Africans should elect leaders who will respect laws of their countries —Ex-President Jonathan

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan believes majority of problems besetting Africa like coups, slow economic growth and insecurity will be largely reduced if Africans vote for leaders who will respect the laws of their countries.

Jonathan, who spoke on Tuesday at the second annual retreat of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) organised by the International IDEA in Abuja, stressed the significance of electing leaders who will respect the laws of their nations, as doing so would solve a substantial portion of the continent’s problems.

Jonathan who is the ECOWAS special envoy, called for discussions involving key political leaders to address the balance between strong institutions and strong leaders in governance, particularly in African countries facing forceful leaders and institutional challenges

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, at the end of the summit, Jonathan emphasized that in the face of increasing military coups especially in West Africa, inclusivity and good governance are needed to convince people that civilian administrations are better than military governments.

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“In Africa, democracy is currently facing many challenges including resurgence of coup d’état, citizen disenchantment, rising insecurity and tough economic situations for which special panels like this one is expected to interrogate and proffer solutions,” Jonathan said.

“I have always said that there is a strong connection between democracy and development.

“We need to elect leaders who respect their laws. If our leaders – Presidents, Prime Ministers, the parliament, and the judiciary – would respect our laws, I believe that 70 per cent of our problems would be solved,” the former Nigerian leader said.

He further urged African leaders to work for the interest of all and avoid actions that could further divide the people and polarise their nations.

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