From Victor Osula, Abuja
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that the growing practice of serving governors and other powerful political office holders descending on states conducting off-cycle governorship elections is turning democratic contests into political battlefields capable of threatening Nigeria’s fragile democracy.
Jonathan said the trend, if left unchecked, could gradually erode public confidence in elections and deepen political tensions, as contests increasingly become demonstrations of political strength rather than peaceful competitions for the people’s mandate.
The former president made the remarks in a statement personally signed on Tuesday in Abuja, titled “Osun and the Need to Set New Boundaries for Political Conduct in Off-Cycle Elections.”
His intervention followed the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, which was generally judged peaceful but witnessed the presence of several serving governors of the ruling ruling All Progressives congress (APC), senior government officials and influential political figures from across the country.
While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties and the people of Osun State for conducting a peaceful election, Jonathan stressed that electoral success should not overshadow disturbing developments surrounding election-day political mobilisation.
According to him, the conduct witnessed during recent governorship elections in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states has exposed an unhealthy trend that deserves urgent national attention.
“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.
“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,” Jonathan said.
He maintained that while political parties have every right to campaign, mobilise supporters and deploy legitimate party structures, there must be clear boundaries on election day.
Jonathan argued that the overwhelming presence of serving governors and influential public office holders could create an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, bullying and undue pressure on voters and political opponents.
“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.
“We must not allow political competition to become a contest in which victory is perceived as something that must be achieved at all costs,” he stated.
Recalling his time in office, Jonathan said similar situations arose during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections when prominent political leaders converged on the states.
He disclosed that after receiving security briefings, he directed senior government officials and party leaders to immediately leave the affected states to reduce political tension and preserve confidence in the electoral process.
Jonathan warned that allowing the current trend to continue could set a dangerous precedent where governors from rival political parties would invade every competitive election, turning polls into political confrontations.
“If the current trend becomes established, what happens when governors from opposing political parties begin to descend on every state holding a competitive election? What happens when each party seeks to match political power with political power, governmental influence with governmental influence, and mobilisation with counter-mobilisation?
“Such a development would not strengthen our democracy. It would deepen political tensions and could make elections increasingly resemble battles for political survival rather than peaceful contests for the mandate of the people,” he asked.
The former president said the issue should not be treated as a partisan controversy over the Osun election but as a broader national concern requiring urgent intervention.
He urged public office holders to recognise that the influence attached to their offices should be deployed to strengthen democratic institutions rather than intimidate citizens or political opponents.
To address the emerging challenge, Jonathan called on the National Peace Committee to urgently convene a stakeholders’ engagement involving political parties, INEC, security agencies, the National Assembly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations and the media.
According to him, the committee possesses the credibility and moral authority required to facilitate a national conversation capable of setting acceptable boundaries for election-day political conduct before the practice becomes entrenched.
