Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that not even “Jesus Christ” can conduct an acceptable election in Nigeria and that the nation would continue to have disputed election results except politicians are reformed.

The former president who appointed the outgoing INEC boss said, “with all due respect, if Jesus Christ could come to the world and be the chairman of INEC, any election he would conduct will be disputed.”
Obasanjo said what was required was the urgent need to reform Nigerian politicians for the nation to have acceptable elections in 2011

“Since I got here three days ago, I understand that the chairman of INEC has been asked to go on leave. People have also talked about electoral reform.
“Quite honestly, I have said that I don’t understand in detail what this electoral reform is. One thing that we need to reform in our own society is the politician. We need to reform politicians,” Obasanjo stressed.
He said he first participated in elections in Nigeria in 1959 and since then, there has been no election conducted that has not been disputed.


“It will be difficult to have a perfect election. What is important is that the result of an election should reflect the will of the people,” he said.The former president also said he was optimistic about the role of the Nigerian youth in the future of the nation.
“One thing that is very bright and makes me happy in Nigeria is that the generation that is coming behind is very bright.
“The other day, I was saying that the generation before my generation gave us independence. Whatever may be their inadequacies, at least they gave us independence.


“Somebody asked me what can be credited to our generation and I said our generation fought for the unity of Nigeria and our generation laid the foundation of democracy in Nigeria.
“There is this up and coming generation, I will not be mentioning names, but they are good and I have seen them,” he said.

culled from ThisDay Online.