I reformed Nigeria’s democratic process - Jonathan

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has stated that he reformed the nation’s democratic process in order to consolidate democracy in Nigeria, Punch reports.

The ex-president made his comments at the sixth edition of the African Ambassadors Interactive Forum and Dinner, which was organised by the African Third Sector Resource in Abuja, on Thursday, October 26.

At the event, Jonathan was given the ‘African Leadership & Achievement Award.’

Its gathered that Jonathan disclosed that he wanted to set a new standard for Nigeria where people don’t have to be embroiled in litigations over election results, and that was why he conceded defeat in 2015.

According to the former president, who was represented at the event by Abubakar Suleiman, the former minister of national planning; it should not be out of place for those who lose elections to congratulate the winners.

GEJ, Former president of Nigeria
Source: Dailytimes

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He stated:

“I always say that I reformed the democratic process as President in order to consolidate democracy in Nigeria and the sub-region. I conceded defeat without a fight because I wanted to set a standard for our democracy, going forward.

“My aim then was to change the narrative and prove that election-related litigations should no longer define Nigeria’s democracy. People must not always go to court and obtain judgments before elections in Nigeria are declared conclusive.

“We don’t get to hear about such court cases in mature democracies. I wanted us to get to that point in our democratic experience. I thought that it won’t be out of place if we get to that stage where those who lost elections will be able to congratulate those who won.”

Jonathan further disclosed that he took such action of conceding even before the results had been announced, in order to prevent a crisis which would lead to any loss of life, as he recalled that there were already fears in the international community (specifically the USA) that there could be violence in the country which could lead to its disintegration, following the election.

He stated:

“Above all, what that decision did for me and the nation was to avert a looming crisis. Given the tension in the land as of that time, I was deeply contemplative of what would have happened if we had let our nation, the biggest black nation on earth, slide into anarchy because of contestations for power.

“What then would have happened to our citizens, Nigeria’s economy and the investments driving its growth?

“I was convinced that the implications for peace and the economy of the sub-region and the rest of the continent, couldn’t have spelled anything else but doom.

“Recall that after the 2011 presidential election which most observers adjudged transparent, with my victory generally seen to have been well-deserved, crises and conflicts still surfaced that claimed the lives of many of our compatriots, and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.”

The former president made this comment when he was awarded a honorary doctorate degree at Bingham university alongside General Yakubu Gowon.

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