The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clearly has its work cut out for it as far as the Edo State governorship election is concerned. And the role of its chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, is critical to how the commission performs.
To be fair, the major political parties and other actors have already set out to make umpiring the election ridiculously strenuous. The bitter tussle between the two major parties and their leaders in the state has already drawn the police, the lead security agency in elections, into a murky struggle for power.
So far, the desperate antics of politicians have resulted in the death of a top police officer, while accusations and counter-accusations as to who is responsible continue. There are also accusations of the use of state-controlled security outfits to oppress the opposition. On the flip side of that, the ruling party accuses the police of doing the bidding of the opposition which enjoys federal might as the party in power at the national level.
The toxicity surrounding the election came to the fore during the signing of the symbolic Peace Accord, where the ruling party and its main opposition declined to participate. While the opposition party later signed the peace pact, the ruling party didn’t budge despite flak from the civil society.
By and large, the caustic campaigns by the parties have created a somewhat morbid fear among voters about their safety.
Meanwhile, prognosis by-election observing and monitoring organisations like Yiaga Africa, reveal that vote-buying and selling would be prevalent during the election.
In an election that has seen more toxic exchanges than issues-based campaigns, it is clear that the parties are more interested in power acquisition than in providing quality governance. What’s more concerning is that the political actors are not pretending about not giving a damn about the welfare of the citizens.
For INEC, this election has already shaped up to be its toughest yet, sadly so. The awful drama by the political class has set the tone for all that could go wrong in a contest that seems to be a do-or-die affair.
Yet, the base expectation for the electoral body is that it must stand its ground and ensure that transparency and fairness are seen to have been done according to the rules, guidelines and constitutional requirements.
Agreed it would have to function in a volatile environment, it can, however, not afford to compromise on the rules. It cannot afford to be swayed by the antics of politicians. It is worrisome enough that the trust-quotient of state institutions is low, the commission cannot afford to be partisan in this election, especially as questions are already being asked about the state resident electoral commissioner.
There is an enormous burden on the chairman, especially with regards to ensuring his staff do not compromise the process either through incompetence or wilful untoward acts.
It’s a good thing that Yakubu has affirmed the commission’s preparedness for the election. The latitude for failure should not exist as much as possible.
The same applies to the police and more. It is sad that the force is usually easily roped into these murky political waters because of the unholy affinity of some of its personnel with politicians. And with regards to this election, the force has already been caught in a crossfire.
Still, we expect that it plays by its professional rules and not compromise the process. Its responsibility of ensuring law and order is essential to encouraging voters to engage the process en masse. The Police inspector-general of police, just like the INEC chairman, has a huge responsibility of ensuring that the rank and file comply with ethics, rules and guidelines with regards to election duties.
As for the political actors, candidates and parties, it is really unfortunate that they have caused a heated environment ahead of the election. However, they should not forget what their uncivilised quest for power could cause for the state where their loved ones reside. For every person that dies on account of their bilious actions and comments, they would be held responsible by posterity.
Ultimately, we urge President Bola Tinibu to call all state institutions and actors to order not as a party man but as the president of Nigeria. He should, in a national broadcast, mandate, in clear terms, that all stakeholders in the election must play by the rules and in compliance with the guidelines and electoral laws in the country.
Nigeria cannot afford to have another security crisis on account of desperate politicians and compromised state institutions.
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