By George Omagbemi
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has criticised the increasing involvement of government officials and political actors in Nigeria’s off-cycle elections, warning that the practice could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Jonathan made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in a personally signed statement titled “Osun and the Need to Set New Boundaries for Political Conduct in Off-Cycle Elections.” He was reacting to developments surrounding the August 15 Osun State governorship election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The former president expressed concern over the presence of serving governors, senior political office holders, party leaders and their security details during the election.
According to Jonathan, such high-profile political mobilisation can create an atmosphere of intimidation, bullying and undue pressure on voters and electoral officials.
He described the trend as “unwholesome”, stressing the need to establish clear boundaries for political conduct during off-cycle elections.
Jonathan also recalled similar controversies surrounding the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections, which took place during his presidency.
His intervention comes amid continuing controversy over the Osun election, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) rejecting Adeleke’s victory and claiming that he did not secure the highest valid votes. INEC, however, officially declared Adeleke the winner.
Jonathan’s comments have renewed the debate over the neutrality of government institutions and security agencies during elections.
Leave a Reply