy Award in Washington DC.

He recounted all electoral processes the Nigerian Electoral Commission under his watch instituted to ensure the electoral successes the country attained in its recent past general election.

For his part, the Board Chairman for the IEA, Dr Charles Mensah, said the institute had made some recommendations to the EC for electoral reform in the country as part of measures to promote a credible 2016 election.

The recommendations, he said included the call for the change of voting date to November 7 and the abolition of the strongroom.