Stay away from off-cycle elections, Jonathan tells governors, powerful politicians

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged urgent national consultation to tackle the emerging practice of senior politicians descending on states during off-cycle elections. In a statement, Jonathan expressed concerns that the practice witnessed in recent Osun, Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections could create undue pressure and threaten Nigeria’s fragile democracy.

While praising INEC, security agencies, political parties and the people of Osun for a peaceful election, Jonathan emphasized the need for political mobilization to have boundaries. He highlighted that the recent development signals a concerning trend in political conduct during off-cycle elections. The former president recalled similar situations during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti elections, where senior political leaders mobilized and arrived in large numbers.

He described the trend as unwholesome and warned that unchecked expansion could destabilize democratic stability. Jonathan stressed that while political parties are entitled to campaign, there is a limit to political mobilization, particularly when senior officials, including governors, are heavily involved. He cautioned against the development becoming a norm, given that it is not common in other democratic nations.

Jonathan also raised the issue of precedent, asking what would happen if opposing party governors descended on every competitive state? He urged the National Peace Committee to convene a stakeholders’ engagement to address the emerging practice and establish boundaries for political conduct before it becomes normalized.