By Samuel Oyadongha

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says credible electoral processes should be encouraged by all Nigerians.

Jonathan stated this at his Otuoke country home when a delegation of local and international observers accredited for the Bayelsa governorship election paid him a courtesy visit.

No fewer than 50 local and international observer groups were accredited for the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The former President said: “Our challenge as a developing nation is to ensure that we encourage credible electoral processes. Elections must be credible, peaceful and transparent. It is only then that we can talk about development. Then leaders will begin to fulfill election promises. Campaigns will be based on issues and such issues will then become obligations. You can see that we are not there yet, but we are definitely making progress.

“As a person, my position on election is known not just here but globally. What that means is that a society that cannot elect their leaders decently can never develop.

“This is because if you should get to office through fraudulent means, you will only be listening to the few that helped you to get there, and not the people. But if it is the people’s vote that put you there, you will know that you are accountable to them, and your policies and programmes will be built around them.

“In the five years that I was in office as President, we conducted both general and many isolated elections in different states and my emphasis has always been that if we cannot get human beings to vote people into office, we should not expect such leaders to be accountable to the people.

“What I always advise young people is that if you want good governance, you should not allow yourselves to be used as local thugs to rig elections.

“Your governors would then know that if they don’t do well they would be voted out. That is what will force them to come up with programmes and policies that will be beneficial to the people.”