Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the National Assembly to put an end to off-season elections in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
Jonathan made this plea in an interview with journalists after casting his vote in the ongoing governorship election in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, on Saturday.
While congratulating the states conducting elections—Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi—Jonathan expressed concern about the trend of off-cycle elections, describing it as an ‘odd’ practice that deviates from global best practices.
He appealed to the National Assembly to intervene and block off-season elections, emphasising that it is not in the country’s best interest.
Jonathan highlighted the potential risks of persisting with off-season elections, suggesting that it might lead to a scenario where the presidential election itself becomes an off-season event.
He drew a parallel with the American system, where the timing of elections is standardised, providing stability and predictability.
The former president referenced the 2007 elections, where he served as a running mate to the late President Yar’Adua.
He noted that if the election had been annulled, as advocated by three out of seven justices, it could have set a precedent for the presidential election to become an off-season event.
Jonathan urged the National Assembly to reconsider the status of the seven states currently conducting off-season elections and explore ways to align them with the electoral schedules of other states.
“You know that in that election, three of the seven justices that presided over the case stated in their judgment that the election be annulled. Four of them sustained the elections, and that is why we stayed. If one has crossed over by now, the presidential election in Nigeria would have been an off-season election, and it is not the best for a country.
“Now we have seven states that are off-season. We need to stop there, and where possible, these seven states can be migrated back and fall in line with the other states, and the National Assembly can do that. That is my message for the National Assembly, my message for Nigerians.”
He stressed the importance of adopting best practices for the country’s electoral system.
While expressing optimism about the ongoing elections, Jonathan cautioned against premature conclusions, emphasising the need to wait until the end of the voting period to assess the overall conduct of the polls.
He thanked Nigerians and wished for the success of the off-cycle elections while urging the National Assembly to take decisive action on the matter.
