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NIGERIA’S fragile democracy undergoes another massive scrutiny as the governorship election occurs throughout Edo State on September 21 (tomorrow). Amidst the tensions, resentment, and open acrimony, the will of the people must prevail. Any other outcome is a disservice to democracy. Therefore, the umpire, the security agencies, and the Federal Government must ensure free, fair, and credible polls that will be acceptable to all parties.
It is a high-stakes, winner-takes-all contest for the soul and resources of Edo State.
After the off-cycle governorship polls in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states in late 2023, this is another real test of democracy under the Bola Tinubu administration since its ascension to power in May 2023. Thus, it is a window to the management and organisation of elections for the rest of the President’s tenure.
In Nigeria, elections are still a war, despite 25 years of democracy. The Edo polls buttress this notion of violence, brigandage, and chaos. Tensions are at a fever pitch as the electorate goes to the polls to choose the next governor tomorrow in all the 18 LGAs of the state.
As usual, the security agencies boast that they are up to the task. This will be confirmed on Saturday. The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has deployed 35,000 officers to protect the sanctity of the polls. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed 6,433 officers for the same purpose. The military is not left out.
The Police Service Commission, which is monitoring police conduct, said, “Police officers on electoral duties are expected to be neutral and ensure that both the voters and the voting materials are protected and secured.
“The officers are also expected to ensure that voting is peaceful and orderly and that voters are given unfettered access to discharge their civic responsibility.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, assured the public that the military would be impartial.
This time, Egbetokun and the military should make their promise count. “We want to have the best election in Edo State, and we are ready,” Musa promised. “You have been briefed on what parts you are supposed to play, we are working as a team and we are all Nigerians here, nobody is more Nigerian than the other person.
“With other security forces, we are going to work together as a team: the police, the civil defence, the 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. We don’t want any disturbance; nobody should come and intimidate anybody.”
All this sounds good to the ear, but previous deployments of security agents have not counted significantly considering the shambolic polls that usually end up in the courts.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, of the 2.62 million registered voters, 2.24 million or 85.57 per cent have collected their permanent voter cards. This leaves 379,245 (14.43 per cent) PVCs uncollected. This is an impressive outcome. In contrast, 2.21 million registered to vote; only 1.72 million collected their PVCs. In Nigeria, voting is done solely through the PVC.
Unfortunately, this might not translate to a healthy voter turnout tomorrow. In the last governorship poll in 2020, voter turnout was 25 per cent. It was lower compared to the 32 per cent turnout in 2016. Pundits blamed the low turnout in part on the COVID-19 pandemic, as Nigeria was just coming out of the lockdown and the virulent sickness that engulfed the polity. With the gripping tensions in the air this time, there is a possibility that the turnout in 2024 might be lower, which is a shame.
For the voting, INEC will deploy 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices. It has hired 18,000 ad hoc workers for the ballot.
In all, 17 candidates under the umbrella of their parties are contesting in the polls, hoping to replace the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki, a two-term governor. The main contestants are however Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (the ruling party in the state), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.
The candidates bring different qualities to the table, making for a keen contest. Other candidates in the election include Derek Izedonmwen (African Democratic Congress), Amos Osalumese (African Peoples Party), Friday Asana (New Nigeria Peoples Party, Aliu Anerua (Social Democratic Party), and Amiemenogha Akhalame (Zenith Labour Party).
Ordinarily, an election is supposed to promote hope about the future. The run-up to the Edo contest has been the exact opposite. The main contestants and their parties have been beating the drums of war. Claims of rigging, attacks, arrests, detention, and killings have stained the campaigns.
Alleging that the Federal Government is using the police to intimidate the ruling PDP led by the outgoing Obaseki, it refused to sign the peace accord facilitated by the National Peace Committee.
Indeed, there have been rumours of war and war in the run-up to the polls. In July, gunmen attacked Okpebholo at the Benin Airport as he returned to the state with Philip Shaibu, Obaseki’s estranged deputy. A police officer died in the attack, leaving others with injuries.
In return, the PDP laments that the police have exploited this to intimidate and arrest their members. The police argue that they have been arresting only suspects linked to this incident.
The ruling party alleges that it fears the polls will be stained by the Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner, who is reportedly related to a former governor and a serving minister. INEC insisted this would not bring bias of any kind to the exercise.
In a democracy, there is no other route to leadership than elections. Elections and voter turnout measure its health. So, despite the threats and inconveniences, the Edo electorate should troop out on Saturday to exercise their franchise: it is a civic duty embedded in the social contract theory.
The voters should not sell their votes for trifling inducements, no matter the hardship in the land. Voting for the right candidate is better than receiving paltry financial and material gratification and guarantees a better future for the citizens of the state.
Edo is just one out of 36 states. So, INEC has no excuse not to deliver a transparent ballot there. It should ensure the timely deployment of sensitive voting materials, especially the ballot papers and the BVAS devices. The enhancement and transparency promised using PVCs and BVAS should become vividly evident in this election.
While the locking down of the state and deployment of military troops speak to the violent nature and primitiveness of elections in Nigeria, the military, the police, and the self-styled Department of State Services should justify their deployment by ensuring credible and violence-free polls. There is no point in restricting movement and making noises and criminal elements will still be able to undermine the election.
The security agencies should clamp down on vote-buying and voter suppression marring the recent elections in the country.
Ultimately, the will of the Edo electorate must prevail on Saturday.
