Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for an end to the growing practice of serving governors, senior government officials and influential political actors converging on states conducting off-cycle elections, warning that the trend could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
Jonathan, reacting to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, said the presence of powerful political figures from outside a state, often accompanied by large entourages and heavy security details, should not become an accepted feature of Nigerian elections.
“The conduct witnessed around the recent elections in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States was, in my view, unusual. It is not a practice that should become normal in a democratic society,” he said.
The former President made the remarks in a personally signed statement 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 people of Osun State for the peaceful conduct of the governorship election, Jonathan said developments surrounding the exercise highlighted a broader problem requiring national attention.
According to him, political parties have legitimate rights to campaign, mobilise supporters and deploy their structures during elections, but the mass presence of serving governors and other powerful office holders on election day could cross the line from legitimate political participation into intimidation.
“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.
He recalled confronting a similar situation while serving as President during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections.
According to Jonathan, when senior political leaders and government officials mobilised into the states during those elections, he ordered them to leave.
“I recall that, as President, similar situations arose during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections. On those occasions, senior political leaders mobilised and descended upon the states. Upon being briefed, I ordered party leaders and senior government officials to leave the states immediately,” he said.
Jonathan described the emerging practice as “unwholesome”, warning that allowing it to become entrenched could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s democratic stability.
He argued that the overwhelming presence of governors, senior public officials and other influential political actors could create an atmosphere of apprehension, intimidation, bullying and undue pressure around an election.
“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. This hardly happens in other democratic countries,” he said.
Jonathan also warned against creating a precedent in which rival political parties seek to match one another by mobilising governors and other powerful figures into states whenever elections are held.
He said such a development could turn elections into contests of governmental influence and political power rather than peaceful competitions for the mandate of voters.
“If the current trend becomes established, what happens when governors from opposing political parties begin to descend on every state holding a competitive election?” he asked.
“What happens when each party seeks to match political power with political power, governmental influence with governmental influence, and mobilisation with counter-mobilisation?”
The former President warned that such escalation would deepen political tensions and risk transforming elections into battles for political survival.
He stressed that his intervention should not be interpreted as a partisan response to the Osun governorship election, describing the issue instead as a national concern about the future of Nigeria’s electoral democracy.
Jonathan said former and serving public office holders had a particular responsibility to ensure their conduct strengthened rather than weakened democratic institutions.
“Those of us who have occupied public office must recognise that our conduct carries a greater responsibility. The power and influence attached to public office should be used to strengthen democratic institutions, not to create apprehension among political opponents or citizens,” he stated.
He consequently called on the National Peace Committee to urgently convene a stakeholders’ meeting to develop acceptable standards and boundaries governing political conduct during elections.
Jonathan proposed that the engagement should involve the leadership of registered political parties, INEC, relevant security agencies, the National Assembly, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, civil society organisations and the media.
He said the National Peace Committee was well placed to lead the process because of the confidence and moral authority it had developed through years of bringing political leaders together during periods of national tension.
“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,” Jonathan said.
Friday Olokor, Abuja
Follow us on:
