The Ekiti guber poll and future elections

That the just -concluded Ekiti governorship election took place under a peaceful atmosphere and a winner declared same day by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, indicates the readiness and capability of the electoral umpire to guarantee better administration of upcoming polls as part of renewed efforts by stakeholders to deepen Nigeria’s democracy and promote a culture of accountability and good governance.

Though not a perfect exercise, given the allegations of vote- buying and other malpractices, we commend the INEC, the security agencies and the people of the state for their comportment and providing the enabling environment for a relatively peaceful, free and fair exercise that had been adjudged credible by both domestic and international observers who monitored the election won by the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Biodun Oyebanji.

It is also heart-warming that contrary to earlier permutations that the exercise would be fiercely contested, its outcome pointed otherwise and showed a clear preference by the electorate for Oyebanji, who polled 187,057 votes to defeat his closest challengers, Segun Oni, of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, who scored 82,211, and Bisi Kolawole of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that garnered 67, 457 votes to place third with Oni crying foul and threatening to drag the winner to the election tribunal over alleged election malpractices.

According to statistics released by the INEC, there are 989, 224 registered voters in the state while the number of accredited voters stood at 365,438; valid votes, 351,865; rejected votes, 8,888 and total votes cast, 360,753.It was, however, a sweet victory for Oyebanji, who won 15  of the 16 local government areas in the state, indicating his popularity, even as 749,065 residents representing 76 per cent of the total  registered voters had collected their permanent voters cards, PVCs, ahead of the governorship poll.

We further recall that tempers were high and the political atmosphere charged barely eight days to the election, when Oni and Oyebanji’s supporters engaged themselves in a gun duel, resulting in the death of one person and several others injured. The deadly clash reportedly took place in Itaji, Oye Local Government Area of the state, which fueled apprehension that the election might turn out to be violent. But that wasn’t the case.

And unlike some of the hiccups that marred the previous polls in Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the Ekiti exercise witnessed marked improvements in logistics supply, including early deployment of personnel and essential materials in majority of the polling units, timely commencement of voting, adequate training of adhoc staff, proper functioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) which took at least three minutes to accredit a voter, and efficient electronic transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s results viewing portal.

During the exercise also, security operatives were deployed in the polling units on time with eligible voters seen complying with the rules of the game at the various polling centres, priority attention given to People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), elderly persons and pregnant women, which marked a clear and positive departure from the past elections and attracted commendations from  the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and many other observers.

Security operatives, according to media reports, were alive to their statutory responsibility of maintaining law and order as there was no record of human rights violation by them, even as we challenge those to be deployed in Osun for the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial election and the 2023 general elections that will hold nationwide to re-enact the feat to make every vote count and be counted.

However, despite the tremendous successes recorded by the INEC and security agencies, we note with serious concern, the reported ugly incidents of brazen vote-buying by agents of the leading political parties including the APC, SDP and PDP in many polling units across the state. This is totally unacceptable and we strongly condemn both the givers and takers some of whom are the masses currently battling hardship triggered by bad governance, the rising cost of living and spate of insecurity.

For instance, Kemi Elebute-Halle, governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP),in her assessment of the election, accused other political parties especially the  APC,  PDP and the SDP of inducing voters and offering bribes ranging from N3,000 to N10,000  per person at her polling unit eight in ward 10, Ikole Local Government Area. Similarly, her allegations were corroborated by both domestic and foreign monitors drawn from the Nigeria Civil Society Room and the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG.

“Vote buying was observed across the 16 local government areas of the state with political parties bidding for the votes of electorate. The ability of Ekiti politicians to make light of such a grave violation of extant law is most unfortunate. TMG, condemns this blatant violation of the electoral law,” the group lamented in a statement signed by its Chairman, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani.

We believe strongly that there is merit in the alarm also raised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which has given Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the INEC, a seven- day ultimatum to gather information on those involved in such electoral malpractices as “vote-buying, undue influence, intimidation, ballot box snatching, and other offences by the three leading political parties” in the just-concluded governorship election with a view to “promptly and effectively prosecuting those arrested, and bringing to justice anyone who sponsored, aided and abetted them.”

According to the non-governmental organization, while corruption of the ballot box not only intrudes on the freedom of voters to make up their minds, vote-buying and other forms of electoral corruption freeze out the less wealthy candidates and parties. On the other hand, it added that electoral bribery, intimidation of voters, ballot snatching and other electoral malpractices undermine the ability of INEC to discharge its responsibilities under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) paragraph 15(a) of the third schedule of the Constitution, and the Electoral Act 2022.

Proffering solutions, however, it maintained that combating vote-buying and electoral bribery would ‘advance the people’s right to vote and to participate in their own government, as well as bolster the ability of INEC to discharge its constitutional and statutory mandates effectively and satisfactorily’ and build public confidence in the electoral process, credibility and legitimacy of next year’s elections.

Therefore, it is our view that such legal action against offenders would go a long way to discourage the use of public funds to woo voters during elections which seems to have become a norm among politicians across the country while convicted persons risk 12 months imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 or both. Sadly too, when people sell their votes, they lack the moral authority to hold the elected public office holders accountable during their tenure in office since they are presumed to have received their share of democracy dividends.

Before now, especially during the recent primaries of major parties, allegations of vote-buying in foreign currencies by the aspirants of major parties were rampart even though nobody was apprehended by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who stormed the venues. This is unfortunate even as all relevant security agencies are encouraged to map out appropriate strategies to prevent such assault on the electoral process in future polls.

We particularly challenge the commission and the Nigeria Police Force not to rest on their  oars but strive harder to checkmate the financial recklessness of politicians who may be bent on corrupting the system beginning with the Osun exercise and the 2023 general elections knowing full well that democracy was not won on a platter of gold but with the blood of some patriots including the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Chief MKO Abiola, who paid the supreme sacrifice for civilian rule to take deep root in the country.

In other words, the least expected of political gladiators and the electorate, majority of who did not participate actively in the struggle against military juntas, is to preserve the sanctity of elections and not for voters to  sell their ballots to the highest bidder while  every Nigerian must be involved in fighting the malaise.

The media and National Orientation Agency, NOA, should also intensify efforts not only to educate voters across the 774 local government areas in the country before the forthcoming elections not to sell their votes but elect credible candidates into offices based on merit and competence who will be capable of providing good governance, servant leadership and address the nation’s current numerous socio-economic challenges ranging from insecurity, poverty, unemployment to hunger, epileptic electricity supply, among others.

For a better society