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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has condemned the incessant deployment of military personnel for election duties in Nigeria, saying it over stretches the military.
He said elections should primarily be managed by the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Jonathan, who made this known at the book launch of the former Inspector General of Police(IGP), Solomon Arase in Abuja, yesterday, noted that in most countries, the military is only used to transport election materials to high-risk areas, not to provide security at polling units as is being done in Nigeria.
The former president said: “Having been the president of this country before, internal security is an issue that deeply concerns me, especially election security. One gets worried when it comes to Nigerian elections.
“In fact, we overstretched the army. In most other countries, the military does not get involved in the day-to-day management of elections. Some countries use the military to transport election materials to dangerous areas, but military personnel are never used for such duties as manning polling booths and staying around polling stations.”
Jonathan cited Botswana and Senegal as examples of countries, where elections are conducted with minimal security interference, allowing the electorate to vote freely without intimidation.
“In Botswana, police officers manage election security, while the military secures government facilities. Similarly, in Senegal, polling stations are run by electoral officials with police stationed outside, only intervening when necessary,” he explained.
Recounting his experience in Botswana, the former president said: “I was there during the election some months ago. It’s a small country with a small population, so almost all the police officers were deployed for election duties. The military took over their regular security duties, such as securing government assets and police headquarters.
“In Senegal’s last election, they used a simple voting system, each candidate had a separate ballot box on a long table, and voters picked their preferred option. There were no police officers inside the polling stations; they were stationed outside in case of any issues. This is the standard in many countries, but here in Nigeria, we do things differently and wrongly.” The former president stressed that the political class would only change when society begins to demand accountability and the right electoral practices.
“We, Nigerians, celebrate the wrong things. But, I believe one day, the country will reach a level where people will reject bad behaviour. When that happens, these issues will no longer exist,” he said.
He further expressed hope that Nigeria would evolve to a point where bad political conduct is universally condemned.
“Maybe, one day, we will have two big buildings in Abuja, where we will display pictures of people, whether dead or alive, who have messed up this country, so their grandchildren will know their forefathers contributed to Nigeria’s problems.”
