Former President Goodluck Jonathan has told youths to get involved in politics, saying the political system controls everything globally.

Jonathan, who spoke in Abuja on Monday, during a studio visit to the digital pan-African news network, the TOS TV network, led by Ms Osasu Igbinedion, said the ballot, and not the judiciary should declare the winners of elections.

He stated, “Ballot papers should be the basis of selecting political officeholders. If it is the judiciary that should select them then we are not yet there.

“I am not saying the judiciary is not doing well but our laws should suppress the idea of our judiciary returning candidates. The ballots should decide who occupies the councillorship seat up to the presidency; that is democracy.”

Jonathan decried money politics and criticised politicians using gifts to sway voters.

He said, “The problem we have in Nigeria is the use of money to induce some voters. Compared to other African countries, we spend too much money here. Probably, we need to review our laws because I have observed a number of elections in African countries.

“But here if somebody is contesting elections, you buy bags of rice, wrappers, and all manner of items to induce the electorates. Ordinarily, our electoral laws are supposed to frown on such practices.

“If you do that, you are supposed to be disqualified from contesting in the election. So these are the things that make our elections expensive. I think if the young people are willing, things should begin to change.”