Jega, an academic and former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, made the remarks on Thursday during the June 12 edition of The Platform, a programme hosted by Covenant Nation, a Lagos-based church.

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, has defended the continued involvement of academics in the conduct of Nigeria’s elections.

According to him their inclusion is justified on the basis of  their integrity and professionalism.

Jega, an academic and former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, made the remarks on Thursday during the June 12 edition of The Platform, a programme hosted by Covenant Nation, a Lagos-based church.

Reflecting on the state of the electoral process prior to his appointment, Jega said, “Election was terrible by the time we came to INEC. I was lucky, I was a co-chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors before I went to INEC."

He explained how he leveraged his academic ties to reform the commission’s personnel selection process. 

“So, I used the vice-chancellors to help us get academic staff with good, transparent selection criteria, which they vouch for. That’s how we started using academic staff during elections."

Jega recalled that even after the 2011 elections, various professional bodies showed interest in joining the electoral process, but he opted to retain the academics due to their proven record.

“Up till 2015, in fact after the 2011 elections, the NBA (Nigerian Bar Association), and the NSE (The Nigerian Society of Engineers), all came and said they wanted to participate in the elections but we said: ‘Look, when you are doing something and it works, why change it?’”
“So, we stuck with the professors, and I can tell you frankly, the level of integrity they brought to the election (is unmatched),” he added.

The former INEC chairman also highlighted the trustworthiness of senior academics, noting that they have little incentive to compromise the credibility they have built over decades in academia.

“A vice chancellor who has served 35 years in the university system, who has a few years to retire, a substantial overwhelming majority of them are not going to damage their integrity that they built over the years on the matters of election."

He acknowledged the persistent attempts by politicians to influence the process, but emphasised the rarity of wrongdoing among the academic cohort.

“Of course, politicians use all methods of inducements, but the fact that only about two professors, not to talk of vice-chancellors, have been prosecuted for electoral offences, frankly, is statistically insignificant.”