A night before the Edo governorship election, something
quite disturbing happened. Reports of the police siege on the hotel where
Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, lodged in Benin, Edo state capital, sent a
wrong signal across. Wike, who was chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) national campaign council for the election, was said to have been
restricted to the hotel by the police.
The incident triggered different reactions and also raised a
lot of questions: what was the business of the police at the hotel? Why during
the election eve? Could that be part of a bigger plan to tamper with the
election? Should the PDP rise and “defend” their people? The tension was
brewing quite fast.
Commenting on the situation when he appeared on Channels Television later, the governor said Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, asked him to leave Edo.
Buhari warned the IGP to steer clear of Wike
“As the chairman of the National Campaign Council (of the
PDP), I came in here with some of my colleagues; I was in the hotel. Around 2
o’clock in the afternoon, the IG (inspector general of police) called,” he had
said.
“I think they called my orderly; I don’t know how they got
his number and then I spoke with the IG and he said I must leave Edo State. I
said ‘for what?’ He said because my being here may cause a crisis. I said how
will it cause crisis? He said because I made a statement that is inflammatory.
I said ‘which statement did I make? That we should be extra vigilant? That
people should protect their votes?’ So, ‘what is the inflammatory statement I
made?’
“The governor of Kano is here, the governor of Imo is here,
the Deputy Senate President is here. So why will you tell me to leave?”
BUHARI’S WARNING
Buhari: I’m committed to a free and fair election
Wike later went about his duty without any harassment. But
what many did not know is the role played by President Muhammadu Buhari.
TheCable reports that the president called Tukur Buratai, chief of army
staff, and the IGP, warning them sternly not “intervene” in the election.
Were it not for the president’s intervention, perhaps we
could have witnessed a replay of what transpired in Rivers during last year’s
election where soldiers interfered in the electoral process; or in Kogi state
where armed security operatives stormed the hotel accommodating of some members
of the opposition on the eve of the governorship election.
In addition to Buhari, we name some other actors who played
a key role in the successful conduct of the election which.
THE US, UK AND EU
Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, announced the visa ban on “electoral offenders” in Nigeria
Five days to the election, the United States sent a strong
signal to politicians and other actors in the electoral process when it
announced a visa ban on those that reportedly tampered with recent elections in
Nigeria.
In addition to placing such restrictions on the individuals
indicted in the Kogi and Bayelsa states elections, the US also said the measure
will be extended to anyone who works against a free and fair poll in Edo.
Barely 24 hours after the restrictions were announced, the
United Kingdom and the European Union took a decisive stance as well,
threatening to place visa restrictions and seize UK-based assets of individuals
that perpetrate violence during the elections.
The steps by the two countries could have contributed to a
successful poll in Edo. While some politicians can afford such travel
restrictions, losing their assets must have come as a nightmare.
MAHMOOD YAKUBU/INEC: ALMOST FLAWLESS
The INEC chairman charged electoral officials to be neutral
Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), was also one of the heroes in the Edo poll. While
the commission is expected to always be its best in conducting elections across
the country, Saturday’s election, like observers noted, was an improvement on
what obtained in previous elections.
The INEC chairman never minced words on how determined the
commission was to ensure the wish of the people reflected in the final outcome
of the governorship election in Edo, constantly reminding the staff of the need
for fairness even till the 11th hour.
Yakubu also introduced far-reaching measures that turned out
to be the game-changer, such as the policy to withdraw from any polling unit
that turns violent and refusal to recognise any winner where the electoral
officials were forced to declare one.
THE ABDULSALAMI COMMITTEE
The peace committee members with the two leading candidates
Kudos must also go to the National Peace Committee, led by
Abdulsalami Abubakar, retired general and former military head of state.
Days to the election, the committee got the governorship
candidates to sign a peace pact, signalling that election no be war. The
agreement came on the heels of numerous reports about signs of impending
violence.
Although it has become a ritual as with previous elections,
one cannot underestimate the impact of such measures, especially among
political party officials who often threaten fire and brimstone during
campaigns.
No wonder Mathew Kukah, one of the conveners of the peace
committee, said when the pact was signed last week that the action was not a
mere ceremony but a vow being taken by the candidates to signify that they
remain committed to peace even while seeking the spot at the polls.
JOURNALISTS AND OBSERVERS
Observers and journalists were everywhere in Edo state. TheCable, in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), sent reporters and observers to every local government
The efforts of journalists and observers who risked
everything to connect the eyes and ears of the world to the election as it
unfolded must not go unnoticed.
As is now the sad reality of Nigeria’s elections,
journalists and observers in parts of Edo were harassed and threatened on
Saturday. But, like the true heroes they are, this never deterred them from
effectively carrying out their responsibilities.
For instance, while two journalists were attacked and forced
to delete the pictures they took of vote-buying at ward 10 in Etsako west local
government, observers, including those from the Centre for Democracy and
Development (CDD) were arrested and detained for no known offence in Esan
central local government.
Security agencies also contributed their own quota to the
successful outcome of the election.
AND, ABOVE ALL, THE VOTERS!
Celebration time for the victors after a relatively peaceful vote
Statistically, voter turn-out was less than recorded four
years — 25 percent compared to 32 percent in 2016.
But given the high stakes, tension, threat of violence,
heavy rainfall and the COVID-19 pandemic, the voters deserve every accolade for
still coming out to vote.
Before election day, there had been pockets of violence on
campaign trail, with scary videos circulating about cultists being armed and given the marching
order.
The election went relatively smoothly, all considered, and
those who came out to case their vote deserve to be celebrated as well.
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