Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised concerns over the growing trend of serving governors, senior public officials, and influential political actors descending on states during off-cycle elections, warning that the practice could destabilise Nigeria’s fragile democracy if unchecked.
Jonathan issued the warning in a personally signed statement on Tuesday in Abuja, titled “Osun and the Need to Set New Boundaries for Political Conduct in Off-Cycle Elections.”
While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, and the electorate for the peaceful conduct of the recent Osun State governorship poll, Jonathan expressed alarm at the high-profile mobilisation witnessed on election day.
He noted that similar practices had been observed in previous off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Ondo States, describing them as “unusual” and potentially harmful to democratic stability.
“The growing practice whereby serving governors, senior political office holders, party leaders, and other influential government functionaries, accompanied by large numbers of aides and heavy security details from outside a state, converge on states where elections are being conducted raises an issue that demands national attention,” Jonathan said.
Recalling his presidency, Jonathan revealed that during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections, he ordered senior officials and party leaders to leave the states immediately after being briefed on similar developments. He described the escalating trend as “unwholesome” with serious long-term implications.
Jonathan stressed that while political parties have the constitutional right to campaign and mobilise supporters, the overwhelming presence of powerful figures on election day risks creating an atmosphere of intimidation and undermining free and fair competition.
He warned of a dangerous precedent where rival parties could escalate counter-mobilisation, turning elections into battles of political survival rather than peaceful contests for the people’s mandate.
To address the issue, Jonathan urged the National Peace Committee to urgently convene an all-inclusive national dialogue involving political parties, INEC, security agencies, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), civil society groups, and the media.
“An early national conversation can help us establish appropriate boundaries and expectations for political conduct before practices that are unusual today become accepted as normal tomorrow,” he concluded.
