Jonathan had 5 VALID reasons to cancel the 2015 elections - UNILAG professor

Jonathan had 5 VALID reasons to cancel the 2015 elections - UNILAG professor

- A UNILAG professor has revealed reasons why Jonathan could have canceled the elections

- Professor Nkem Onyekpe is a professor of history and strategic studies

- The university don listed problems that affected the 2015 elections

Jonathan had 5 reasons to cancel the 2015 elections

A professor of history and strategic studies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has given reasons why former president, Goodluck Jonathan could have annulled the 2015 elections.

Professor Nkem Onyekpe, has argued that the presidential election held on March 28, 2015, was riddled with a lot of problems.

Onyekpe argued that as a then sitting president of Nigeria, Jonathan had up to five valid grounds to have rejected the results of the election.

According to him, both local and international communities, described the 2015 election as a major test of the country’s fledgling democracy.

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He praised Jonathan for accepting the results and even calling Buhari to concede."The Anioma Nation and Democratic Consolidation in Delta state" is a-47 page lecture in which Onyekpe explained the first reason, which was the suspicious creation of more polling centres in the northern part of the country without a commensurate establishment of such additional centres in the southern divide of the country.

He then explained that when it was clear that voter’s cards were not available for many registered voters in the strongholds of Jonathan in the South South and South East geopolitical zones.

To add to that, he also said: "When the card reader severally rejected him, his wife and his mother, the ex-president could have taken actions that would have jeopardized the electoral process.”

The professor spoke at Ejeme-Aniogor, Aniocha south local government area of Delta state, during the fourth biennial public lecture/grand civic reception in honour of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

He said Jonathan could have complained when it became “obvious that while the ‘educationally backward’ or ‘less developed’ states of the North did not have or had only few voided votes, the ‘educational highly developed’ states of the South had many voided votes.”

According to Vanguard, Onyekpe said: “When his supporters cried foul at the management of the presidential election by the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies involved in the contest, Jonathan was quiet."

Jonathan said: “He did not tear his voter’s card! Instead, he pleaded with the entire nation for understanding and cooperation with the INEC. He avoided the Machiavellian path.

"He chose, instead, the path of peace and honour. In good conscience, he listened to the inner voice of reason, wisdom, and courage, and conceded victory to his major rival, General Muhammadu Buhari, and congratulated him well before the conclusion of the election.

“He could not as a president affords to preside over the violent dismemberment of the Nigerian nation as ‘dog and baboon’ soak in blood.

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"It must be emphasized that within the limit of our knowledge, this singular action of Goodluck Jonathan as President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the nation, was hitherto unprecedented in world modern history."

In conclusion, he urged all leaders in the country to “imbibe the exemplary transcendental pacificist spirit and attitude of Goodluck Jonathan," and that "Jonathan’s action should serve as a timely lesson for all leaders.”

Meanwhile, on the recent victory over Boko Haram, the PDP noted that the success against the terrorists was due to the effort of former president Goodluck Jonathan who made it possible for elections to hold in the region in 2015.