A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Buhari Yusuf, has defended the constitutional right of individuals to contest elections, recalling his past opposition to calls for Goodluck Jonathan to abandon his presidential ambition.
Yusuf spoke during an interview on Trust TV, where he reflected on debates that emerged during Jonathan’s time in office, particularly pressure from some northern political actors urging him not to seek re-election.
According to Yusuf, he publicly resisted those calls by publishing multiple opinion pieces at the time, arguing that no individual or group has the authority to deny a citizen their constitutional right to run for office. He stressed that democracy must be guided by the rule of law rather than political convenience or regional pressure.
“I wrote three articles against some northerners that were insisting that Jonathan should drop his ambition. I said no, Jonathan has his right to contest because his right is embedded in the constitution,” he said.
The analyst maintained that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees equal political participation, and any attempt to pressure candidates to step aside undermines democratic principles. He added that leadership contests should ultimately be decided by voters at the polls, not by informal agreements or regional expectations.
Yusuf’s remarks come amid renewed national conversations about zoning, power rotation, and political inclusion, as stakeholders debate how best to balance equity with democratic freedom. While some argue that informal arrangements help maintain national stability, others insist that they should not override constitutional provisions….See More
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