THE Edo state gubernatorial election of 28th September, 2016 has come and gone. The assumed winner is celebrating while the assumed losers are licking their wounds, thinking of the next course of action.

If the people are still protesting several days after the results were declared by Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, it means, all have not gone down well with the conduct of the election and it tells a whole lot about the state of our democracy.

Let us not be deceived, we are all shouting corruption in this country, until we sort out the corruption  in our politics, we will continue to fight corruption in vain. President Muhammadu Buhari promised to improve on our electoral processes in his inaugural message of May 29 2015 but all that we have seen since this this government came in has been the opposite.

We complained of the ‘militarilisation’ of the Ekiti state elections and senior military personnel were used as scapegoats , tell me how the recently conducted Edo election is different? People forget history so easily, those in opposition have forgotten their backgrounds or where they are coming from. It is history repeating itself all over again and some people are chanting change.

Anyway, the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, candidate Pastor Ize Iyamu has asked his supporters to be calm, stating that he has three options; to go to court, to alert the international community over this travesty of our democracy and lastly, to leave everything in the hands of the Almighty God. If we are to go by the precedence of the past, it will be another cycle of waste in terms of resources – time, energy and money. Also, with the state of the judiciary, nobody can tell what the final outcome will be. The decision is Ize Iyamu’s to make but while that is going on we must record our observations for posterity purposes. We must continue to ask ourselves; is this the kind of democracy that the All  Progressive Congress, APC, party promised us?

The election no doubt was a battle of equals but one had the advantage of incumbency and state instruments while the other had the advantage of charisma and mass appeal. The election was already set to be conducted on the 8th of September, 2016 and all parties were set for action, suddenly on the eve of the election, under the influence of the security agencies the election was postponed. INEC said that they were ready to go ahead but the military/security personnel told them that the safety of the people cannot be guaranteed under the circumstances. At that point, we knew that all will not be well with the election.

A new date for 28th September 2016 was fixed and the authorities – police, army, INEC, governor, everybody – assured us that the state is safe for conduct of elections, the day came and the election was conducted. The reports from both the media and independent observers confirmed that the election went peacefully, the turnout was impressive and no loss of lives and property in the whole state. The voting ended at 1pm and results were collated at the ward level. That was the end of the ‘cinema’ show. It was not until the next day that INEC was able to announce results.

During the period, so many things were assumed to have taken place as information was seriously suppressed, even accredited newsmen were denied access.Why? Why were journalists, especially of the print and social media screened out? And, when the results were finally announced, we began to see the magic; results that emanated from the ward centres  no longer tallied with what the control centre declared.

An  election that was adjudged peaceful by all concerned parties started recording cancellations for ballot snatching and riotous crowd, whole areas were denied of their voting right for flimsy excuses, what an irony! Meanwhile, all of these cancellations happened in supposed PDP strongholds. Even the Oredo GRA was claimed to be violent and genuine votes cancelled.

The scientific explanation given for the whole fiasco was so obvious that the people had to troop out to the streets in protest. What  a change in governance! Like I stated earlier, it is left for Pastor Ize Iyamu to decide on the next line of action. In fact, as I write news just filtered in that the PDP party has gone to court – but it is clear that the people of Edo state  did not deserve the treatment they received.

For a people to be so intimidated, cajoled and openly offered bribes while security men watched unconcerned in a 21st century  election, is a big shame, a travesty of justice, pure and simple. No thanks  to INEC, no kudos for the military with their overwhelming presence, no kudos for the state government that used it’s position to subvert justice and no kudos for our APC’s style of democracy.

Edo state under Adams Oshiomhole is one big farce, over hyped and riddled with  propaganda, the type that has so far been exhibited by the party at the federal level, that led us to our present economic  recession . He is leaving Edo state a hugely indebted state, he keeps comparing his government with the past without telling us that he got more than 500% more income.

When you compare the money he has collected so far and the projects actually undertaking, you will know that this governor has taken the people of Edo state for granted, let his likes and spin doctors say whatever they want, the truth is there for everyone to see. Let us compare Oshiomhole’s Edo state with Peter Obi’s Anambra state, see the judicious use of money as demonstrated by Peter Obi. He left over 150billion naira worth of cash in both dollar and naira denominations in the state coffer, paid all contractors, civil servants and even pensioners all outstanding salaries.

He brought a state that was backward in education to the pole position in NECO and WAEC. For a state that is not producing oil, he was able to construct rural link roads to assist in bringing farm produce to the urban towns. What is Oshimhole leaving behind? The years ahead would reveal this. Whatever is the outcome of the Edo state gubernatorial election, the people must be alert to their responsibilities.

We must never allow our people to be taken for granted again the way Oshiomhole has done. Whoever comes in as governor must be  watched closely.

Mr.  Sunny Ikhioya www. southsouthecho.com Twitter: @SunnyIkhioya

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/question-marks-edo-election/

Okay

Ok

The worst govt ever that failed in all aspect is bubuhari n apc

Nice write-up. My own opinion it was iyamu who thought oshomole how to rig election in edo state so why cry a river.