Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerian Youths to look beyond religious and ethnic backgrounds to voting the right candidate.
As speculated by many, the February 2023 general elections might be the most critical in the nation’s course to achieve sustainable growth and development, considering the dire socioeconomic and sociopolitical situation it has grappled with in recent years.
Advising Nigerian Youths at a gathering in Imo State on Saturday, Jonathan urged the youths not to vote for those that would erect ethnoreligious walls across the country and further impede the progress of Nigeria.
Speaking further, the ex-president called on young Nigerians to take back their country and be intentional in their actions and voting in the 2023 elections.
Jonathan was quoted by New Telegraph as saying, “Luckily, we are in an election cycle. So, my challenge to the youth is to take charge of their future by electing those who believe in your unity and will promote peace and progress, not those who will erect ethnic walls and religious barriers among our people”.
“We have over-ethnicized our politics to the detriment of our country and our collective growth. We need to stop this.” He added: “As a nation, we have challenges, but we should not be slaves to our challenges. Let us get over the obstacles and move forward. We have to adapt and must not conform to perceived aberrant behaviour considered to be politically correct.” He counselled that incoming Nigerian leaders must make an effort to redress the spread of divisive politics.
