4 hours Ago By Guardian Nigeria
The back-to-back victories of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent off season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, with wide margins, point to the weakening of the opposition parties and the possibility of a slide to a one party system if care is not taken. In this report, ONYEDIKA AGBEDO dissects the outcomes of the polls and the posturing of the APC, pointing out how to safeguard the nation’s democracy through transparent elections. The outcomes of the recent off season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states underscored the crisis in the opposition camp and the gravitation of the country towards a one-party state.
Ahead of the elections, the opposition parties, led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bragged that their candidates would win in a free and fair contest. They cited the biting hardship in the country, which they claimed has made Nigerians disenchanted with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and repeatedly urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the law enforcement agencies to demonstrate neutrality in the process. However, the results announced by INEC at the end of the contests indicated a resounding victory for the ruling party.
In fact, against expectations that it would be difficult for APC to retain Ondo State following the crisis that erupted in its fold in the state by the sickness and eventual death of former governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the party won in all the 18 local councils of the state. Its candidate, the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the PDP, who got 117,845 votes. In Edo State, the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, emerged victorious with 291,667 votes, defeating Asue Ighodalo of the PDP who garnered 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who polled 22,763 votes.
Okpebholo won in 11 local councils of the state while Ighodalo won in seven. At the end of both polls, the opposition cried foul; alleging various irregularities. For instance, reacting to the outcome of the Ondo poll, PDP’s Ajayi, accused INEC of comprise, noting that, “we have uncovered lots of actions undertaken to compromise the electoral desires of the people and sadly conclude that democracy cannot thrive in an environment where unabated criminality is perpetually perpetrated in the prosecution of an election by the agencysaddled with the onerous and sacred responsibility to protect our franchise and deliver its mandate at the end of every election.
” The Social Democratic Party (SDP) also rejected the outcome of the poll, describing the election as a “show of shame.” The party alleged widespread harassment and intimidation of its agents. On his part, the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the election, Dayo Awude, said: “I do hope and pray that vote trading will become a thing of the past in our electoral system.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the show of naira force that was at play in this election decided where the pendulum of victory swung. I would have been happier if this victory was won without the vote bazaar that characterised it..
