Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has alleged that that the electoral process in Nigeria was deliberately rigged to allow manipulations by political players. The former Senate Majority Leader made the remarks on Sunday during an interactive session with journalists in Kano after attending the Senate retreat on constitutional review.
“I support local government autonomy and the idea of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducting local government polls. One issue being discussed in the National Assembly is the creation of a National Local Government Electoral Commission, and I am not in support of it,” Ndume said.
He questioned the need to create a new body solely for conducting elections every four years, arguing that the existing INEC is underutilized and could handle these responsibilities. He also expressed frustration with the complexity of Nigeria’s electoral process, which he believes is designed to encourage manipulation.
“The elections in Nigeria are deliberately complicated to allow for manipulation. Why don’t we make laws that ensure the votes count? Why not enable citizens to elect someone from their phones? Why not allow INEC to monitor elections through technology and create a situation room? Google can tell you your location in real time, so why can’t we leverage technology for our elections?” he asked.
Ndume added that the underlying problem with Nigeria’s electoral system is a lack of sincerity, honesty, and fear of God among political leaders.
Beyond the issue of elections, Ndume also addressed the rampant corruption in Nigeria, lamenting that those who steal public funds often move freely and are celebrated. He shared his experience attempting to pass a law on unexplained wealth in the National Assembly, a proposal that has repeatedly failed to gain traction.
“Our major challenge in this country is corruption. We have no proactive law to address it. In Nigeria, if someone who was poor last week suddenly buys ten cars and a jet, they are celebrated, and people say, ‘God has blessed our son.’ In developed countries, they ask how, when, and where the money came from,” Ndume stated.
He explained that he had tried multiple times to push for a law addressing unexplained wealth but was unsuccessful. “I even approached a former Head of State, hoping he could sign an executive bill on the issue. But to this day, there is no Unexplained Wealth Act or executive order addressing it in Nigeria,” Ndume concluded.
