The conduct and outcome of the Saturday Edo governorship election will go a long way in defining the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
By Emeka Alex Duru
Barring last minute hitches, the Edo state governorship election scheduled for Saturday, September 21, is a matter of hours away. Major political parties and candidates involved, have concluded their rallies. Though 17 political parties are squaring up for the contest, the election is essentially a three-horse race involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP).
The flag bearers are; Asue Ighodalo, a corporate lawyer, for the PDP; Senator Monday Okpebhelo for the APC and Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for LP. Each candidate has its manifesto and plan of action if elected.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has on its own, assured of conducting a free, fair and credible election. As proof of its commitment to the success of the poll, the commission declared that it has released all funds needed for the conduct of the election to the state office. The National Chairman of the INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who made the disclosure, emphasised that the commission is not a political party, hence has no candidate in the contest but bent on delivering credible election.
Yakubu said; “My assurance to everyone in Edo State is: On the part of the Commission, we keep saying this: INEC is not a political party; therefore, we don’t have a candidate in this election. The responsibility of choosing the next governor of Edo State is entirely in the hands of Edo voters.”
He appealed to all registered voters in Edo to come out to vote for the party of their choice and the candidate of their choice, assuring that the Commission will protect the integrity of the process and uphold the choice made by the electorate. He also allayed fears over possibilities of system failure during the election.
Reports indicated that by Wednesday, the Nigerian Air Force, (NAF), airlifted election materials to Benin, with the INEC delivering sensitive election materials for the poll. “Sensitive materials for the Edo State governorship election, holding on Saturday, September 21, 2024, arrived at Benin Airport earlier today (Wednesday),” the commission tweeted, restating its readiness for the polls.
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Security agencies have equally pledged their commitment to ensuring a hitch-free exercise. In this regard, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, have warned those planning to foment trouble during the election to have a rethink or would be dealt with decisively. According to the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIG) Frank Mba and DIG Daniel Pedro will lead about 35,000 Police personnel deployed to the state for the poll. NSCDC, has on its own, deployed 6,433 personnel and vowed to protect public assets during the exercise.
General Musa explained the essence of the security build up for the poll. He said; “With other security forces, we are going to work together as a team: the police, the civil defence, DSS and all the others. We know the election has a lot of issues, there are a lot of expectations and we want this election to go without any rancour”.
Nigerians do not expect anything short of a free and fair election in Edo. The stakes are high, the election important to the parties involved and will be keenly contested. INEC should ensure that the votes count. All eyes are on the commission to give Edo electorate a credible poll. INEC chairman should keep to his promise of maintaining a level-playing ground for the contestants. Let the electoral umpire remain the impartial arbiter that the constitution envisages it to be.
The bane of Nigeria’s electoral system has been the opacity of the exercise resulting in rigging, violence and manipulation of the voting processes. Most of the elections in the country have fallen into that trap, thus, casting doubts on the credibility of the outcome and exposing the country to ridicule abroad.
The Saturday poll in Edo is therefore, a litmus test for INEC to prove that it is up to the task and should not be dictated to. Being a stand-alone exercise, INEC has no reason to falter in going about it. There should be no margin for errors in the contest. The pledge of neutrality by the INEC Chairman is a welcome development. The voters do not expect anything lesser from him. This is not the first time Yakubu is making such commitment. Nigerians and the international community are looking up to him and his commission to walk the talk and deliver on promise, this time.
The conduct of the poll offers opportunity for INEC to redeem its image that has remained dented since the 2023 general elections in which it performed below expectations. The commission needs to prove that it is beyond reproach by delivering transparent election. Let the outcome be a reflection of the wishes of the people. The conduct of the election and its outcome will go a long way in rekindling the confidence of Nigerians in INEC or further erode the reputation it presently has.
Smooth conduct of the Saturday poll requires commitment and cooperation of the critical stakeholders in the state. We call on the political parties, the candidates and their supporters to play by the rule. Intemperate expressions and incendiary comments capable of causing breach of the peace should be avoided. Winning the contest should not be a do-or-die affair. The election does not worth the blood of any Edo indigene or resident. Let the people’s will be respected.
Security agencies in the state should also do their work by ensuring that there is no breakdown of law and order. There is need for synergy among INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders to guard against ballot snatching, vote buying and other acts of electoral offences. Under aged voting should be discouraged.
Nothing should be allowed to compromise the September 21 governorship poll in Edo. There are already pockets of allegations by some of the candidates and their political parties on the security agents taking sides with some contestants. There have also been incidences of uncouth expressions by interest groups in the state.
The conduct and outcome of the Saturday Edo governorship election will go a long way in defining the future of Nigeria’s democracy. Contest for power should not be allowed to degenerate to open hostility. Election should signify celebration of democracy, not demonstration of anarchy. INEC should ensure that the Edo poll is a resounding success.
