Former President Goodluck Jonathan don raise alarm over the growing habit of governors, senior politicians and other powerful political actors to “invade” states with large entourages, aides and heavy security details during off-cycle elections. Jonathan made the warning while reacting to the August 15 Osun governorship election, which he described as peaceful, but said the political conduct surrounding recent elections in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo deserves serious national attention.
According to Jonathan, political parties get every right to campaign, mobilise supporters and deploy legitimate structures. But when governors and powerful officials begin arriving with serious political machinery and security details from outside the state on election day, the situation can move from ordinary mobilisation to intimidation, bullying and undue pressure.
‘State No Be Political Battlefield’
Jonathan recalled that similar situations happened during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections while he was president. He said that after receiving reports about senior political leaders and government officials moving into the states in large numbers, he ordered them to leave.
The former president warned that Nigeria should not allow elections to become competition where victory must be achieved “at all costs.” His concern be say if governors from opposing parties start matching each other with security details, political aides and government influence every time election happen, ordinary voters fit begin feel like guests inside their own democracy.
When Election Turn to ‘Who Get Bigger Convoy?’
Jonathan said the overwhelming presence of governors, senior officials and influential political actors could create an atmosphere of apprehension and intimidation around polling. He questioned whether such conduct is really consistent with free, fair and peaceful democratic competition.
And the warning get serious background. Research on Nigerian elections has documented concerns around the use or perceived politicisation of security agencies and political influence during elections, while studies of the 2023 electoral period also noted that local security outfits and other armed groups could be mobilised by political actors to intimidate opponents.
Jonathan has therefore called for the National Peace Committee to bring relevant stakeholders together to discuss the emerging trend and establish standards that can protect Nigeria’s democracy.
For now, Jonathan’s message be simple: political mobilisation get limit, and election day no supposed turn to competition between convoys, security details and political godfathers. As Nigeria dey move toward more off-cycle contests and eventually the 2027 general elections, Nigerians go watch whether political leaders go listen—or whether every ballot box go soon need VIP security escort. **OGM News Pidgin go continue to monitor the matter and bring una updates as the political drama dey unfold.
Table of Contents
Discover more from OGM News NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
