On September 19, the people of Edo State shall be going to the polls to
elect a governor that will govern the state for another four years. INEC
has declared its readiness to conduct the election despite the COVID-19
pandemic. It is good that Edo people will be going to the polls in about
a month from now, but what is worrisome is the level of violence we have
seen so far in the campaigns of the political parties- particularly the
ruling party and the APC. There is no doubt that the main opposition
party- the APC wants to take over the reins of leadership in Edo State
by all means. Only a doubting Thomas will argue that this election may
not be marred by violence of a serious magnitude. With the tension now
in Edo state, I expect INEC to come out with a policy statement on the
forth coming Edo State election. So far, none has come from INEC and
Nigerians are carrying on as if nothing is going wrong in that state.
The Edo State election the way I see it now will be nothing but free and
fair. I thought that Nigeria has gone beyond do or die election. The
security agencies should monitor these politicians very closely. All
that we want is a peaceful election and not tears and blood. The
statement made by the US embassy in Nigeria over the violence in Edo
State ahead of the election is not enough. I think that the ICC team
should be in Edo State to compile reports for possible prosecution of
these harbingers of violence. The body language of INEC is not
encouraging. Election monitors and the human rights groups should be
prepared to play their role in Edo State without bias or favour.
If the APC is determined to takeover Edo state, that should be done
through the ballot box and not through violence. Funny enough, I have
not seen any of the parties campaign on issues, but personal name
calling. Adams Oshiomole would want to be regarded or called the
godfather of Edo politics. He must wrestle the government house from
Obaseki by force. Lives must not be lost because one man wants to assert
himself. The Edo people must not allow themselves to be used by selfish
politicians who are only interested in what they will loot when they get
the political power. Edo people must be ready to protect their votes.
Edo people must be ready to protect their votes. It is unfortunate that
Nigerians have been so marooned that they don’t ask questions.
Otherwise they should be asking the politicians what they have planned
for the state and how they would achieve their plans. None of these
gladiators have any manifesto for Edo State, yet they want the people to
troop out en mass and vote for them. Obaseki is basking in the euphoria
of what he says he has done for Edo people in the past four years. Ize
Iyamu is banking on the ideas he says he has which can transform Edo
State. Edo people know who is the best between the two candidates and
should vote for the best. Their votes should speak. Nigerian politicians
are not true to their words and should not be trusted. The people of Edo
should be wary of them and must be very careful, or they find themselves
in a land of no return. Permit me to say that a vote for Ize Iyamu is a
vote for Oshiomole. The question is if Edo people want a man to rule
them by proxy? We all know the damage godfatherism has done to
governance in Nigeria. Thomas Feeley, in his book noted that “real
(men) resist being processed and programmed.” Can Ize Iyamu after
winning the Edo election resist being processes and programmed by
Oshiomole? If he does, then it is the Edo people who will suffer the
consequences. In such a circumstance, would he be able to deliver what
anyone may call his campaign promise to the Edo people? I doubt, but let
Edo people decide.
The Edo election must not be do or die. International observers and
security agencies must ensure that anyone who violates the code of
conduct during this election must be prosecuted. Election violence is
not only a domestic crime but a crime with some international dimension.
The international community should send a strong word to Nigeria over
the Edo election. The people’s votes must count. Some have said that
the Edo election will be a litmus test for what happens in the Ondo and
Anambra elections that will be coming after the Edo election. This is
true. But it behooves on INEC to ensure credible election in Edo State
if it wants anyone to have confidence on it. The federal government so
far has kept mute over the issue. The government must be seen to desire
credible elections. The silence of the federal government is not healthy
for the Edo people. Worse enough, the fear of violence may make people
boycott the election and stay in-doors. After all, no one wants to die
because he wants to vote. The crowds you see at the campaign rallies are
the usual crowd you see in every campaign rally. They only come for any
handout from the politicians. Some are hired by their community leaders
to come out after some money would have been given to them. So the large
crowd you see at the campaign rally is not a reflection of the
acceptability of any of the candidates and is not a yardstick to measure
what would be the outcome of the election. On September 19, let Edo
people speak through their PVC and not by violence!
Chimezie Elemuo is a lawyer and public affairs analyst.