Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, representing Ondo Central and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Central, has said that off-season elections are strengthening Nigerian democracy because they let the people’s votes count.
Adegbomire, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture Colleges and Institutions, spoke on Monday, highlighting the importance of allowing the people’s votes to count in the democratic process.
Adegbomire asserted that the people’s mandate should be used to establish leadership and warned that any society adopting other means risks heading toward perdition.
He said that the National Assembly, based on the interpretation of Nigerian law, would not pass legislation to halt off-season elections, emphasising that it contributes to the resilience of the democratic system.
Addressing the constitutional aspects, he pointed out that the Supreme Court had clarified that a governor or president serves a four-year term from the day of inauguration.
He also explained that while there are criteria for winning an election, there are separate criteria for tenure, and the Constitution recognises the actions of an occupant in office during legal proceedings.
Adegbomire emphasised the constitutional aspect of the issue in response to the cry for legislation to end off-cycle elections made by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He suggested shortening the time between party primaries and elections to provide more time for litigation and resolution of primary-related issues before the main election.
News About Nigeria reported that former President Jonathan expressed concerns about off-season elections, describing them as odd and not in line with global best practices.
He called on the National Assembly to block off-season elections to prevent the presidential election from becoming an off-cycle event.
