A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega on Monday accused some members of the National Assembly of seeking bribes before carrying out their constitutional duties.

Speaking while delivering the year’s Democracy Day lecture at the International Conference Centre, Abuja,  Jega said he had spoken to quite a number of chief executives who complained of high demand for bribes from members of the legislature in the name of so -called oversight functions.

Jega, a professor of Political Science told the gathering, which included President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen and other top government personalities that some chairmen of committees at the National Assembly were notorious for seeking bribes.

The former INEC boss also identified some dangerous signs which he said could jeopardize the conduct of next year’s general elections. He warned that the recently held violent party congresses of the ruling party,APC constituted a risk to the elections.

He argued that if the parties could not conduct their internal elections without violence, it may have a negative consequence on the 2019 general elections. He also cited the increasing incidents of hate speech which he said must be controlled through existing laws or could jeopardize the exercise.

Citing the provision of the constitution which gives only seven days for the conduct of run-off where necessary, he said it was an impossible task as no such election can be done within such a short time.

While noting that the delay in the passage of the framework for the conduct of the 2019 elections was another risk to the polls, Jega said the present administration was focusing its war against corruption on embezzlement and theft rather than tackling bribe giving and taking in states and federal government institutions.