Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto State, says elections in Nigeria are not solely determined by voters.
The former speaker of the house of representatives made the assertion in an interview on Arise Television on Monday.
He linked the crisis in the country’s electoral process to official compromise and the exploitation of loopholes by politicians.
According to him, the distortion of voters’ will occurs at several stages, from polling units through ward and local government collation to the national level.
“It is not completely decided by the electorate. I can say that without mincing words. From polling units to wards, local governments, states and even at the national level, things happen that misrepresent what voters actually voted for,” he said.
“The system is compromised through INEC, the courts and the politicians because the politicians try to find corners to cut. So wherever there’s a loophole, politicians take advantage of that loophole,” he added.
Tambuwal explained that these failures arise from both human and technical shortcomings within the electoral process.
“It is a combination of both. Politicians exploit loopholes wherever they exist. INEC also has challenges, from failure of technology, late commencement of elections, failure to transmit results, and compromise of officials,” he said.
He declared his support for reforms that would strengthen the credibility of elections, even if they work against his personal political interest.
“I wholeheartedly support any reform that will improve the electoral process, including electronic transmission, even if I lose an election because of it,” he said.
The Sokoto senator also criticised the ideological weakness of political parties, saying many of them exist only as vehicles for winning power.