* Goodluck Jonathan
The Pathfinder
Thursday August 28, 2025
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a review of the appointment process of the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former president proposed an independent screening and nomination mechanism to strengthen public trust ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking through Ms Ann Iyonu, Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, at the presentation of the National Action Plan for Electoral Reforms in Abuja, Jonathan argued that allowing the president to directly nominate the INEC chair fuels suspicion about the body’s neutrality.
He suggested a broad-based nomination committee comprising the judiciary, civil society, academia, and professional groups to shortlist candidates for presidential selection and Senate confirmation.
The intervention comes as the tenure of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who oversaw the controversial 2019 and 2023 polls, winds down in October 2025.
With President Bola Tinubu widely expected to seek reelection in 2027, Jonathan warned that whoever succeeds Yakubu will play a decisive role in shaping the integrity of the coming elections.
Drawing from his own experience, Jonathan recalled nominating Prof. Attahiru Jega in 2010, who later conducted the 2011 and 2015 elections — the latter marking Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power from an incumbent to the opposition. He said the episode underscored the weight of the office and the need for a process that commands broad confidence.
Beyond INEC appointments, Jonathan revived his push for an independent office of the Registrar of Political Parties to enforce internal democracy and discipline. He argued that frequent defections by elected officials erode voter trust, proposing that defectors’ seats be declared vacant to protect the people’s mandate.
He further urged reforms to fast-track election petition resolution, insisting that disputes must be settled before winners are sworn in to avoid governance disruption.
“Justice delayed in elections is justice denied, not just for the candidates, but for the electorate,” Jonathan said, urging leaders to embrace reforms that strengthen accountability, legitimacy, and citizen confidence in democracy.
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