Jonathan raises concern over governors’ presence at off-cycle elections

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has criticised the growing presence of serving governors, senior political office holders, and influential party figures in states during off-cycle governorship elections.

Jonathan raised the concern in a statement on Tuesday while commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, and residents of Osun State for the peaceful conduct of the August 15 governorship election.

The election was contested by 16 candidates, including incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, former state finance commissioner Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, and former two-term Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, who ran on the African Democratic Congress platform.

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Adeleke retained the governorship after winning 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured the remaining 11.

Bold Nigerians

Jonathan said the outcome demonstrated that Nigeria is still capable of conducting elections that strengthen citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions, despite the challenges confronting the country’s democracy.

However, he noted that developments surrounding the election pointed to an emerging pattern that requires urgent national attention.

According to the former president, serving governors, senior political office holders, party leaders, and other influential government figures are increasingly converging on states where elections are held, often accompanied by large entourages and heavy security details.

He described what was witnessed during recent elections in Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo as unusual, warning that it should not become a normalised feature of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Jonathan recalled that similar incidents occurred during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections while he was president.

He said that upon receiving reports of the presence of senior political actors in those states, he instructed party leaders and top government officials to withdraw immediately.

The former president warned that if unchecked, the growing practice could pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s fragile democracy.

He acknowledged the right of political parties to campaign, mobilise supporters, and deploy legitimate structures, noting that such activities are central to democratic competition.

However, he cautioned that large-scale mobilisation involving serving governors, senior officials, and powerful political actors from across the country could cross into conduct capable of instilling fear, intimidation, and undue pressure during elections.

Dangerous precedent

Jonathan questioned whether the deployment of political influence and extensive mobilisation by senior public officials on election day aligns with the principles of free, fair, and peaceful electoral competition.

He also warned against turning elections into high-stakes contests where victory is pursued at all costs. The former president said the trend could set a dangerous precedent if governors from opposing parties begin travelling to every competitive election state to display political strength.

He warned that such a development could trigger a cycle of political show-of-force and counter-mobilisation.

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Rather than strengthening democracy, Jonathan said, it could heighten tensions and turn elections into struggles for dominance instead of peaceful expressions of the people’s will.

He urged Nigerians to see the issue beyond partisan interpretations of the Osun election, describing it as a national concern with long-term implications for electoral democracy.

Jonathan added that both former and serving public officials bear greater responsibility due to the influence attached to their offices.

He said political power should be used to strengthen democratic institutions, not to create fear or apprehension among opponents and citizens.