“In this lecture, I have tried to look at Nigeria’s electoral system and the consequences on political stability. Unfortunately, I have only done this superficially for reasons which I believe are quite obvious to this very distinguished gathering. There are a number of other points that deserve mention, but my mandate as well as the need for me to be careful not to unduly take for granted your patience in listening to me are clear limitations. Our electoral laws may still require a bit of tweaking “here and there”, but, not so damning as to see it as the bane of Nigeria’s political instability. We must shift our focus more to how critical supporting institutions like the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary can better play their roles. At the risk of sounding repetitive, political parties must have the will to remain accountable, while political leaders and the political class must begin to see power as a means to serve other ends and not merely self gratification. They must exude passion, a feeling of responsibility, a deep sense of proportion and I, dare say, a fervent desire to engage with the people with their heart.”
