Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has voiced grave concerns about the accuracy of vote counts in the country's elections, attributing the issue to the presence of numerous "ghost voters" on the electoral rolls.
In a statement made earlier today, Jonathan emphasized that the integrity of Nigeria's electoral process is compromised by the ongoing problem of ghost voters – individuals who are registered to vote but are either deceased, fictitious, or no longer residing in the areas they are registered in. He highlighted the challenge this presents to Nigeria's democratic process, noting that such discrepancies lead to inflated voter numbers and undermine the legitimacy of election results.
Jonathan called for urgent reforms to address these issues, particularly focusing on improving the voter registration process and ensuring more stringent verification measures. "The presence of ghost voters on the electoral register has made it increasingly difficult to obtain an accurate vote count," said Jonathan. "This issue not only skews the results but also erodes public trust in the electoral system."
The former President further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intensify efforts in conducting regular audits of voter lists, ensuring that only eligible voters are allowed to participate. He also called on political stakeholders, civil society organizations, and the Nigerian public to push for transparency and accountability in the election process to restore faith in the nation's democratic institutions.
Jonathan's remarks come amidst growing concerns about electoral transparency, particularly in light of recent reports from civil society groups that have raised alarms about voter registration irregularities and vote manipulation in previous elections.