TheCable

Attahiru Jega says he could have stayed on for a second term as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but he “resisted the temptation”.

Jega, who left INEC on June 30 at the expiration of his tenure, was speaking at the London School of Economics late on Tuesday.

He said that if he wanted, he could have got a second term in office after the successful election. However, he resisted it in order to help the commission become a strong institution that it should be.

The professor of political science also highlighted the challenges of the elections and how they were faced, saying the elections caught politicians unawares as the commission was a step ahead of them.

“I think the major challenge is the do-or-die mindset of our politicians; they think they have to win by hook or crook. They have to use money; if money doesn’t work, they have to use harassment and intimidation; if that doesn’t work, they can even kill,” he said.

“The commission was a step ahead of them in preparing for 2015 general election, but they can go back and regroup and come for how to undermine the card readers.

“I have less fears about once Jega leaves, everything would go back to the way it was. That’s why I resisted the temptation of accepting a second tenure, even though I could have got that if I had wanted.

“I felt we had an opportunity, we did our best, trying to build an institution; let’s get that institution to work rather than just seeing it as if its only one man that can only do this job.  In a country like Nigeria, there are up to one million Jegas or even better; it is just getting the opportunity.”

He added that though he believes in positive change for Nigeria, he would not be running for political office.

“I have gone back to the university; I would want to continue to reflect on these issues, to contribute to them, I don’t see myself making a move from counting votes to campaigning, if you get what I mean.

“No doubt, I’m an incurable optimist about Nigeria and about positive changes, and about deepening democracy in Africa. I think we all need to use whatever opportunity we have to contribute to that.

Jega fielding questions from #LSENigeria attendees

“It is not easy driving that optimism in the kind of context I found myself, so one has to struggle to retain one’s sanity, to be able to contend with all the pressure, diversions, which are deliberately thrown in the way by politicians in other to have their way.

“I have had my fair share of political pressure, it’s probably too early to be talking about some of these now. Maybe in a matter of time, you can read my book and see some of these, but there were pressures.

“Once we recognise that an electoral commission needs to impartial, non-partisan, and need to create a level playing field for all contestants, then we need to do all to provide that. That’s what I saw as my task.”

He went on to say that 90 percent of those who conducted Nigeria’s worst election in 2007, were the same people who conducted the lauded 2015 general elections, adding that all he had to do was draw a line on corruption.

Photo credit: @TJ_Olaitan