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Jonathan Warns Serving Govs, Others to Stop Converging on States with ‘Army of Aides’ During Off-circle Elections
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for urgent national action to curb the growing practice of senior politicians converging on states with heavy entourages during off-cycle governorship elections.
In a statement on Tuesday, Jonathan said the conduct witnessed during recent elections in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States was “unusual” and should not be allowed to become normal in Nigeria’s democracy.
He commended INEC, security agencies, political parties and the people of Osun for the peaceful conduct of the August 16 governorship election, but raised concerns about developments surrounding the poll.
“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,” he said.
Jonathan recalled ordering party leaders to leave Anambra and Ekiti during the 2013 and 2014 governorship elections when similar situations occurred during his administration.
He warned that if unchecked, the trend could threaten Nigeria’s “fragile democracy” and turn elections into “battles for political survival rather than peaceful contests for the mandate of the people.”
“Political parties are entitled to campaign. However, there is a point at which the overwhelming presence of serving governors and senior public officials on election day can create an atmosphere of apprehension, intimidation and undue pressure,” Jonathan stated.
The former President asked if the large-scale mobilisation of political power on election day is consistent with free, fair and peaceful democratic competition, noting that “this hardly happens in other democratic countries.”
To address the issue, Jonathan called on the National Peace Committee to convene a stakeholders’ engagement with INEC, security agencies, political parties, the NBA, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, civil society and the media.
He said the meeting should establish standards and boundaries for political conduct before “practices that are unusual today become accepted as normal tomorrow.”
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