Goodluck Jonathan Speaks On Bayelsa/Kogi Governorship Elections

Jonathan Advocates Electronic Voting

Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concerns ahead of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states scheduled for Saturday.

The ex-president who lamented the series of disturbances and reports of violence already recorded ahead of the elections, called for restraint and calm on the part of all stakeholders.

He added that this would not have happened if Nigeria had got to a point where voter cards mattered.

According to Jonathan, only the electronic voting process could curb thuggery and violence during elections in Nigeria.

He said, “Look at what is happening now; we have governorship elections in two states in Kogi and Bayelsa. The signals coming from both are quite disturbing.

“The use of thugs, shooting guns and our people are already being killed when the voting process has not even started is disturbing. This would not happen if we have got to a point in this country where voter card matters.

“That is why I have always advocated electronic voting. We must go into electronic voting. If people these days can transfer billions of dollars from one bank to the other, using electronic means, then I believe that we can do electronic voting perfectly and that will ensure that the use of thugs during elections would not come up again.”

Jonathan added that the adoption of electronic voting will make the votes from the electorate matter and will put an end to manipulations of the process by unscrupulous politicians who attempt to undermine the situation for their selfish reasons.

“My opinion is that people don’t change when they get into political office; we vote people that we don’t know into offices and it is difficult to know the true character of a person; it is hard to understand, but the fact is we don’t really vote people we know. People tend to use different means to get into office.

“When we develop as a nation to the point where our voter cards matter, where the people can vote, who they believe in, the behaviour of the politicians would change; politicians would stop recruiting group of boys and feeding them like dogs, calling them thugs to be used for elections while their children attend the best universities abroad,” the ex-President added.