The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega has blamed the ‘reckless elites in control of governance process’ in Nigeria for the gradual collapse of the country.
Jega made this known in Abuja on Wednesday during the 2022 Workers’ Political Conference organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The former INEC boss described the 2023 general elections as the ‘make or break’ epochal moment adding that it is critical for the unity of the country.
“The sorry state of the socio-economic conditions under which the Nigerian working people, indeed the overwhelming majority of all citizens live and work, the reckless misrule and misgovernance by a tiny, rabid and reckless band of the elite, and the manner by which these myopic ‘elected’ so-called ‘leaders’ and their collaborators, have devastated the Nigerian economy, heightened insecurity, and virtually destroyed the basis for national cohesion and integration, Nigeria, as a potentially great nation, is crying for a rescue mission before it is too late.
“Such a rescue mission cannot be serious, positive and successful, without the active engagement and involvement of the Nigerian workers through their genuine representatives in working-class organizations and movements, in alliance with other progressive and patriotic Nigerians.
“While Nigeria may not have totally collapsed, it is in the process of collapsing, as reckless elite in control of the governance process are blindly running the country aground. And the 2023 general elections may be the ‘make or break’ epochal moment.
“Given this, all hands of progressive forces must be on deck to prevent our country from imminent collapse, and to turn it around on to a trajectory of good democratic governance for beneficial democratic, socio-economic development, and human security for Nigerian citizens”.
Prof Jega stressed that an alliance of progressives must come together to rescue and emancipate the country out of the current unwholesome predicament in which it finds itself.