INEC Under Attack: Nigerians Did Not Get Leaders They Wanted, Says Jerry Gana. INEC was unjust during the 2023 elections; it did not provide us with the leaders of our choice. Former Minister of Information and National Orientation Prof. Jerry Gana says INEC was unjust to Nigerians during the 2023 general elections.
Gana shared his thoughts on the election during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna about Nigeria’s democracy and its path thus far. The former minister accused INEC for the current electoral issues, in which numerous election results were contested in court due to alleged electoral malpractice.
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Recently, INEC has not been fair to Nigerians in conducting national elections; as a result, we have a long way to go in our democracy if we allow this ugly development to continue, he stated.
It is true that we have implemented a lot of modern technology to improve our electoral system, but INEC does not respect these technologies today. It is a major disappointment to me that INEC did not give us the leaders of our choice, Gana said.
He, on the other hand, expressed hope that the country’s democracy will be perfected soon. “After going through the current democratic process, it is my hope that the next one will be better,” Gana added.
Gana, who also commented on the presidential election on June 12, called the annulment a grave mistake. He said that retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida meant well when he organized the election, but that powerful forces forced him to cancel it to suit their interests.
Similarly, Prof. Mohammed Kuta-Yahaya, a former Secretary to the Government of Niger, called the June 12, 1993 presidential election as a watershed point in Nigerian political history when Nigerians voiced delight for democracy since they were tired of prolonged military dictatorship.
He expressed regret that the then-Supreme Military Council, led by Babangida, had canceled it for whatever cause. “Whatever caused the military to cancel the presidential election on June 12 did not sit well with the people of the country because that was when they demonstrated to the entire world that they are one people who believe in democracy.
This is one of the reasons why former President Muhammadu Buhari designated June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, though the date was later changed.
It was a day for Nigerians, It was a day when Nigerians came out in mass and freely voted for the leader of their choice, irrespective of cultural and religious affiliations, he remarked.
In order to strengthen the election process, the former Secretary of State Government urged for caution in the country’s voting system to end political events such as June 12. He encouraged President Bola Tinubu to appoint competent cabinet members to ensure the country’s unity, growth, and security.
Kuta-Yahaya, a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, urged the country’s officials to prioritize education in order to empower people and make them better members of society. “Quality education will result in rapid socioeconomic advancements because it will empower people.”
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If you make education your first priority, you will spark a revolution that will outlast you as a leader in terms of bettering the people and the country. If you do not educate the people, particularly the youth, to become good citizens, they will turn against you, the leader, tomorrow.
As far as I am concerned, education is the bedrock of any meaningful society, he stated. He asked the country’s leaders to return to the values of our founding fathers, when Nigerians coexisted peacefully toward national prosperity.
