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THE Edo gubernatorial election finally held on September 28. At the end of the exercise, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Godwin Obaseki, was elected governor. He garnered 319,473 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who got 253,173 votes. It was a closely contested election with the margin only a little over 66,000 votes.
The fierce rivalry and acrimony that heralded the elections appear not yet over, however, as the PDP and its candidate have indicated their intention to go to court. This followed pockets of protests by their supporters, notably in Benin.
The smooth conduct of the poll and the willingness of the electorate and all other stakeholders in the state to abide by the rule of law are commendable. These are vital ingredients in the effort to sustain our developing democracy. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deserves commendation for the good conduct and outcome of the poll. The election was an improvement on the recent ones. The PDP members in the state have a responsibility to sheathe their swords as they avail themselves of the opportunities in the law to pursue their case. The state government, the other political gladiators and the law enforcement agencies have even more responsibility to ensure that the tensions fuelled by the just concluded election do not rise further. This is important so that the peaceful atmosphere pervading the state is not compromised.
The build up to the election was massive with the deployment of over 25,000 policemen and other security agents from the Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, and military personnel. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also maintained its focus to deliver a free and fair election, in spite of the controversy that attended the initial postponement. This single-minded focus clearly paid off in the election as most of it went smoothly.
The election was not, however, without any contrary incidents. Some election observers reported isolated cases of ballot-box snatching. There were also allegations of vote buying at polling centres and thugs threatening election officials and the sanctity of the ballot. But, we are glad that the electoral umpire was able to manage these challenges and bring the poll to a conclusion. This was particularly important for the Professor Yakubu Mahmood-led INEC as its seeming inability to bring some of the recent elections in the country to a close was beginning to worry Nigerians. It was also threatening to reverse the gains already made in the conduct of elections in the country.
We congratulate the winner of the election, Godwin Obaseki, and urge him to be magnanimous in victory. He should work very quickly to heal the wounds from this fractious election. Reconciliation is necessary and possible, if indeed the interest of the people of the state is paramount in the minds of the political actors.
We urge the good people of Edo to cooperate with the incoming administration to ensure peace and development in the state. The greatest challenges before the new leader of the state are the delivery of basic infrastructure to all its parts and rapid industrialization, so as to create jobs and improve security.
It is the welfare and prosperity of the ordinary citizens of the state that should matter most. We urge all the political actors to remember that elections and administrations come and go. Each administration should strive to do its best for the people and leave a legacy by which it can be remembered.
All the political actors, including the losers and winners, should remember that democracy is all about service to the people.
