Former President Goodluck Jonathan has attributed Nigerians’ tolerance for bad leadership as a major reason for the country’s political challenges....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
He argued that once citizens demand accountability and insist on good governance, political leaders will be compelled to act rightly.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!9jalead Official reports that Jonathan made these remarks on Tuesday during the book launch of former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, in Abuja.
He criticized the deployment of military personnel for election duties in Nigeria, stating that it overstretches the military and is an anomaly compared to democratic practices in other countries.
He emphasized that Nigerian society must collectively reject bad political behavior for lasting change to occur.
“We, Nigerians, celebrate the wrong things. I believe one day the country will get to the level where people will reject bad behavior. The day we all collectively say we no longer accept the wrong thing, the political class will behave normally,” he said.
Jonathan further proposed that a memorial should be created in Abuja to display the names and pictures of individuals—living or dead—who have contributed negatively to Nigeria’s governance. This, he said, would serve as a reminder for future generations.
On election security, Jonathan argued that elections should primarily be handled by the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), rather than involving the military.
Citing examples from Botswana and Senegal, he pointed out that elections in those countries are managed with minimal security interference, allowing voters to cast their ballots freely without intimidation.
“In most other countries, the military doesn’t get involved in the day-to-day management of elections. Some use them to transport election materials to dangerous areas, but they don’t man polling stations or remain around polling booths as we see here,” he said.
Jonathan highlighted the case of Botswana, where the military only secures government assets while police officers manage elections. In Senegal, he noted that polling units are run by electoral officers, with police stationed outside to intervene only when necessary.
In his remarks, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stressed that the credibility of elections depends on the leadership in charge at the time.
He recalled his experience during Jonathan’s administration, where he requested a free and fair election in his state.
“I approached him [Jonathan] and said, ‘Mr. President, I don’t want a single vote that doesn’t belong to me. Let the election be free and fair,’” Obi recounted.
He also recalled that when some members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to interfere in the election process in his state, he reached out to Jonathan, who promptly intervened.
Obi argued that electoral credibility is determined by the integrity of those overseeing the process. “If the right person is involved, we will have free and fair elections. But if politicians continue to manipulate the process, we will remain in a situation where elections are compromised.”
On security, Obi linked crime rates to corruption among public officials, asserting that when leaders stop embezzling funds, law enforcement agencies will perform their duties more effectively.
“Election policing is easy if we have people who are not ready to manipulate elections,” he said.
