*Urges Tinubu To Dilute Politics Of Religion, Region
FORMER President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has warned that the winners-take-all disposition, which alienates other parties, irrespective of their performance at the polls, is inimical to political justice and hampers the drive to foster unity in the country.
Jonathan said the current zero-sum politics in Nigeria over the years has promoted desperation, agitation and disunity, stating: “The zero sum kind of politics, where a winner takes all has not helped to foster unity and political justice. Zero-sum politics has over the years promoted desperation, agitations and disunity. We need to work out a model that guarantees political inclusion and promotes unity and tolerance in the polity.
“A political party, for example, that scored up to 30 per cent of votes in an election at the federal or states should not lose everything. We need to come up with innovative solutions that will address the challenge of political exclusion that usually come up after elections.
“I’m not clearly recommending proportional representation, but different governments come up with models of democracy that suits them.
“After all, presidents of the world don’t emerge through the same process. In Nigeria, we elect our president directly. In a number of countries, presidents are elected indirectly.
“So, our National Assembly can also look at models that will suit us. The zero sum, where a party that even sometimes get 40 per cent of votes, especially at the state level, will have nothing gives rise to this do-or-die politics.
“That zero sum approach, I think, is inimical to consolidating and strengthening our democracy.
“Let me conclude by saying that together, we can forge a Nigeria where every citizen has a voice, where opportunities abound, where the promise of a better tomorrow is not just a dream, but a tangible reality.
“Let us, therefore, celebrate this milestone with pride and renewed determination.”
Jonathan, who was Nigeria’s President between 2010 and 2015, was chairman of this year’s national symposium to mark this year’s Democracy Day held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He counselled the Tinubu administration to ensure that the politics of the next 25 years is transformative and inclusive, saying there must be a determined effort to dilute politics of region and religion.
He noted: “Let us ensure that the next 25 years of our democracy are even more transformative and inclusive and more prosperous for all of us.
“In line with the wordings of our national anthem, I think the second stanza, to hand over to our children a banner without stain, we must not hand over to our children, a democracy built on politics of region or religion. A democracy built on ethnicity does not endure. It will continue to wobble.
“The avalanche of litigations that follow every round of election in Nigeria is very embarrassing. And because of the kind of democracy with practice, democracy built on all kinds of sentiments, either where you worship your God or from the part of the country you come from.
“I know you and Tinubu, who was a key actor in the June 12 crisis, will have the capacity to navigate through that process.”
