By Jane Okafor, Abuja
ABUJA: Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said the outcome of the Edo state governorship election last Saturday, September 21, has demonstrated that technology alone would not solve Nigeria’s electoral challenges.
Jonathan said the human factors involved in the nation’s electoral process were equally important to make or mar the integrity of an election, stressing that human mindset should be trained or developed to atune with the best technology can offer.
The ex – President made this known in his remarks in Abuja at a programme organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and Partners in commemoration of the International Day of Peace.
He noted that human mindset was key to the resolution of the electoral problems, lamenting that many Nigerian politicians and supporters had a dirty attitude to politics.
He said there was more tension after the Edo election than before it, due to the feelings that some things were not done rightly, positing that technology would not solve the problems in Nigeria’s electoral process of the human mind was corrupted to manipulate technologies to achieve a set agenda.
The former president, who chaired the occasion, said the impression that politics was dirty was wrong and making of the players.
According to him, the players are responsible for the dirty state of politics in Nigeria and Africa, in general.
“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.”
Also speaking, the Head of Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the National Open University of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Iroye, aligned with Jonathan’s thoughts, harping on the need for collective effort in promoting peace.
Iroye said there was also the need for youth engagement in developmental initiatives and equal access to education to achieve peace.
The Director General of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, noted that peace requires investment, urging Nigerians to prioritize its development. Jonathan was honored as a Fellow by IPCR for his commitment to peace above personal interests.
