On September 19, the people of Edo State shall be going to the polls to
\nelect a governor that will govern the state for another four years. INEC
\nhas declared its readiness to conduct the election despite the COVID-19
\npandemic. It is good that Edo people will be going to the polls in about
\na month from now, but what is worrisome is the level of violence we have
\nseen so far in the campaigns of the political parties- particularly the
\nruling party and the APC. There is no doubt that the main opposition
\nparty- the APC wants to take over the reins of leadership in Edo State
\nby all means. Only a doubting Thomas will argue that this election may
\nnot be marred by violence of a serious magnitude. With the tension now
\nin Edo state, I expect INEC to come out with a policy statement on the
\nforth coming Edo State election. So far, none has come from INEC and
\nNigerians are carrying on as if nothing is going wrong in that state.
\nThe Edo State election the way I see it now will be nothing but free and
\nfair. I thought that Nigeria has gone beyond do or die election. The
\nsecurity agencies should monitor these politicians very closely. All
\nthat we want is a peaceful election and not tears and blood. The
\nstatement made by the US embassy in Nigeria over the violence in Edo
\nState ahead of the election is not enough. I think that the ICC team
\nshould be in Edo State to compile reports for possible prosecution of
\nthese harbingers of violence. The body language of INEC is not
\nencouraging. Election monitors and the human rights groups should be
\nprepared to play their role in Edo State without bias or favour.<\/p>\n
If the APC is determined to takeover Edo state, that should be done
\nthrough the ballot box and not through violence. Funny enough, I have
\nnot seen any of the parties campaign on issues, but personal name
\ncalling. Adams Oshiomole would want to be regarded or called the
\ngodfather of Edo politics. He must wrestle the government house from
\nObaseki by force. Lives must not be lost because one man wants to assert
\nhimself. The Edo people must not allow themselves to be used by selfish
\npoliticians who are only interested in what they will loot when they get
\nthe political power. Edo people must be ready to protect their votes.
\nEdo people must be ready to protect their votes. It is unfortunate that
\nNigerians have been so marooned that they don\u2019t ask questions.
\nOtherwise they should be asking the politicians what they have planned
\nfor the state and how they would achieve their plans. None of these
\ngladiators have any manifesto for Edo State, yet they want the people to
\ntroop out en mass and vote for them. Obaseki is basking in the euphoria
\nof what he says he has done for Edo people in the past four years. Ize
\nIyamu is banking on the ideas he says he has which can transform Edo
\nState. Edo people know who is the best between the two candidates and
\nshould vote for the best. Their votes should speak. Nigerian politicians
\nare not true to their words and should not be trusted. The people of Edo
\nshould be wary of them and must be very careful, or they find themselves
\nin a land of no return. Permit me to say that a vote for Ize Iyamu is a
\nvote for Oshiomole. The question is if Edo people want a man to rule
\nthem by proxy? We all know the damage godfatherism has done to
\ngovernance in Nigeria. Thomas Feeley, in his book noted that \u201creal
\n(men) resist being processed and programmed.\u201d Can Ize Iyamu after
\nwinning the Edo election resist being processes and programmed by
\nOshiomole? If he does, then it is the Edo people who will suffer the
\nconsequences. In such a circumstance, would he be able to deliver what
\nanyone may call his campaign promise to the Edo people? I doubt, but let
\nEdo people decide.<\/p>\n
The Edo election must not be do or die. International observers and
\nsecurity agencies must ensure that anyone who violates the code of
\nconduct during this election must be prosecuted. Election violence is
\nnot only a domestic crime but a crime with some international dimension.
\nThe international community should send a strong word to Nigeria over
\nthe Edo election. The people\u2019s votes must count. Some have said that
\nthe Edo election will be a litmus test for what happens in the Ondo and
\nAnambra elections that will be coming after the Edo election. This is
\ntrue. But it behooves on INEC to ensure credible election in Edo State
\nif it wants anyone to have confidence on it. The federal government so
\nfar has kept mute over the issue. The government must be seen to desire
\ncredible elections. The silence of the federal government is not healthy
\nfor the Edo people. Worse enough, the fear of violence may make people
\nboycott the election and stay in-doors. After all, no one wants to die
\nbecause he wants to vote. The crowds you see at the campaign rallies are
\nthe usual crowd you see in every campaign rally. They only come for any
\nhandout from the politicians. Some are hired by their community leaders
\nto come out after some money would have been given to them. So the large
\ncrowd you see at the campaign rally is not a reflection of the
\nacceptability of any of the candidates and is not a yardstick to measure
\nwhat would be the outcome of the election. On September 19, let Edo
\npeople speak through their PVC and not by violence!<\/p>\n
Chimezie Elemuo is a lawyer and public affairs analyst.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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