INEC Will Monitor Campaign Expenses For 2015 Elections - Jega

 

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, said that the Commission is going to monitor more closely campaign expenses of candidates fielded by political parties in elections, and criticized the current struggles between different parties in Nigeria. He stated this on Tuesday at a confidence building workshop with women and youth of political parties in Abuja.

“It is clear that there are certain limits imposed in the legal framework as to how much candidates can spend during electoral campaigns. Regrettably, we have not been able to monitor this in the past and we are doing our best so that as we approach 2015, we should be able to monitor campaign expenditures of candidates,” the Chairman said.

The INEC chairman also criticized the tendency of politicians to behave like military officers, and to engage in abuses during campaigns rather than discuss issues. This, according to Mr Jega, can threaten democracy building in Nigeria:

“They have to be democratic; they need to be have civility in the way they manage and run the parties. If they act like military garrisons commanders in their own parties, then obviously there would be serious problems in terms of maturing if democracy and helping to strengthen and defend democracy in our country.”

Mr Jega also criticizes the misuse of the youth by political parties, and specifically the fact that politicians had formed the habit of buying drugs and arming youths in the country in their desperate bid to emerge victorious in elections:

“Youth are misused if not abused. Candidates and even parties provide drugs, provide arms and they negatively direct the energies of youths in the political process. This should not be allowed to happen. Immediately you as youth leaders have a responsibility to ensure that youth and women are not used in negative ways."

INEC Chairman concluded that it is time for the Nigerian political actors to shift from discourse of abusing and insulting each other but rather work on more constructive political strategies:

“We have seen over the years campaigns in this country that are devoid of issues. They focus more specifically on insults and quarrels, allegations and counter allegations. We want to move forward and leave all these negative tendencies behind as we move towards 2015,” he said.

Previously, INEC has introduced another innovation - a Citizens’ Contact Centre (ICCC), a facility intended to enable the general public to access INEC with enquiries.