Former President Goodluck Jonathan has pleaded with the National Assembly to enact law that would end off-cycle elections in the country.
He stated this after casting his vote at the ongoing November 11, 2023 off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa, adding that it is important for Nigeria to unify its electoral calendar.
Jonathan voted at polling unit 39 in Otazi Ward 13, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Saturday.
Speaking to journalists at his country home in Otuke, he called on the National Assembly to block the off-season election, which he said was neither best for the country nor a globally acceptable practice.
“Basically this is an off-season election, I get worried about off-season elections and will use this opportunity to plead with the National Assembly to block it.
“This is not the best practice. The country can elect their people at the same time like the Americans that elect everybody at the same time,” he added.
He lamented that if Nigeria continues with off-cycle elections, that there will be a time that presidential election will be off-cycle.
“When I say Nigeria presidential election may be off-season, they may say how and why, but it almost happened in 2007, when I was the running mate to late Umaru Musa Yaradua.
“In that election, seven Justices presided over the case, and three of them said the process should be annulled while four of them sustained it.
“If one had crossed over, by now, the Nigerian election would have been off-season,” he said.
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