Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for an urgent national stakeholders’ engagement to address the growing involvement of serving governors, senior public officials and influential political figures in off-cycle elections across Nigeria.
Jonathan made the call in a statement personally signed by him on Tuesday in Abuja, titled, “Osun and the Need to Set New Boundaries for Political Conduct in Off-Cycle Elections.”
The former president expressed concern over what he described as the emerging practice of serving governors, senior political office holders, party leaders and other influential government officials converging on states during election periods, often accompanied by large numbers of aides and heavy security personnel.
He warned that if the trend was allowed to continue unchecked, it could create undue pressure, intimidation and political tension capable of undermining Nigeria’s fragile democracy.
Jonathan, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties and the people of Osun State for the peaceful conduct of the recent governorship election.
He said the outcome demonstrated that Nigeria still had the capacity to conduct elections in a manner capable of strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.
“While we commend the electoral process itself, there are developments surrounding the election and, more importantly, an emerging trend in political conduct during off-cycle elections that raises concerns,” Jonathan said.
He described the presence of large numbers of serving governors, senior political office holders and other influential figures from outside the states where elections were being conducted as unusual and inappropriate for a democratic society.
According to him, similar situations occurred during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections when he was president.
“Upon being briefed, I ordered party leaders and senior government officials to leave the states immediately,” he recalled.
Jonathan stressed that political parties had the right to campaign, mobilise supporters and deploy legitimate party structures as part of the democratic process.
He, however, warned that excessive political mobilisation involving powerful public officials on election day could create an atmosphere of apprehension, intimidation and undue pressure.
“We must ask ourselves whether the increasing deployment of political power and large-scale mobilisation by senior office holders on election day in states holding elections is consistent with the spirit of free, fair and peaceful democratic competition,” he said.
The former president also warned about the potential consequences of allowing the practice to become established.
He questioned what could happen if governors from opposing political parties began deploying similar political and governmental influence to every state conducting a competitive election.
Jonathan said such a development could escalate political tensions and turn elections into contests for political survival rather than peaceful competitions for the people’s mandate.
He urged political leaders and former public officials to recognise the responsibility that comes with occupying public office, stressing that political power should be used to strengthen democratic institutions rather than create fear or apprehension among citizens and political opponents.
Jonathan Seeks National Stakeholders’ Engagement
Jonathan called on the National Peace Committee to convene an urgent stakeholders’ meeting to examine emerging practices surrounding off-cycle elections and develop acceptable standards for political conduct.
He said the proposed engagement should provide a neutral platform for political leaders and other stakeholders to discuss the issue without treating it as a partisan dispute arising from the Osun governorship election.
According to him, participants should include the leadership of registered political parties, INEC, relevant security agencies, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, civil society organisations and the media.
Jonathan said the National Peace Committee was well positioned to lead the process because of the confidence and moral authority it had built through its interventions in periods of political tension.
“I believe that the National Peace Committee is particularly well placed to lead this conversation because of the confidence and moral authority it has built over the years in bringing political leaders together at moments of national tension,” he said.
He added that an early national conversation would help establish clear boundaries and expectations for political conduct before practices that were currently considered unusual became accepted as normal.
Jonathan urged political actors to prioritise the stability of Nigeria’s democracy over the pursuit of electoral victory at all costs.
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