Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, has warned Nigerians against voting wealthy aspirants with stolen money in 2023 general elections.
Jega, who spoke during the pre-Ramadan lecture at the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, said there was need for Nigerians to develop a consensus that political leadership is not for the rich who must have misused public funds.
According to him, if the current method of leadership recruitment in the country is allowed to continue, the numerous challenges facing the nation would also remain.
He tasked Nigerians to see character, capacity, and competence as the main determining factors for persons to occupy elective positions in the country.
Jega, who conducted the 2015 general elections, expressed positivity that if Nigerians can stop supporting politicians based on their wealth, the country may gain sanity again.
He said, “We must develop an overwhelming consensus that political leadership cannot remain the only job for which no qualification appears necessary except to have a lot of money which is usually, stolen money.
“It is for this reason that we must find a way to bring relevant criteria to bear on the selection of leadership in our dear country. We have got to find a way of making character, competence and capacity to determine who leads us.”