Jega: Democracy backsliding in West Africa — poor governance fuelling coups

Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says democracy in West Africa is regressing due to poor governance and bad leadership.

Jega spoke in Abuja on Tuesday as the keynote speaker at the “Reflection conference on democratic elections in West Africa,” organised by Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation (CSO).

The former INEC chairman said poor governance and bad leadership are giving rise to military coups across the region.

He noted how governance failures have led to growing dissatisfaction among citizens, citing recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.

“The so-called elected representatives of the people have essentially converted public resources into personal fortunes at the expense of citizens’ needs and aspirations,” he said.

“The reversals or obstruction of expected gains of democratisation, occasioned by these persistent challenges, have given the excuses needed by coupists to stage a comeback, a dangerous phenomenon, which could potentially engulf the region and hasten democratic backsliding unless these challenges are decisively and quickly addressed.”

Jega noted that instead of deepening democracy, many leaders in the region have used elections as a tool for self-perpetuation.

“Elections became largely farcical rituals designed to ensure retention of the incumbent president and party,” he said.

He also criticised the role of “identity politics,” warning that ethnic and religious divisions have been exploited by politicians to maintain power, fueling instability.

“Multiparty politics, circumscribed by negative identity mobilization, has been fractious, conflict-ridden, often violent, and divisive, rather than accommodative or unifying diversity,” Jega stated.

The former INEC chairman called for urgent reforms to strengthen institutions, promote accountability, and ensure that elections reflect the will of the people.

He urged civil society organisations to push back against democratic decline, saying, “citizens and credible CSOs must continue to mobilize effectively for credible and sustainable democratic development.”