Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the political elites in Nigeria will improve their actions when the citizens of the country collectively reject bad behaviour.
Jonathan made this remark in Abuja on Tuesday, during the public presentation of two books—‘Readings on Election Security Management’ and ‘Selected Readings in Internal Security Management’—authored by former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.
Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, expressed deep concern over the current state of elections in Nigeria.
He lamented that the country’s electoral system often experiences misconduct, which he attributed to the acceptance and celebration of wrongdoings within Nigerian society.
He said, “People willingly do wrong things because we are in a society where people accept the wrong thing and celebrate those who do the wrong thing.
“ If we go to the level where society will not accept the wrong thing, people will no longer do the wrong thing.”
The former president called for a collective rejection of wrongdoings in the political landscape, stating, “We, the political class, will behave normally. People must reject us if we behave wrongly.”
He also suggested the creation of a “hall of shame” to highlight past leaders who contributed to the nation’s problems, with a view to holding them accountable and educating future generations.
Jonathan pointed out that the overstretched role of the military in election security remains a concern in Nigeria.
He contrasted this with countries such as Botswana and Senegal, where the police play a more prominent role in managing elections.
In his address, Jonathan explained, “In most other countries, militaries don’t get involved in the day-to-day managing of the elections…
In Botswana, almost all the police officers were used for the election, and the military took over their regular duties like securing government assets and facilities.”
He stressed that while technology plays a central role in Nigeria’s elections, challenges persist despite technological advancements.
“We talk about technology, technology, and still with the technology we still have problems,” Jonathan observed, advocating for simpler voting systems used successfully in countries like Senegal.
Jonathan’s comments highlight ongoing concerns regarding electoral integrity and the broader political environment in Nigeria.
His call for collective action to reject bad behavior aims to encourage citizens to demand accountability from their leaders.
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