He advised politicians to perceive election as a competition.
Prof Jega made this known to the invitation of the Electoral Commission of Ghana when he paid a visit to the election management body to help broaden its scope, knowledge and best practices on the electoral processes both locally and internationally.
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He said "When political violence occurs during elections, it adversely affects innocent citizens most especially, women and children. Many die while valuable properties are destroyed and for this reason and many more, elections must not be a do or die thing.
"Contesting to be elected into a public office means one wants to be selfless. It is not an avenue to invest to make a profit as is happening in many African countries."
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He also commended the EC for its commitment towards conducting electoral processes with integrity and urged all stakeholders, especially political parties.