Jonathan urges NASS to suspend off-season elections

The former president said that given the state of affairs in Nigeria, it may become off-season for the presidential election.

The National Assembly (NASS) has been encouraged by former President Goodluck Jonathan to enact legislation outlawing off-season elections in Nigeria.

After casting his ballot in Ward 13, Polling Unit 39, in Otuoke in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on November 11, 2023, the former Nigerian leader addressed on Saturday.

On Saturday, governorship elections are being held in Imo and Kogi, much like in Bayelsa.

Thirty-eight of the Federation’s states had governorship elections earlier in March. This is because, as a result of legal disputes and court rulings, the governorship elections in eight states—Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo—are conducted during the off-season.

Jonathan, the president of Nigeria from February 2010 to May 2015, asserted that off-cycle votes ought to be discontinued and integrated into the general elections.

Jonathan claims that given the current state of affairs in Nigeria, it may become off-season for the presidential election.

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An off-season presidential contest “almost happened in 2007 when I contested as a running mate with President Umaru Yar’adua,” according to the former Bayelsa State governor, but it was averted.

“I get concerned about off-season elections,” he remarked. Moreover, I take this chance to implore the National Assembly to prevent these off-season elections. This is somewhat peculiar; it isn’t a worldwide standard.

“There will come a time when the presidential election will be held during an off-season if we keep up this trend of off-season elections based on the judicial authorities’ interpretation of our statutes.

“Observe the American system; everyone is aware of the date of the upcoming election.”