A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has said that politicians are the greatest threat to Nigeria’s democracy and its corporate existence hence citizens must find ways to control their excesses and recklessness.
He spoke yesterday in Abuja at the maiden edition of ‘Watching The Vote: Election Series’ organised by the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa, themed “Is Nigeria’s Democracy Under Threat?”
He said the biggest threat is the recklessness of politicians to undermine Nigeria’s democracy thereby disrupting the process of development.
The Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari who said Nigeria’s democracy was under threat with the signs and indicators all over, noted the need for the government to partner with CSOs to educate Nigerians on elections especially to curb invalid votes.
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, said the series was to create a platform for engagement on the 2019 elections and provide opportunity for key election stakeholders to engage on pathways to ensuring peaceful and credible elections.
The Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan, urged Nigerians to be involved in the electoral process and think of national unity and development above sectional considerations.
