President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said he would strengthen the country’s democracy by ensuring free and fair elections in 2015.
The President, who said irregularities at previous election had been responsible for wrangling among politicians, noted that it was high time such malpractices stopped.
According to him, there can never be good governance if people continue to manipulate votes to gain political power.
Jonathan, who spoke at Mpu, Enugu State during the dedication of All Saints Anglican Covenant Church said, “My administration is determined to make a difference in the life of Nigerians by making sure we give them good governance, which would be possible if we get it in our elections.”
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, built the church.
Jonathan added, “You cannot talk about good governance where the elections of people are manipulated. You cannot steal a mandate and turn round to say that you can govern well. Lawyers will say you can’t build anything on nothing.
“If your coming to power, from councillorship to presidency, is based on manipulation, there is no good thing you can do there. You cannot go and celebrate. First, people must vote for you and you cannot talk about doing something good without their support.
“It is actually during the military that they use big guns to overthrow those with small guns and take over. In the political dispensation, you must be elected. We must make sure that electoral processes are sanitised and the votes of Nigerians count.”
Primate of the Anglican Communion, Rev. Nicholas Okoh, on the occasion, described Nigeria’s problems as “obstinate”.
He said, “It is a shame that we have not harnessed the powerful resources we have to build our country but our failure to do that is because somebody has not been sincere because God is sincere.”
Okoh said the church building was commendable and urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to carry Christianity beyond the walls of the church by working hard to make the country one.
The President, who said irregularities at previous election had been responsible for wrangling among politicians, noted that it was high time such malpractices stopped.
According to him, there can never be good governance if people continue to manipulate votes to gain political power.
Jonathan, who spoke at Mpu, Enugu State during the dedication of All Saints Anglican Covenant Church said, “My administration is determined to make a difference in the life of Nigerians by making sure we give them good governance, which would be possible if we get it in our elections.”
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, built the church.
Jonathan added, “You cannot talk about good governance where the elections of people are manipulated. You cannot steal a mandate and turn round to say that you can govern well. Lawyers will say you can’t build anything on nothing.
“If your coming to power, from councillorship to presidency, is based on manipulation, there is no good thing you can do there. You cannot go and celebrate. First, people must vote for you and you cannot talk about doing something good without their support.
“It is actually during the military that they use big guns to overthrow those with small guns and take over. In the political dispensation, you must be elected. We must make sure that electoral processes are sanitised and the votes of Nigerians count.”
Primate of the Anglican Communion, Rev. Nicholas Okoh, on the occasion, described Nigeria’s problems as “obstinate”.
He said, “It is a shame that we have not harnessed the powerful resources we have to build our country but our failure to do that is because somebody has not been sincere because God is sincere.”
Okoh said the church building was commendable and urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to carry Christianity beyond the walls of the church by working hard to make the country one.
