By Ken Afor
Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has appealed to the National Assembly to pass legislation to prohibit off-season elections in the nation.
The ex-president was worried that one day, the general election could skid from the typical election cycle of the country.
The former Nigerian leader spoke out on Saturday, after he cast his ballot in the November 11th, 2023 governorship poll at Ward 13, Polling Unit 39 in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.
Apart from Bayelsa, the off-season election is being held simultaneously in Imo and Kogi states.
In March, 28 states of the federation held governorship elections, while eight states (Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun and Ondo) had to wait for their elections due to litigations and court judgements.
While weighing in into the matter, Jonathan suggested that any off-cycle elections should be harmonised with the overall elections rather than done separately.
According to the former president, “The off-season presidential poll almost happened in 2007 when I contested as a running mate to President Umaru Yar’adua,” the former Bayelsa Governor noted.
“I get worried by the issue of off-season elections. And I use this opportunity to plead with the National Assembly that we need to block these off-season elections. It is very odd; 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 the judicial officers, it will come to a time when the presidential election will be off-season.
“Look at the American system, everybody knows when the American election will be conducted.”
