Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised the alarm over what he described as an “unwholesome” trend in Nigeria’s off-cycle elections, calling for a national conversation to establish new boundaries for political conduct.
Speaking against the backdrop of the recent Osun State governorship election, Jonathan condemned the growing practice whereby serving governors, senior political office holders, and party leaders, accompanied by large numbers of aides and heavy security details from outside a state, converge on states where elections are being conducted.
“This trend is unwholesome. If left unchecked, it could threaten our fragile democracy and have serious long-term implications for democratic stability,” Jonathan said in a statement.
The former president, who served between 2010 to 2015, recalled that similar situations arose during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections, when he ordered party leaders and senior government officials to leave the states immediately upon being briefed.
“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 stated.
Jonathan noted that while political parties are entitled to campaign and mobilise their supporters, the overwhelming presence of powerful political actors on election day could create an atmosphere of apprehension, intimidation, bullying and undue pressure.
He warned that if the current trend becomes established, it could deepen political tensions and make elections increasingly resemble battles for political survival rather than peaceful contests for the mandate of the people.
“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.
To address the concerns, Jonathan called on the National Peace Committee to convene a stakeholders’ engagement as soon as practicable.
The purpose, he said, should be to provide a neutral and constructive platform for political leaders to reflect on emerging practices and agree on standards that will protect democracy and preserve peace.
The engagement should bring together key stakeholders, including the leadership of registered political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), relevant security agencies, the leadership of the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, civil society organisations and the media.
“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,” Jonathan said.
The former president cautioned that this matter should not be treated as a partisan dispute concerning the Osun election, but rather as a broader national issue concerning the future of Nigeria’s electoral democracy.
“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 added.
Jonathan, who has consistently warned against do-or-die politics and called for peaceful elections, said an early national conversation could help establish appropriate boundaries and expectations for political conduct before practices that are unusual today become accepted as normal tomorrow .
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