Zainab Abioye
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned Nigerian politicians against justifying electoral misconduct by simply describing their actions as “politics”, stressing that election contests must be conducted within established rules.
Jonathan spoke on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at a public lecture organised to mark the 80th birthday of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kanu Agabi.
The former president said political competition, like a football match, was governed by rules which all participants were expected to respect.
He maintained that the pursuit of electoral victory could not legitimise actions that violated those rules.
“People do stupid things, also even criminal things, and they will tell you it is politics. It is not politics. Politics has rules,” Jonathan said.
According to him, the courts become necessary when political actors breach established electoral rules.
“Politics is like a soccer match. You play according to the rules and that’s why the courts start to mediate if you go against the rules. Otherwise, you can do anything and win an election and walk away,” he added.
Jonathan also argued that Nigeria’s battle against corruption could not be won through legislation and enforcement agencies alone, saying the country needed a stronger culture of ethical conduct and accountability.
He said public office should be regarded as a trust while institutions should be strengthened to ensure that those entrusted with public responsibilities are held accountable.
“The challenge before Nigeria is not simply to make laws against corruption. It’s to build a culture in which ethical conduct becomes a norm, where public office is treated as a trust, and where institutions are strong enough to uphold accountability,” he said.
The former president further criticised what he described as the tendency of society to celebrate people accused of wrongdoing because of their wealth, influence or social standing.
He argued that such social acceptance could undermine efforts by government agencies to tackle corruption.
Jonathan said Nigerians had a collective responsibility to discourage wrongdoing, rather than leaving the fight against corruption exclusively to statutory agencies.
“All of us Nigerians have the major role to play if we want to suppress corruption, not just the bodies established by law to discipline and punish those who do it,” he said.
Jonathan also called for greater discipline among political and public office holders, arguing that leaders must demonstrate the standards of conduct they expect from citizens.
“It does not take a lifetime to deal with this kind of issue. But maximum discipline by the leaders. Because if the leaders are not disciplined, the followers are not disciplined,” he said.
The former president illustrated his argument with an experience he said he had during a visit to Rwanda, where he observed social norms discouraging public officials from accepting gifts considered inappropriate.
Jonathan said the experience showed how deeply embedded societal values could influence public conduct beyond formal laws.
He also expressed concern over the practice of giving recognition and prominence to individuals accused of wrongdoing, particularly where wealth or influence enables them to secure positions or honours in religious, traditional or political institutions.
While highlighting the challenges confronting Nigeria, Jonathan urged citizens not to lose hope, saying difficult periods could be overcome if leaders and citizens accepted collective responsibility for building a more accountable society.
He stressed that tackling corruption and improving political conduct required not only effective institutions and laws but also a change in societal attitudes towards wrongdoing.
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