Cross Carpeting Among Candidates Undermining Nigeria’s Democracy – Attahiru Jega

Attahiru Jega, Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has suggested that if any amendment must be effected in the 2022 Electoral Act, it must include the proscription of cross carpeting prevalent among candidates contesting for elections.

The professor of political science at Bayero University, Kano, stated that the trend where candidates jump from one political party to another was undermining the fundamental process of Nigeria democracy.

He stated this while speaking at the Citizens’ Townhall on Electoral Reforms, jointly organised by a monitoring group, Yiaga Africa and the European Union in Abuja, on Tuesday.

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Jega also advocated the unbundling of INEC, as well as review in the appointment process of Chairman and Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs of the Commission.

Accordingth to him: “If we want to improve politics and deepen our democratic system, there will be a need to proscribe cross carpeting. The challenges they(candidates) face cross carpeting make them undermine the fundamental process of democracy.

“We have seen this trend where even now Executive Governors elected under one party, move without consultation to another party. We need to ensure that in the new electoral act moving forward, we need to proscribe that aspect because it is destroying the essence of democracy.

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“The appointment of the chairman and RECs is another aspect that should be reviewed. This should be backed by the legislature because it will ensure there is full screening and verification to determine the integrity of the personality in those positions.

“I also support the unbundling of INEC and we need to review how people and political parties can present candidates for elections, otherwise in a particular election we will continue to have elections where we have multiple candidates who cannot score significant votes but end up wasting resources that goes into conducting elections”.

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