Date Published: 08/25/09
AKOKO-EDO RE-RUN ELECTION, A REFLECTION OF JUNE 12 ELECTION
By Comrade Anavberokhai O. Isah
When the electoral appeal court sitting in Benin City the capital of Edo State annulled the election of Hon Agabi of the people’s Democratic Party representing constituency 1 Akoko Edo local government area and called for a re-election, little did I know that the spirit of June 12 1993 election will be reawaken. On the 22 nd of August 2009, the re-run election started at about 8am and many of the villagers including both the old and the young trooped out to exercise the franchisee. In the mind of many, the election will take its normal course like it has always been in previous elections in the area and most part of Nigeria with the recent re-election in Ekiti State, where ballot boxes will not be seen or the returning officers assigned to some villages will not even appear only for results to be announced and this villages are given grate voters figure which does not represent a true reflection of the voters.
This was not the case for the re-run election held at Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo state on the 22 nd of August 2009 conducted by INEC and supervised by the Governor of the State Comrade Adams Oshiomole and his cabinet members. For the first time in many years, true elections where conducted where every individual is made to account for his single vote. This was a reflection of the June 12 election which was suppose to be Nigeria’s first election meant to transform the country into a Civilian Government. During the June 12 1993 presidential election, Nigerians trooped out amass to vote for the candidate of their choice and almost all eligible voters where allowed to exercise their civic wrights. The only difference between the June 12 1993 presidential election and that of the 22 nd of August 2009 was that a winner was not declared in-spite of the free and fair election conducted.
Comrade Adams Oshiomole the executive governor of Edo state did promised the people of Akoko-Edo and Edo state in general that the era of ballot snatching and announcement of fake results that does not represent the will of the people have come and gone in Edo state and that it is now a matter of one man one vote. Many people thought this where all political talks not until it eventually materialized in the just concluded election. Villages that have not for long seen ballot papers nor had the privilege to vote in past elections, where filled with joy when they for the first time had the privilege to exercise there civic rights.
The election in Akoko-Edo conducted by the Action Governor of the state should be an eye opener to the chairman of INEC professor Maurice Iwu as well as the president of Nigeria. When Nigerians are allowed to select there leaders without fear of favor, there will be true and genuine representation from the local government level down to the federal level of governance. Credit also goes to the Nigerian Police for their positive involvement in the re-election process in Akoko-Edo as this should be a continual issues rather than been used by individuals against the people
Nigeria is blessed with more Oshiomole’s who are ready to change the worst to the better and transform Nigeria into a credible country that will be admired by many. This does not involve excessive funds rather it involves the implementation of policies and standing firm on it. The minister for information Dora Akunyili should also learn from the election of Akoko-Edo that the rebranding of Nigeria has to start from the grassroots down to our political office holders. People like me that once served at the capacity of a student union president during my days in the higher institution and also have created a huge popularity among my people and persons around my environs, I will have no worries in developing a political will stronger than what I have already developed having it in mind that popularity can now win elections in Edo state and possibly Nigeria in general. This drive will make people like me and others who are ready to serve their state as well as their country, to stand up positively to take their place if the will of the people so demand.
This is a wake up call to all political stakeholders in Nigeria to stand up to true democracy and political reforms that will see vote cast by all Nigerians reflecting the true will of the people. Let us think back to the best ever organized elections in Nigeria which is the June 12 1993 presidential election which never came to past and the just recently concluded election in Akoko-Edo which in the history of the people of that local government area will ever be remarkable and memorable, to develop a grate attitude that will elude us from been involve in political tugs, ballot snatching and falsification of electoral votes to forcefully assume powers.
