- The former President expressed concerns that with the way things are going in Nigeria, the presidential election might become off-season
- The ex-governor of Bayelsa State claimed that an off-season presidential poll nearly occurred in 2007 when he contested as a running mate with President Umaru Yar’adua, but it was prevented.
Concerned about off-cycle elections being a feature of Nigeria’s democratic transition is former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Jonathan told reporters on Saturday that the national assembly ought to take action about off-season polls after casting ballots in PU 39, Ward 13 in Otuoke, Ogbia LGA, in Bayelsa state.
“First, let me congratulate the three states that have elections today — Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi and wish them successful and peaceful elections,” Jonathan said.
“But basically, this is an off-season election and I get worried about the issue of off-season elections, and I will use this unique opportunity to plead with the national assembly that we need to block these off-season elections.
“It is not a global best practice. If we continue with this trend of off-season elections, based on the interpretation of our laws by our judicial officers, it will come to a time that our presidential election in Nigeria may be off-season.
“It almost happened in 2007 when I contested as a running mate to late president Yaradua. The seven justices that presided over the case, three of them in their own judgment held that the election be annulled, four of them sustained and that is why we stayed.
“If one had crossed over, by now the presidential election would have been 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 that and where possible these seven states too can be migrated back to fall in line with the other state and the national assembly can do that.
“That is my message for national assembly and Nigerians today.
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