Jega lists dangerous signs for 2019 elections

FORMER Chairman of the Independent National Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has identified some dangerous signs which he said can jeopardize the conduct of next year’s general election.

Delivering a lecture to mark this year’s Democracy Day in Abuja on Monday, he warned that violent party congresses constituted a risk to the election as he argued that if the parties could not conduct their internal elections without violence, it may consequence on the general election.

He also cited the increasing incidents of hate speech which he said must be controlled through existing laws or could jeopardize the exercise.

The former INEC boss also observed that the delay in the passage of the framework for the conduct of the 2019 exercise was also a risk to the election.

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Citing the provision of the constitution which gives only seven days for the conduct of run-off where necessary, he said it was an impossible task as no such election can be done within a short time.

Jega also noted that the present administration was focusing its war against corruption on embezzlement and theft rather than tackling bribe giving and taking in states and federal government institutions.