Nigeria’s election system needs immediate revisions, according to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who specifically cited the rising tendency of political defections and the appointment process for the chairman of the Independent National election Commission.
Speaking through Ann Iyonu, Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, at the National Action Plan for Electoral Reform Dialogue hosted by the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Jonathan acknowledged the progress made since the return to democratic rule in 1999 but emphasized the electoral system’s enduring problems.
Since returning to democratic governance, Nigeria has made enormous strides, but we must admit that there are still many obstacles facing our election system. “We must have the courage to change the process to better represent the will of the people and the values of justice, accountability, and inclusion if we are genuinely dedicated to democracy,” he said.
Jonathan suggested a review of the INEC Chairman selection process and suggested that screening and nomination be handled by an impartial body made up of representatives from academics, trade unions, professional associations, civil society, and the judiciary.
The impartiality and proficiency of the independent National Electoral Commission are crucial to the legitimacy of elections. The appropriateness of the INEC Chairman appointment procedure has been the subject of numerous ongoing inquiries. Nigeria can, in my opinion, enhance the procedure by putting in place an impartial system for nominations and screening.
Jonathan continued, “This reform will increase the legitimacy of INEC’s decisions, foster public trust in the organization, and lessen perceptions of bias.”
Regarding political defections, Jonathan criticized the growing phenomenon of “cross-cupping,” in which elected officials leave the party they were elected to, frequently without explanation or accountability.
Although parties are the cornerstone of any democracy, they are now susceptible to instability and opportunism in our setting. Cross-cupping, or elected officials leaving the parties they were elected to, has become an alarmingly common occurrence. The creation of an independent Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, tasked with overseeing party activities, encouraging internal democracy, and upholding party discipline, should be a top priority in order to address this, he stated.
Such a registrar would have the “authority to declare the seat of any defector vacant,” he clarified. He affirmed “the principle that the electoral mandate belongs to the people and not to individual ambition” by pointing out that such systems had been successful in Kenya and Malawi.
Jonathan also emphasized that any post-election challenges must be settled before elected officials are sworn in, cautioning that unresolved matters undermine public trust and disrupt governance.
“When candidates with unresolved election cases take office and are later removed by the courts, it causes confusion and threatens governance.” This damages the legitimacy of the election process and the office’s power. According to him, “justice postponed in elections is justice denied, not only for the candidates but also for the electorate.”
In addition, he recommended “reducing the number of courts handling electoral cases” in order to streamline the legal system, especially for presidential and gubernatorial elections.
Jonathan emphasized in his concluding remarks that electoral reforms are necessary to strengthen democracy and are not political.
“Democracy is more than just voting.” It is about establishing institutions, encouraging responsibility, and safeguarding the populace. We are talking about nonpartisan changes today. They have a sense of patriotism. They are intended to strengthen Nigeria, not to favor any particular group.
While Jonathan is still a member of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party’s national publicity secretary, reaffirmed that the party has a number of eligible candidates for the 2027 presidential election.
This was stated by Ologunagba during his appearance on Wednesday’s Arive TV Morning Show.
Since he hasn’t resigned, President Jonathan is still a member of this party, if you may use that term. Additionally, Mr. Obi ran for president for a different political party in the most recent election. He hasn’t made any signs of joining the party. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to start making comments on that. I can speak to our ability to have highly competent people, even as we stand right now,” Ologunagba stated.
He also commended Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, calling him one of the PDP’s “poster boys” for his performance and capacity to inspire Nigerians.
Therefore, we have highly qualified Nigerians and governors performing at the gathering today. And Nigerians are able to acknowledge that,” he said.
