Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has affirmed that Nigerian university professors have consistently rejected bribes from politicians during elections, reinforcing the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking during the Democracy Day edition of The Platform, a socio-political programme hosted by Covenant Nation in Lagos on Thursday, Jega defended the continued involvement of academics in election duties, insisting they have contributed significantly to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic system.
Jega, a respected academic and former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, pioneered the use of professors and university staff as returning officers and ad hoc electoral officials during his tenure as INEC chairman from 2010 to 2015. He explained that their inclusion was based on a careful and transparent selection process facilitated through his collaboration with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors.
“Election was terrible by the time we came to INEC,” Jega recalled. “I was lucky—I was a co-chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors before I went to INEC. So, I used the vice-chancellors to help us get academic staff with good, transparent selection criteria, which they vouch for. That’s how we started using academic staff during elections.”
He stressed that despite isolated cases of misconduct involving a few professors, the overwhelming majority have maintained ethical standards, refusing inducements and preserving the credibility of elections.
“The level of integrity they brought to the election is unmatched,” he said. “A vice chancellor who has served 35 years in the university system, who has a few years to retire— a substantial overwhelming majority of them are not going to damage their integrity that they built over the years on the matters of election.”
Jega also revealed that after the success of the 2011 elections, professional bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) expressed interest in participating in election duties. However, INEC opted to retain the academic staff model due to its proven effectiveness.
He concluded by noting that while no system is perfect, the contributions of academics to Nigeria’s elections should be respected and not dismissed due to the failings of a few.
What you should know
Professor Attahiru Jega remains a prominent voice in Nigeria’s democratic journey. His reforms while leading INEC from 2010 to 2015 introduced greater transparency, most notably through the use of university academics as electoral officers.
This approach was widely praised for its attempt to depoliticize election management and uphold integrity.
Despite criticisms and a few reported cases of misconduct among academic staff, Jega continues to advocate for their inclusion, citing their professionalism and resistance to political pressure as key factors in improving Nigeria’s electoral credibility.
