elections will be transparent, free and fair, urging for the
support of Nigerians during the exercise.
Speaking, Tuesday, at a Chatham House lecture series held at Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Special Assistant to President Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokiri, said President Jonathan was not interested in manipulating the election process or the result, arguing that previous elections held in Adamawa, Ekiti, Anambra, Edo, Osun and Niger states which were adjudged to be free and fair are a pointer that the 2015 elections will not be influenced by the President.
According to him, "the best judge of future behaviour is past
behaviour, and by the deployment of security during the
Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Niger elections, the fact has been
proved that providing security increased rather than reduce
voters turn out as shown in Ekiti that had the highest voters
turn out ever in Nigeria's history.
"That the incumbent could manipulate voter turnout by
selective use of the security force was not borne out by the
facts on the ground. President Jonathan is the only national
leader who has repeatedly said ' My ambition is not worth
the blood of any Nigerian'.
Omokiri said almost all the aspirants had at one point or
another and sometimes very recently threatened violence
and bloodshed and if suspects are being sought for those
who have high incentive to manipulate election results, he
urged activists to look in that direction rather than at the
President.
He also argued that Jonathan went on a state visit to Israel
where he conferred with Prime minister Netanyahu, and
while he was there it only made sense for him to attend
ongoing pilgrimage.
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