I Will Not Lose The Election – President Goodluck Jonathan

In a new interview with Al Jazeera, President Goodluck
Jonathan talks about the upcoming elections, the fight
against Boko Haram, reasons for postponing the last
election date and much more.

Read excerpts from the interview below:-

On people commenting on the sudden step-up in
fighting Boko Haram close to the election: It's out of
ignorance. In a political environment, if one party,
particularly the ruling party is going to the left, they
(opposition) would have to go to the right.

They must find something. They must have something
to tell the people

On if he is scared of losing the elections : I will not
lose the elections.

On the elections being postponed again: I don't think
so.

I believe the elections will be conducted as scheduled by
INEC that is National elections on the 28th of this
month.

I don't see why we should postpone again because I am
quite impressed with the successes going on in the
north.

There is a misunderstanding about the postponement.
In 2011 we conducted elections in Nigeria, we had Boko
Haram.

The fact is that within this period, somehow the level of
Boko Haram within this period was quite serious and
from all indications and from the signals the security
agencies got, people are trying to use them disrupt the
elections.

In 2011 there were no such signals and if you disrupt
the elections in a number of states especially for the
presidential elections, it will affect declaration of
results.

So the security services don't want to take any chances.

They did not tell Nigerians that they must route Boko
Haram 100% before the elections could be conducted
but they want to degrade Boko Haram to the extent that
they would no longer have the kind of strength that
they would come out and disrupt the elections.

That is the key thing. In terms of taking over our
territories, yes we will take over all our territories and
very soon there will be no part of Nigeria where they
will erect a flag and say this is a Boko Haram territory.

That we will do but what I am saying is that even if
you do that, that does not mean you are isolated from
terror attack.

But gradually with improvement in terms of technology
and monitoring we will be able to bring it down.

When we take over all the territories they are holding,
they are becoming weaker, now we will improve our
monitoring using superior technologies to monitor their
activities, then we will begin to pick them and then of
course frustrate their activities.

So over the period, it will go. We cannot live with
terror. No we can't. We would stop it

On mishandling Boko Haram : No it is not a question of
mishandling. Boko Haram didn't start with me

On allegations of INEC Chairman possibly being
sacked: Except somebody is insinuating that the
Chairman has done something wrong.
You cannot change an officer, except the person has
done something wrong.

Government, whether at the federal or state level,
president or governor, does not wake up and change
somebody, especially somebody like the INEC Chairman,
except that person has done something wrong.

INEC is a very sensitive body. For me to change INEC
Chairman, Nigerians and non-Nigerians will ask
questions. So, you cannot wake up and change INEC
Chairman.

I have never discussed with any person on earth about
changing INEC Chairman.

Watch The Video Below:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYsqEwGtJrA