Election is Not War

After more than four months of organising rallies and public events, media interviews and other activities aimed at wooing the 1.9 million persons that have so far collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State, the moment of reckoning has finally arrived.

Eligible voters in Osun would be going to the polls today with 15 political parties cleared to participate in the exercise. The major contenders are the incumbent, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party; the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, and that of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday added the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Francis Ajala, to the ballot. Yemisi Adeagbo of the African Democratic Party is the only female candidate in the race.

With a tense political atmosphere which has seen no fewer than 73 election-related violent incidents resulting in 29 deaths, according to a pre-election Security Risk Assessment (ESRA) by the Kimpact Development Initiative, across major roads, streets and strategic locations in Osun, soldiers, conventional policemen, Police Mobile Force personnel, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ operatives are visibly present. The heightened security came as authorities seek to prevent violence, intimidation, disruption of voting and other forms of electoral malpractice.

Specifically, no fewer than 25,310 security personnel have been deployed across the state, comprising 15,000 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, 10,210 NSCDC personnel, about 100 officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as well as military personnel.

The electoral body had already expressed concern over the growing threat of vote buying, warning that the practice could undermine the credibility of the poll if not decisively checked by security agencies today. Before now, INEC had disclosed that it had completed critical preparations for the election, including the deployment of election materials, training of personnel and testing of its electoral technology, and had indicated that it was 90 per cent prepared for the off-cycle poll.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, recently led a comprehensive readiness assessment in the state, which involved six National Commissioners, directors, senior officials and technical staff. The exercise, which lasted about five days, involved a review of every aspect of the commission’s preparations, including a mock accreditation exercise to test the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

But INEC alone cannot guarantee a credible election. The success of today’s exercise will also depend on the conduct of security agencies, political parties, their supporters and other stakeholders.

That is why everyone involved in the process must prioritise peace, equity and justice. Election is not war. It is simply an exercise to choose leaders that we expect to promote good governance, accountability and development. Election provides a peaceful way to change leadership and policies, allowing for progress and adaptation to new ideas and issues. It encourages public participation in the political process, fostering a sense of community and engagement among citizens.

In a democracy, the will of the electorate is sacrosanct and must be respected. The people alone have the power to choose their leaders, and that sovereign choice is what makes democracy unique. No responsible leader should seek to impose himself or herself on the people.

All stakeholders must therefore adhere to the principles of democracy, respect the rights of others and prioritise the interests of the Osun people and Nigeria in general.

Unfortunately, the internet is littered with videos of the major political parties in this exercise inducing voters with cash, rice, bread and other edible items ahead of the polls. It will be in the interest of the citizens of Osun to avoid any form of inducement and vote-buying, as it undermines the integrity of democracy and also mortgages their future.

The political class must understand that Osun belongs to all its citizens, not to any political party nor family. The Governor does not own the state. The opposition does not own the state. The traditional rulers and religious leaders do not own it either. The people own Osun. Political power is merely entrusted to whoever receives the mandate.

Also, political leaders must understand the enormous responsibility that comes with their words. Reckless statements like that by Senator Francis Fadahunsi and other incendiary remarks by political actors and interest groups can be interpreted by thousands of followers as a command to kill or unleash mayhem on their opponents.

INEC has a huge responsibility in ensuring that the election is conducted professionally and transparently. Even though it has continued to assure stakeholders of its commitment to transparency, fairness and professionalism, it must match it with decisive action, strict adherence to electoral guidelines and absolute impartiality throughout the process.

The National Union of Road Transport Workers and road transport owners involved in logistics must not allow themselves to be used to deliberately delay, divert or interfere with or compromise the movement of electoral materials in any part of the State.  Results must be handled transparently. Where there are irregularities, the law should provide the remedy.

The security agencies equally have a delicate role to play. They must prevent violence without becoming instruments of political intimidation. They must understand that their loyalty is to the constitution and the Nigerian people, not to any candidate or political party.

No politician is above the law and no voter should be afraid to vote. We expect all political parties to respect and honour the peace accord they signed with the National Peace Committee and commit themselves to a peaceful poll.

Equally, social media users also have a responsibility to refrain from sharing unverified results, inflammatory claims and misleading information capable of heightening tension, provoking violence or undermining confidence in the electoral process.

Finally, politics should never destroy the social fabric that binds the people together. After today, Osun will still exist. That is why the political class must look beyond the election itself. The real victory for Osun will not simply be the emergence of a governor. The real victory will be an election in which people vote freely, candidates compete fairly, security agencies remain professional and electoral officials do their jobs.