Jonathan, Diri advocate e-voting to curb violence during elections

Former President Good luck Jonathan and the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, on Sunday called for the immediate adoption of an electronic voting system to curb violence during elections.

The duo spoke at the Third Synod of the Diocese of Ogbia at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Otakeme, Bayelsa State.

The ex-president said over 50 percent of the problems in the country, including insurgency, cultism and corruption, would be addressed with the adoption and effective use of e-voting.

Jonathan blamed the rising insecurity in the country on the activities of politicians who were hell-bent on grabbing political power through the backdoor, against the popular wish of the people.

He said: “Our political activities particularly the use of young people as militiamen and thugs and so on, to win elections had increased the security challenges facing our nation.

“Some of the youths they use are so protected that even the police cannot arrest them because they are ‘boys’ to powerful politicians who use them during elections.

“That is why I have always advocated that for us to move forward as a country, we must use electronic voting where nobody will use thugs to win elections.

“Immediately we use electronic voting, the issue of thuggery and cultism will drop by at least 50 percent.”

Diri, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, urged youth to shun politicians who only use them to achieve their selfish political goals and abandon them afterward.

READ ALSO: INEC to introduce e-voting in 2021, decries high cost of elections

He noted that the only way the youth could resist the temptation of going into thuggery and cultism was to love and appreciate themselves as unique creations of God.

The governor also urged the people of the state to key into the present administration’s prosperity agenda by embracing agriculture and small scale businesses to better their lot.

He said: “Just like our father (the former president) said earlier, I want to encourage our youths to resist evil politicians who do not mean well for them. If they invite you to carry guns, ask them, where are your children? You must learn to love yourself above any politician.

“For us as a government, we are determined to improve the lives of our people. And our focus is to see how prosperity can be engendered. Prosperity is not engendered by coming to beg a politician to give you something to eat.

“The man who teaches you how to fish is better than the one who gives you fish. To take fish from a politician every day is to be dependent.”

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