
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said politicians who care only
about themselves should quit politics and go into personal business.
According to a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said
this while speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka, Zambia where he is
serving as the head of the African Union election observer for the
Zambian presidential election.
“Politicians going in for elective positions should be open-minded about
the outcome because they can either win or lose. Politicians who want
to play meaningful roles in governance should realize that it is not
about them. Those who care only about themselves should quit politics
and begin to manage personal businesses. Our states are not private
enterprises. You cannot be interested in governance without sufficient
interest in the affairs of the people. So the interest of the country
should come first as politicians tick their priority boxes. This also
requires politicians to accept the outcome of genuine elections because
of the interest of the people. You cannot instigate violence and mayhem
on the one hand and pretend that you are fighting for the people on the
other. It does not make any sense to get involved in bloodshed, destroy
properties, frustrate businesses and collapse the economy in order to
win elections. Our advice is to put public interest above other
expectations by accepting the results of elections”he said