Former President Goodluck Jonathan has cautioned politicians against manipulating the electoral process in the pursuit of victory in the 2027 general elections, insisting that political contests must be conducted within established rules.
Jonathan gave the warning at a public lecture organised to celebrate the 80th birthday of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Kanu Agabi, SAN.
The former president, who conceded defeat in the 2015 presidential election, said politicians could not justify unlawful or unethical conduct by simply describing their actions as part of the game of politics.
His remarks appeared to contrast with President Bola Tinubu’s earlier statement that “all is fair in politics”.
Jonathan likened politics to football, stressing that participants must respect the rules governing the contest and accept the role of institutions in resolving disputes when violations occur.
“In politics, it is a disaster. People do stupid things, also even criminal things, and they will tell you it is politics. It is not politics. Politics has rules.
“Politics is like a soccer match. You play according to the rules, and that is why the courts step in to mediate if you go against the rules. Otherwise, you can do anything and win an election and walk away,” he said.
The former president also called for a broader approach to tackling corruption, saying the existence of laws and anti-corruption agencies alone would not solve the problem.
According to him, Nigeria must develop social and institutional values that make ethical behaviour the norm while ensuring that public officials understand that holding public office is a responsibility and not a personal entitlement.
“The challenge before Nigeria is not simply to make laws against corruption. It is to build a culture in which ethical conduct becomes the norm, where public office is treated as a trust, and where institutions are strong enough to uphold accountability,” he said.
Jonathan argued that corruption could not be effectively addressed without changing the societal attitudes that tolerate wrongdoing.
“We cannot continue to claim that private corruption will just keep going around in circles. It cannot go anywhere until we develop that culture, and nobody does wrong willingly,” he added.
He cited his experience in Rwanda as an example of how societal values could shape the conduct of public officials.
Jonathan recalled that during a visit to the country, he attempted to provide a gift to people who had attended to him but was told that accepting such gifts was contrary to the country’s culture.
“I gave this to my aides to give to the people who take care of me. If you give me a hotel room where nobody can see anybody, where it is free, they say it is not the culture of Rwanda to accept the little gift — just a gift,” he said.
He said the experience underscored the importance of developing societal norms that reinforce ethical behaviour, rather than relying exclusively on laws and punishment.
Jonathan also highlighted the role of the judiciary and other institutions in enforcing accountability, stressing that Nigerians must collectively contribute to efforts to curb corruption.
“All of us Nigerians have a major role to play if we want to suppress corruption, not just the bodies established by law to discipline and punish those who do it,” he said.
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