Jega on electoral democracy (1)
Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, recently delivered a paper at the public presentation of A Collection of Essays: Readings on the Legislature by Hamalai, Ladi in Abuja. In the paper titled ‘ Some Reflections on the 2026 Electoral Act and Nigeria’s Electoral Democracy ,’ the ex-umpire, a leading political scientist, reviewed Nigeria’s journey in electoral democracy and dissected the 2026 Electoral Act, highlighting the key provisions as they impact on the political system. The paper will be run in two instalments in this column as input to the national conversation on the electoral process. Body text of the presentation goes thus: 1.0 Background to the 2026 Electoral Act •Good constitutional provisions and primary parliamentary legislation are necessary and required as the legal framework for elections in representative/electoral democracies such as Nigeria. In Nigeria, and in a few other electoral jurisdictions, suc...