While traveling to Akwa Ibom State recently, I had an opportunity to travel through Benin City, and by that had a passing glance of the ancient city, and in that vein literarily gauged the barometer of its development, and coupled with news reports that I have earlier been fed with by the media on how poorly the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his team of executives are performing in terms of governance, I could not help thinking about how misgoverned my state of origin has become, particularly when I arrived in Uyo as evidence of infrastructural development in both cities when brought into comparison clearly showed that Obaseki and his team were literarily sleeping.
Against the foregoing backdrop, there is no denying the fact that at the heart of the expectations of Edo people; both at home and in the diaspora, lies the need to see that the primaries that would be conducted among all the political parties that are registered to fly their respective flags in the upcoming gubernatorial election come 2024 are devoid of gerrymandering, McCarthyism, political maneuvering or political jockeying among other electoral shenanigans that have kept depriving the State of quality governance from one political dispensation to another. Without any scintilla of hyperbole, given the expediency of the need for Edo State to be taken to the next level, elections should be seen at this time to be meaningfully democratic.
This, no doubt, can only be achieved if they are free, fair, participatory, competitive, and legitimate. This is possible only when elections; both at the primary election and gubernatorial elections, are administered by a neutral authority; when the electoral administration is sufficiently competent and resourceful to take specific precautions against fraud; and particularly at the level of the gubernatorial election where it is expected that the police, military, and courts should not impartially treat competing candidates and parties. It can be deemed to be free and fair when contenders have access to the public media; when electoral constituencies and rules do not grossly handicap the opposition; and when the secret of the ballot is protected; when virtually all adults can vote; when procedures for organizing and counting the votes are widely known; and when there are transparent and impartial procedures for resolving election complaints and disputes.
At this juncture, it is expedient to be assertive in this context by opining that this article examines the expediency of using elections, particularly at this time in Edo State, in halting the rudderless trajectory governance has assumed in the last few years.
Against the foregoing backdrop, not a few Edolites are hopeful that political elites, particularly at the stage of primary elections, should altruistically take decisions that would lead to the emergence of a credible and well-accepted candidate by the electorates without resorting to primordial sentiments.
There is no denying the fact that this is the time some of our political elites, particularly among Edo Labour Party (LP) in the State, to eschew their own individual interest and through the collective interest of the entire people of the State; both at home and in diaspora arrive at a consensus by picking a candidate that has all it takes to play a messianic role in the next political dispensation in the State.
Analyzed from the foregoing perspective, it is germane for this writer to say that as a citizen of Edo State in Nigeria, he is inalienably protected by freedom of expression as enshrined in section 39 (1) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution to speak on who he thinks has all it takes to lead the state out from the quagmire it has been thrown into by the powers that be.
In a similar vein, permit me to opine that democracy always rested on the right to freely express diverse opinions, and on the votes of well-informed citizens.
Therefore, as a Journalist that is vested with the constitutional responsibility to play a vital role in the electoral process by assuring the dissemination of news and diverse opinions, it suffices to say that endorsing Barr. Dele Igbinedion in this context as the leader to whom Edolites should extend massive support cannot be controverted.
As popularly known, Journalists contribute to the effective participation of citizens in democratic debate, especially by ensuring that issues of public interest remain at the heart of election campaigns.
It is exigent to say that never has there been any time in Edo political history where the need for a credible leader such as Dele Igbinedion has become as urgent as now as redirecting the ship of state from further falling into the labyrinth of hopelessness to the detriment of the people.
To those who have been erroneously looking at the eligibility of Igbinedion’s candidacy, particularly through the prism of the campaign the Esan wants a paradigm shift in power, saying that they have been contributing to the treasury but when it comes to power-sharing or who governs the state, they would be told to take a back seat, they should understand that the need for Edo state to be better for all in the next political dispensation goes beyond primordial sentiments as been canvassed through ethnic jingoism. In fact, those making the agitation that it is their turn to produce the next governor to succeed Governor Obaseki should be advised that people interested in the governorship position should come out irrespective of tribes or any other primordial sentiments.
They should be reminded that in choosing a new governor for Edo State, especially now that the people have lost so much hope because of wrongly the chosen and elected leaders who have since the creation of the state used the full paraphernalia of power to deny Edo people what ought to be theirs, competencies of candidates should be compromised.
In fact, with the choice of a good and competent candidate such as Igbinedion, the State LP has the great opportunity to reassert its indomitability as well as make the people confident that they have another prospect to recover all that has been lost during the unprecedented level of misgovernance been demonstrated by the ongoing administration in the State.
Given the expediency of taking Edo to a developmental height come the next political dispensation, it will not be out of place to plead that the race for the Edo state in the 2024 governorship election should not be reduced to ethnicity for competence and capacity to lead the people.
In fact, as recently argued by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and former Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Political matters, Hon Charles Idahosa, “The good thing about Edo State is that there is no ethnic group, there is no tribe in Edo state that cannot trace its origin from Benin. That is a statement of fact. So we do not want a situation where politicians will use ethnicity, or religion, to divide us. As the activities of the 2024 Edo state governorship race gather momentum, we need a true Edolite whom we seek at this time for a quest for a better Edo, we want a proper Edo person, not Benin, not Esan, not Afemai. Every Edo person is eminently qualified to run for the governorship of the state and we are now left to look at all of them, look at their profile, look at their experience, and make a choice. Reducing our choice of areas will not be acceptable”.
There is no denying the fact that given the feelings from the political barometer in the state since this writer instantaneously became inspired to write this piece that critical decision time has begun. It is not a time for political gambling.
With the people rallying around Igbinedion; both at the primaries and at the Gubernatorial election stages, and giving him the ticket and consequently to Osadebey Avenue, there is no denying the fact that Edo State will be firmly positioned for prosperity and the people of the state will be better off for it.
Edo people cannot afford another round of inept governance. Voting for Igbinedion in my view is the most viable political option for Edolites at this time. Enough is enough for the wise.
