Ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, lamented the high rate of electoral litigation in the country.
Jonathan called for an improvement in the judicial and electoral standards to address the increasing number of lawsuits by politicians who intend to manipulate the process after losing elections in the country.
The former President stated this during the inauguration of the Delta State High Court Complex and the presentation of 20 Toyota Prado Sports Utility Vehicles to judges in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
He said, “I was in South Africa to monitor an election recently, and one key differing issue between South Africa and Nigeria is that when a South African politician loses an election, they hardly go to court.
“But in Nigeria, it is strange for a politician to lose an election and not go to court. I want to appeal to our judges to ensure that the rate of litigation after an election is reduced.”
Jonathan commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for his commitment to continuing with projects inherited from previous administrations in the state.
“There are some projects that are very fundamental to the growth and development of the state and we expect anybody who takes over government to continue with them and you are doing exactly that.
“I believe that if you go across the country today, this is one of the best judiciary headquarters and I congratulate the governor and the judiciary in Delta State for this exemplary project.
“This is because the governor or the President is sitting with public resources and everybody must encourage him to succeed and that’s the only way we, as a nation, can grow,” he said.
Earlier, Oborevwori said the completion of the high court building was in line with his commitment to the completion of projects inherited from previous administrations.
Oborevwori said he was motivated to complete the project because the judiciary was the only arm of government without a befitting building for their operations.
He said the presentation of 20 Toyota Prado SUVs to judges in the state was “a promise made and a promise kept.”
