Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised the alarm over what he described as a growing and “unwholesome” trend in Nigerian politics, where serving governors, senior government officials and security details are mobilised from outside a state into places holding elections, warning that the practice could destabilise the country’s democracy if left unchecked.
In a statement posted on X reacting to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, Jonathan commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties and the people of Osun for what he called a peaceful electoral process. But he said the conduct surrounding the election exposed a troubling pattern that deserves urgent national attention.
“The conduct witnessed around the recent elections in Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States was, in my view, unusual,” Jonathan said. “It is not a practice that should become normal in a democratic society.”
The former President said the practice of governors, party leaders and other influential figures descending on election states with large entourages and security operatives was creating an atmosphere of “apprehension, intimidation, bullying and undue pressure,” that undermines free and fair competition.
Drawing on his experience in office, Jonathan recalled similar episodes during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections, when senior political leaders mobilised into those states. He said he ordered party leaders and government officials to leave immediately after being briefed about the situation.
While acknowledging that political parties have legitimate rights to campaign and mobilise supporters, Jonathan drew a line between normal political activity and what he characterised as an overwhelming show of state power on election day.
“We must ask ourselves whether the increasing deployment of political power and large-scale mobilisation by senior office holders on election day in states holding elections is consistent with the spirit of free, fair and peaceful democratic competition,” he said, adding that “this hardly happens in other democratic countries.”
Jonathan warned of the dangers of setting a precedent that could see rival parties respond to such mobilisation with counter-mobilisation, turning elections into contests of raw political power rather than peaceful competition for the people’s mandate.
“What happens when governors from opposing political parties begin to descend on every state holding a competitive election? He asked. “What happens when each party seeks to match political power with political power, governmental influence with governmental influence, and mobilisation with counter-mobilisation? Such a development would not strengthen our democracy. It would deepen political tensions.”
The former President insisted the issue should not be reduced to a partisan dispute over the outcome in Osun, describing it instead as a broader national concern about the future of Nigeria’s electoral democracy.
He called on current and former public office holders to recognise the added responsibility that comes with their positions, saying their influence should be deployed to strengthen democratic institutions rather than intimidate opponents or citizens.
“The power and influence attached to public office should be used to strengthen democratic institutions, not to create apprehension among political opponents or citizens,” Jonathan said.
The statement adds Jonathan’s voice to a growing conversation about the conduct of off-cycle governorship elections in Nigeria, and comes as calls mount for clearer boundaries on how political and state power should be deployed during electoral contests.
