One week after the Edo 2020 governorship election was conducted and results announced, the process has continued to raise dusts and draw diverse comments from different sections of the society. The election was expected to be a fierce battle by political analysts and for the prophets of doom; wanton violence was predicted. But the process turned out not to be case.

Although they were pockets of violent incidences but this cannot be compared to the wide scale level of violence that was earlier envisaged.
The election delivered a blend of bitter sweet experience in its trail as prior to the election, tensions were flaring with threats of violence and chaos flying around doused with accusations and counter accusations of plots to the rig the election sold to the electorates during the run up to the election. But the relative peace and serenity witnessed during and after the election speaks volume about our level of democratic advancement, it is no longer business as usual. The people are getting more conscious politically as the day goes by.

It is a truism that the best duty of a man is to think for himself and Edo people have done that in great measure. The political actors may have sought to use the divide and rule strategy which seems like a sound motto but the unite and lead mantra proved to be an even better one. This shows that as a people we have the capacity to advance and organize ourselves in the best way possible, we do not need to be schooled on the need for peace or on what to think; as it has been the norm over the years. Greed and selfishness have both formed a formidable alliance to give our democratic practice an unenviable image in the global stage.

Leadership should be taken as a matter of sacred trust, but politicians/technocrats often downplay the power of the electorates by focusing only on emotions and applauses of citizens using their fancy speeches and bags of tricks and promises during campaigns. This will no longer be the case as the political class must imbibe maturity, grace, decorum, self restraint in the pursuit of power. It is a common place knowledge that politicians engage in politics of calumny, bickering, name-calling, bitterness, attacks as well as the use of callous vilification and unprintable utterances both in the print and electronic media just so they get a soft landing at the corridor of power.

Consequently, political actors must remember that politics is a game of interest which is subject to the whims and caprices of human lust for power and its attendant material benefits. So one has to be watchful of utterances made as once said; it cannot be retrieved. This is as a result of the constant switching of nests (political parties) by politicians who in the long run are haunted by their previous utterances and condemnations as played out during the run up to the election. Politicians forgive, but never forget.

Also, political parties should desist from beating drums of war as it shows a clear lack of ideology and policy framework. If a party stands for nothing but reelection, it indeed stands for nothing. The way and manner political parties behave as though they are at daggers drawn but yet are quick to graciously exchange candidates as if they are articles or commodities in the market. Political actors could be likened to footballers switching teams, with the only major difference being that the political transfer window is always open and the motive for transfer is often times self seeking. This should not always be the case as it shows utter disrespect for the electorates.

Political parties and her candidates should also desist from singing discordant tunes before and during elections, attacking the electoral umpires, security agencies and anyone who is not on their side. Only to turn around and eat back their words, hailing the process and major actors when the results turns out favourable. Political actors should endeavor to make haste slowly when they make comments trying to justify their claims which often times are fears. The Edo 2020 governorship election has sent a strong signal to erring prophets of doom whose stock in trade is to predict crisis and break up ahead of any electoral process.

Another take home lesson is that citizens are no longer fools, thats if they ever were. One mans enemy should not be every ones enemy. People should be allowed to make their choice as the election results proved beyond doubts that parties do not matter, citizens have shifted focus from blind party loyalty to individual records and past antecedents.

The use of electronic tablet seems to be a silver bullet to nipping electoral manipulation in the bud. As the results were posted for all to see as counting was concluded in the various polling units which also increased the credibility and wide spread acceptance of the results. While it is also expected that the winner of any electoral process should do well to deliver the goods as expected. As in the famous words of E.A Bucchianeri who posited that ‘...they say if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve and if you do, you never get the results you expected’’. The expectations of the citizens should never be sacrificed at the altar of personal/sectional interest.

Conclusively, we must all realise that the onus of doing the right thing falls on all of us as members of this great nation. We have all the potential as highly resourceful citizens to make a great and prosperous nation.

Thankfully, the Edo State experience is a watershed and a beacon of hope that there is light at the end of our political tunnel as a nation and the outcome of Edo 2020 governorship election points a way for us if and only if we painstakingly take the lessons to heart.

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