Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday asked Nigerian politicians to stop killing people because of political offices.
He spoke against a backdrop of the violence that trailed the recent governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states, as well as elections in other African countries.
The former President spoke on Saturday at the 17th convocation of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, where he was honoured with an honorary doctorate degree.
He said African politicians were “systematically” replacing military coup with “civilian coup d’état.”
He said, “Let me plead with my fellow politicians, they should stop killing the people, destroying properties because people want to own offices.
“What happened in the last governorship elections in my state, Bayelsa, and Kogi State, where a woman was burnt alive in her house, is something that should not happen in any normal society. Something is fundamentally wrong with our political system.
“Only yesterday (Friday) in one African country, we were discussing the politics of our continent. Most of us there were former heads of state, presidents, former presidents and vice presidents.
“The way Africa politics is going, we are replacing military coup with civilian coup d’état and that cannot sustain the continent.”
Jonathan described the Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion (Esama of Benin), as a trailblazer in the education and aviation industries.
The former President said no nation could develop above its level of education, hence the need for the private and public sectors to play their roles to ensure educational standards improved.
Jonathan also urged the chancellor to resuscitate his moribund Okada Airline to contribute to the country’s aviation sector.
