Courts shouldn’t determine election winners — Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated the judiciary
should not be allowed to select election winners.

He insisted the ballot papers should be the sole determinants of
who should occupy elected offices and who should not.

He said if a candidate wins or the process is found wanting, the
election should be annulled and fresh one conducted to determine a
clear and unencumbered winner.

Jonathan spoke at a parley with youths and women under the
auspices of “TOS Foundation Youth and Women for Good Governance”
initiative during his studio visit to The Osasu Show (TOS)
Television Network in Abuja.

Jonathan said: “The issue of the judiciary I don’t want to make
a 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
councillorship to the presidency and that is democracy.”

He lamented elections in Nigeria are fraught with violence, a
situation that pushes candidates to seek judicial intervention to
determine winners.

He said: “We must regret it 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.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated the judiciary
should not be allowed to select election winners.

He insisted the ballot papers should be the sole determinants of
who should occupy elected offices and who should not.

He said if a candidate wins or the process is found wanting, the
election should be annulled and fresh one conducted to determine a
clear and unencumbered winner.

Jonathan spoke at a parley with youths and women under the
auspices of “TOS Foundation Youth and Women for Good Governance”
initiative during his studio visit to The Osasu Show (TOS)
Television Network in Abuja.

Jonathan said: “The issue of the judiciary I don’t want to make
a 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
councillorship to the presidency and that is democracy.”

He lamented elections in Nigeria are fraught with violence, a
situation that pushes candidates to seek judicial intervention to
determine winners.

He said: “We must regret it 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.”