Former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor has criticised Nigerian politicians for prioritising personal interests over public service, alleging widespread manipulation and lack of credibility in the election process.
Ejiofor, in a recent interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, has voiced concerns about security, the impartiality of election officials, and the challenges of ensuring a fair and credible vote as Ondo State prepares for its upcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for November 16.
“Politicians, they are not out there to serve the people but to serve their interests, so they do everything possible to manipulate the process in their own favour.”
Ejiofor addressed concerns regarding the involvement of security agencies, including the Amotekun corps, and questioned whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could ensure a fair election process.
When asked if security agencies, excluding Amotekun, were ready for the election and if INEC could uphold its integrity, Ejiofor responded, “As my memory can carry me, I’ve not seen the ‘Amotekun’ getting involved in elections. I crossed-check this morning and confirmed that they have not been involved in any conduct of elections.”
He added, “I also believe that the Inspector General of Police has his reasons for saying this; maybe he has intelligence suggesting they want to get involved and emphasised that they have no role to play in this forthcoming election on the 16th of November.”
Ejiofor expressed optimism that the IGP’s directive would reassure both citizens and political parties, stressing the importance of adherence to rules for maintaining security. “I think the directive gives reassurance for both the citizens and the participating parties.
“I only hope and pray they go strictly by the rules in enforcing and ensuring that security is maintained,” he stated.
Reflecting on INEC’s commitment to improving the election process, Ejiofor said, “You also recall that INEC, in its peace signing accord, assured Ondo citizens that they are also going to improve on what happened in Edo State.
“That is indirectly admitting that they did not live up to expectations in the Edo election. I hope and also pray that they would play by the rules, ensure that the conduct of the election is free, fair, and credible.”
Discussing the level of threats surrounding the election, Ejiofor noted, “Some of the threat levels are not related to the elections. Prior to the establishment of Amotekun, the threat level was much higher because Amotekun now moves into the forest, looks at all those elements that were highlighted, and tries to check them.
“They have never been involved in elections, but I agree with the IGP that he has every constitutional right to ban them from partaking in the election, just like in other states that have witnessed elections.”
Ejiofor also commented on the differences between state and federal elections, emphasising discrepancies in credibility and process. “Coming to the election, these two elections are two different things entirely. State elections are not conducted, but figures are written.
“In Rivers State, we would have seen that it’s peaceful because elections are not conducted in the state local government, but in the federal election, there seems to be that kind of credibility or neutrality on the part of the electoral body to see that the election is perfect.
“These two elections are entirely different and should not be compared to each other,” he explained.
When asked why irregularities persist despite the presence of heavy security, Ejiofor pointed to a lack of confidence in election officials and security agencies. “The problem is the umpires of the elections. People don’t seem to have confidence in the umpires, even the security agencies. If you like, deploy over 24,000 security personnel; they would still do what they want to do,” he remarked.
Ejiofor went on to criticise politicians’ motives, suggesting they often prioritise personal interests over public service, saying, “Unfortunately, the security agencies at times take sides with them, especially when you have the incumbency factor, it becomes a problem.”
He further added that the recent Edo election, where conflicts arose between the two major political parties as he said, “You saw what happened in Edo, the fight between APC and PDP. Despite the deployment of police, people were not even allowed, from what we saw, to go into the collation centre to collate the exact results, and that’s what has caused problems.
“The way we should go is not only to sanitise our electoral process but to ensure that our votes not only count but are credible and fair to every other person,” he concluded.
Boluwatife Enome
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