Nigerian politicians more interested in grabbing power than governance- Jega

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has disclosed that Nigerian politicians are more interested in winning elections than in governance.

Jega spoke during a lecture titled, “Democracy and the Challenges of Nation Building in Africa” at the Institute for Security Studies, Abuja.

The former INEC boss also stated that it is regrettable that rather than settling down and planning on how to govern, Nigerian politicians and some African countries only prepare on how to grab power.

He said, “In most African countries, certainly it is true also here in Nigeria, many politicians spend a lot of time trying to win an election and very little time comparatively in preparing for what they would do when they come into office.

“The best of them will now only begin to appoint a committee, an advisory committee to prepare for them what to do after they have been elected.

“Frankly, for me, this is a major challenge of leadership all over Africa, but most especially for us here in Nigeria.

“If you want to be elected, you have to be very clear from the beginning on what you want to do for the people and you should hit the ground running from day one.

“If leaders come into office unprepared, a lot of time is taken before they can get up to speed in delivering their mandate.”

Jega further condemned vote-buying by desperate politicians during elections, saying that the practice is inimical to democratic growth.