Era of Rigging Over, Says Jonathan

BARELY 24 hours after he fired Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, vowed that never again shall Nigeria witness elections that would be characterized by fraud.

Dr. Jonathan said his administration was committed to free and fair election, noting that the era in which a group of people would appoint certain individuals into elected offices in the name of election was gone for good.

Speaking when he received the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria led by its President, Most Rev. Felix Alaba-Job, Jonathan reaffirmed government's commitment to ensuring that the votes of Nigerians count in the 2011 elections.

The Acting President who hailed the Bishops and the Catholic Secretariat for playing a significant role in monitoring elections in the country, called on Christians and Nigerians not to accept any compromises in the next elections.

Dr. Jonathan also spoke on the menace of bad governance which had continued to fan the embers of corruption, stressing that the issue of corruption was quite worrisome and government was determined to do all it could to reduce it.

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He charged Nigerians to get involved in the fight against the monster which he said was the bane of development in the country, adding: "I fully believe that corruption could be reduced if all of us get involved in the war against corruption in any little way we can."

Earlier, Most Rev. Alaba-Job had commended Acting President Jonathan for strengthening the anti-corruption agencies as he steered the affairs of the country.

Alaba-Job also commended him for his firm pledge to ensure free and fair elections in 2011 and the positive steps taken by government to control militancy in the Niger Delta through the amnesty programme.

He said: "I encourage government to provide social amenities to the people of the Niger Delta as a way of ending crisis in the region."

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I believe its time for A NEW THING

It is possible but not in this coming election.

The late president Yar'Adua said more than that, but when it was time to match words with action, he capitulated by removing the main flesh from the Uwais electoral reform report. Let Jonathan prove that he is different by biting the finger of the flawed electoral process that fed (produced) him along with his boss. He might be truly willing, but will the people who put him there agree? Time will tell.

Gembiz, you picked those words straight out of my mind. Others have muted it before Jonathan. However, the stable clean-up that started with the Prof. Iwu, the electoral chief, suggests a reformation is trickling. Soon it will be torrents. Lets be optimistic and work against what's not right, while pointing to what's right. Change is at our doorstep dressed in unfamiliar clothing perhaps! We've been so long deceived that it's very easy not to be believing again. Believe!

You are right, Viktor. We have become doubting Thomases owing to the long years of our leaders' promise-abuse. Pray that we are luckier this time.

For me,it is not the case of doubting Thomas or believing Andrew,i fully agree with oga sir that not in this election,My reason being that the facilities and infrastructures are not on ground.Take for example here in Britain,It was the facility that provoke the success of the election we see,I am not pessimistic ,but I believe we will gain a good step this coming election but not enough to call success.