By Onungwe Obe
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said post-election litigation in Nigeria was hampering smooth governance in the country.
Jonathan said this on Sunday at a dinner in Yenagoa to mark the first anniversary of the administration of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, where he urged political leaders in the state to resolve differences that arise from elections instead of allowing aggrieved parties to go to court.
The former president noted that the litany of litigations that followed the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State really hampered governance in the state.
He however stated that it was better to go to court than resort to undemocratic means of seeking redress.
“The number of cases that got to the Supreme Court shows that democracy is still very okay.
“In Nigeria, as you are preparing for election, you are also preparing for court cases. And it is not the right thing to do.
“Leaders of Bayelsa must come up and take some responsibilities. I believe that politicians are becoming a little rascally. Leaders should step in and take charge whenever things are getting out of hand.
“When certain things are getting out of hand, we should settle it. As the election approaches I encourage the leaders to play their role. Subsequently we should know when election starts and when it ends.
“Somebody will serve for four to eight years and another person will take over. We should not kill ourselves,” Jonathan added.
