Former President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked the electorate to resist vote-buying, embrace peace and shun violence; ahead of the rescheduled general election.
Few hours to the commencement of the polls, last Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the presidential and National Assembly elections to February 23 and the governorship and House of Assembly polls to March 9.
Jonathan spoke in Bayelsa State, at the weekend, during a meeting with Niger Delta Youth Leaders in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The former president further urged the electorate to vote according to their conscience.
Said Jonathan: “Use of money to induce voters has become very prevalent in Nigeria.
“It is more pronounced here than many African countries I have been to monitor elections and it is unhealthy for our development.
“Politics should be about the people but anyone who wants to make quick money should go into business and quit politics, which is all about service to the people.
“People should vote according to the dictates of their conscience and not be induced by money.
“I have said it several times that no ambition should be worth spilling of the blood of any Nigerian.
“Peace is fundamental to economic development and the reports of insecurity and violence scares away investors.
“Anytime someone is killed, either by security agencies or by any other extra judicial means, it affects the reputation of the country adversely and that is why peace building is very essential, especially with the youths.
“Our youths are critical in our democracy because the future belongs to them, so, my advise is that we should be patient and shun violence in the coming elections,”Jonathan said.
