The Edo State governorship Election held on September 21, 2024, was a much talked about election that witnessed bickering between the three most medialized parties – PDP, APC, and LP. The electioneering period was marked by plenitude of verbal trivialities, insults and lies. Aren’t these the trend of political campaigns nowadays? After all, we heard in the news recently that Donald Trump, running for the office of the President of United States, the paradigm of democracy, made spurious claims about immigrants from Haiti eating dogs and cats in Springfield, a small Ohio city. Politicians can do anything to win election! However, for the Edo Election, it is soothing to know that the election has been concluded. 

 Elections in Nigeria do not come without irregularities like over voting, vote buying, and failed Accreditation `Processes, voters’ disenfranchisement, partisan security agents and electoral umpire being fingered of malpractices in favour of some political parties. In the September 21st, 2024 Edo Election, there were particular cases of disruption of Results Collation in some areas in the state due to violence and alleged vote manipulation, Over voting and discrepancies in the uploaded results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal, security concerns because gunmen snatched away ballot boxes in some polling units, et cetera. These scenarios are not normal for a free and fair election to take place. 

No doubt, these issues highlight the need for improvements in the electoral process in Nigeria. The recently enacted electoral acts that championed the use of technology seems to have been of no merit because political actors still manipulate election results. The introduction of BIVAS has even heightened the propensity of pilfering election results. Every election in Nigeria, anywhere in the country, opens up the level of civility of the people. It wasn’t different in this particular election. We could best access ourselves judging from the activities of the voters, political actors, security agencies and the electoral umpire, in this sense INEC. 

Now that the Edo election is over, the new administration will have to fight to enjoy legitimacy and credibility. Though the process of emergence is very important, some Nigerians and the ruling All Progressive Congress do not often consider the process as significant, for them, the end justifies the means. So, it is pertinent to just move on to the next stage – legitimacy and acceptance. Therefore, the new government must work to ensure that they are accepted. The present government, even though since its inception was “Fubaralized” and faced a lot of distractions occasioned by some political viruses, strategically made some progress, especially in human development; what this government should urgently do to establish itself is to quickly begin the construction of the Auchi – Benin truck A roads and the truck B roads. Apart from these roads, there are communities where there are no roads today in Edo State. Like Atte, in Akoko Edo Local Government Area, do not have motorable roads in spite of their rich agricultural reserve.

Also, regional power dynamics played a very major role in the emergence of the candidate of the APC. Going forward, developmental strides, political appointments, government work and any form of opportunity should be made available equally without over centralizing government benefits to one region of the state. Everyone keyed into Esan Governorship and everyone must have a taste of the beauty of having an Esan Governor! While if I were Akpakomiza I would begin the construction of Auchi - Benin truck A road from Ekpoma and its parts, because these areas have been neglected for so long, I would not close my eyes to Benin and Auchi environs respectively. I think going forward too, Nigeria should copy the outcome of the influence this sort of regional power dynamics.

The new government must concretely make policies that will improve the lives of the Edo citizenry, especially this time of austerity. The ordinary Edo people who do not know anyone in government should be able to feel the impact of the government, state monies should not be shared among political leaders and their cronies, Edo State monies should not be shared among political kingpins, thugs and ‘’Oloshos’’. One way to get to the common people is to pay workers their salaries as at when due. Workers who are retired and whose gratuities have not been paid should be paid! It is inhuman for a government to owe workers, and celebrates every flimsiest occasion with pump and pageantry. 

While we unambiguously assert that the process that has brought the governor elect is not without some faults, we sympathize with those who lost the election, especially the People’s Democratic Party, the party my brother who is a lawyer, accuses me of relishing.  Unfortunately for the PDP in this election, the chickens have come home to roost. The PDP has been enmeshed in internal conflicts - national and state – anchored on greed, petty quarrels, power tussle, self-aggrandizement; these may have weakened its electoral chances. The PDP must put its house together, settle quarrels and have all its formidable members agree, for it to ever win an election under President Bola Amhed Tinubu.  Now that the Edo election is over, Edo people, must as usual, be calm and watch what unfolds in the coming days, weeks, months and years.