Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advocated the need to set new boundaries for political conduct in off-cycle elections in the country. The former President, accordingly, condemned the convergence of governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, including the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in Osun State for the last Saturday governorship election won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord. He considered it a dangerous trend.

According to Jonathan, "While we commend the electoral process, itself, there are developments surrounding the election and, more importantly, an emerging trend in political conduct during off-cycle elections that raises concerns.

"The growing practice whereby serving governors, senior political office holders, party leaders and other influential government functionaries, accompanied by large numbers of aides and heavy security details from outside a state, converge on states where elections are being conducted raises an issue that demands national attention."

The former President maintained that the conduct witnessed around the recent elections in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States was unusual. He stated that it is not a practice that should become normal in a democratic society.

Jonathan recalled that, as President, similar situations arose during the 2013 Anambra and 2014 Ekiti governorship elections. On those occasions, senior political leaders mobilised and descended upon the states. Upon being briefed, he ordered party leaders and senior government officials to leave the states immediately.

He declared: "This trend is unwholesome. If left unchecked, it could threaten our fragile democracy and have serious long-term implications for democratic stability."

Jonathan cautioned that there is a point at which political mobilisation, particularly, when it involves the overwhelming presence of serving governors, senior public officials and powerful political actors from across the country on election day, can create an atmosphere of apprehension, intimidation, bullying and undue pressure.

He questioned whether the increasing deployment of political power and large-scale mobilisation by senior office holders on election day in states holding elections is consistent with the spirit of free, fair and peaceful democratic competition. He noted that this hardly happens in other democratic countries; "We must not allow political competition to become a contest in which victory is perceived as something that must be achieved at all costs."