Yesterday, former President Goodluck Jonathan remarked that the results of the recent Edo State governorship election demonstrated that technology alone would not address Nigeria’s electoral difficulties.
Jonathan emphasized that the human mindset was crucial in resolving electoral issues, highlighting that numerous Nigerians harbored negative attitudes towards politics.
Speaking at an event in Abuja hosted by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and Partners to mark the International Day of Peace, Jonathan advocated for a shift in citizens’ attitudes.
He highlighted that power struggles continued to be the primary instigator of conflicts in Africa.
During the event, Jonathan expressed that technology had limited power to rectify a fraudulent electoral system, as it remained susceptible to manipulation by corrupt people.
The former president highlighted that there was increased tension following the Edo election compared to before, stemming from concerns that certain aspects were not handled properly.
Jonathan emphasized that the electoral challenges in Nigeria could not be resolved through technology alone, as technological tools could still be tampered with if the human mindset was corrupt.
Jonathan stated, “Here in Nigeria, we talk about technology. Without the human mind ready to do what is right, if we bring the technology, they will manipulate it.”
“Actually, 10 top countries are in conflict globally. Three of them are in sub-Saharan Africa. And quite a number of countries around us, including us, are in one form of conflict or the other.
“And when you look at what causes conflict in Africa, most cases are struggle for leadership, contestation for power. And that is the main cause of conflict.
“Sometimes when you go through a society, and you can tell all kinds of stories. But by the time you do proper analysis, and dig deep, you know that most cause of conflict is leadership struggle. That is why I’m only worried about my country Nigeria.”
The former president, serving as the chair of the event, argued against the belief that politics was inherently corrupt.
He emphasized that it was the actions of the participants that led to the negative state of politics in Nigeria and across Africa.
He stated, “People say politics is a dirty game. The way we play our politics is the way we want to play it.
“Remember (Olusegun) Obasanjo, the former president, recently made a statement that politics is not dirty but the people that play politics, come to play politics with their dirty minds, dirty hearts and dirty character.
“And that is why people say politics is dirty. And in that case, we must all begin to think differently. We must cultivate the culture of peace.”
He emphasized the need for Nigerians and Africans as a whole to cultivate a culture centered on peace, highlighting that peace should be integrated into daily life.
Jonathan stated, “Until we get to that level where we develop the culture of peace in this country, we will always have political conflicts in our election.
“And without us strengthening that effort, without us developing that culture of testing a nation peacefully, we will always be in conflict in Africa and in Nigeria.”
