Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the National Assembly to take steps to eliminate off-season elections in Nigeria.
Jonathan made this appeal after casting his vote at Polling Unit 39, Ward 13, Otuoke, Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.
Expressing his concerns, Jonathan stated that off-cycle polls should be done away with and harmonized with the general election. He warned that if the current trend continues, even the presidential election may become an off-season event.
“I get worried about the issue of off-season election and I will use this as a unique opportunity to plead with the National Assembly that we need to block this off-season election; it is very odd, it’s not a global best practice,” said Jonathan.
He cited the American system as an example, where although elections may not occur simultaneously, all elective positions are contested during the same electoral cycle. Jonathan emphasized the need for Nigeria to adopt a similar standard practice to enhance predictability and align with global norms.
The former president recalled the potential occurrence of an off-season presidential election in 2007 during his vice-presidential bid, emphasizing the importance of preventing such deviations from established electoral practices.
