Block Off-season Elections, Jonathan appeals to National Assembly

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to the National Assembly to ensure that off- season election in Nigeria is stopped, stressing that it is not good for the country. He stated this yesterday, in his home town Otuoke, in Ogbia Local Council of Bayelsa State, saying it’s not a global best practice.

The former President, however, congratulated the three states of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi for a successful conduct of election. He said: “Basically, this is an off-season election; I get worried about off season about it and will use this opportunity to plead with the national Assembly to block it.

“This is not the best practice. The country can elect its people at the same time like America that elects everybody at the same time.

“If we continue with this based on our laws, there will be a time the Nigerian presidential election will be off season.

“Nigeria should be worried; when I say Nigeria presidential election may be off season, they may say how? It almost happened in 2007 when I was the running mate to late Yar’Adua. That, election seven Justices that presided over the case, three of them said the process should be annulled while four of them sustained it. If one had crossed over, by now the Nigerian presidential election would have been off season.”