Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan said, on Monday, that the Judiciary should not be made to select political leaders.
Dr. Jonathan made this known at a youth foundation program hosted by the founder of TOS Foundation, Osasu Igbenedion in Abuja, where he spoke as a guest.
He said, “The issue of the judiciary I don’t want to comment but one thing as a politician, let me reiterate what I have said somewhere that in Nigeria today, the judiciary selects political leaders. It is not the best.
“The ballot papers should be the basis of selecting political leaders. If it is the judiciary that will select, we are not yet there. It is delicate but I have made a public statement before and I will always make it.
“I am not saying the judiciary is not doing well, But I mean our laws should suppress the idea of the judiciary in returning a candidate. If a candidate that won the election is found wanting, that election should be annulled and a fresh election conducted.
“The ballot paper must decide who holds any office from counsellorship to the presidency and that is democracy. We must regret that sometimes our elections are too violent in Nigeria.
“I think in Africa we are among the top countries with violent elections. Even for party primaries, you see people going to break doors, windows, scatter ballot boxes, and so on.
“You hardly see it in other African countries and when we behave that way, of course, we are now giving the powers to the judiciary to decide who becomes the Governor, Senator, and House of Representatives member. I believe that as we progress maybe we will get over that. “The issue of the judiciary I don’t want to comment but one thing as a politician, let me reiterate what I have said somewhere that in Nigeria today, the judiciary selects political leaders. It is not the best.”
He said, “The ballot papers should be the basis of selecting political leaders. If it is the judiciary that will select, we are not yet there. It is delicate but I have made a public statement before and I will always make it.
Goodluck Jonathan explained that he is not saying that the Judiciary is not doing well, but maintain that our laws should suppress the idea of the court in returning a candidate, adding that, if a candidate that won the election is found wanting, that election should be annulled and a fresh election conducted.
Jonathan stated that “The ballot paper must decide who holds any office from counsellorship to the presidency and that is democracy. We must regret that sometimes our elections are too violent in Nigeria.
“I think in Africa we are among the top countries with violent elections. Even for party primaries, you see people going to break doors, windows, scatter ballot boxes, and so on.
The former President also explaining about the violent elections stated that “You hardly see it in other African countries and when we behave that way, of course, we are now giving the powers to the judiciary to decide who becomes the Governor, Senator, and House of Representatives member. I believe that as we progress maybe we will get over that.”
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