Former Senator Shehu Sani, who served Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Assembly, revealed that no politician has ever implemented electoral reforms that led to their own political downfall, except former President Goodluck Jonathan. Sani shared these insights during the first Roundtable organized by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Abuja, focusing on “The Role of the Judiciary in Nigeria’s Democratic Sustainability.”
Sani criticized the lack of integrity among politicians and highlighted the contradiction of expecting a perfect judiciary within an imperfect system. He noted, “From my experiences in both civil society and politics, I see the disconnect. Activists and politicians often have fundamentally different perspectives on electoral reforms.”
He questioned why political parties, INEC, the Presidency, the military, or legislative bodies aren’t seen as the last hope for the common man, emphasizing that people place too much expectation on the judiciary in an imperfect system.
Sani pointed out that no president is likely to introduce electoral reforms that could jeopardize their position, except for Jonathan. “Jonathan was unique in this regard—he appointed an INEC Chairman he had never met and introduced a data-capturing machine that ultimately captured him,” Sani said.
