“Do or die” politics a threat to Nigeria’s democracy – Jega

The Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria, INEC, Attahiru Jega, has said that the “do or die” attitude of today’s politicians was a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Mr. Jega said, “Unless the do-or-die affair in the polity is quickly checkmated, then the challenges facing the elections would be difficult to overcome.”

Mr. Jega was speaking in Kano at a Bayero University conference themed, INEC and the 2015 General Elections: Expectations, Prospect and Challenges.

He assured that despite the challenges, “we are hell-bent on doing our best; although our best might not be enough, but we will be impartial and nonpartisan.”

He said, “We are doing our very best under the tense circumstances and Nigerians should know that a good elections is not the business of INEC alone, but all other stakeholders should join hands with the commission to ensure that the open threat facing the elections are well checkmated and overcome.”

Mr. Jega said the commission was ready to conduct elections in the three North Eastern states, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno battling the insurgency.

He said already, the commission was trying to ensure it captured all the internally displaced people.

“And (Monday) we are going to hold meeting on that in Abuja to concretize plans on that,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to come out en masse and cast their votes during the election.

“No matter what people have to come out and vote with integrity and do everything that will avoid political crises because election results are not determine by violence or burning of people’s properties; it is determined by open casting of one vote in a free and fair atmosphere,” he said.