Reactions trailing the outcome of the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial poll held recently, appears to suggest that Nigerians are seriously losing faith (if they have not completely lost faith) in the possibility of any credible electoral process in the country.
For former President Goodluck Jonathan, “there was more tension after the Edo election than before it, due to the feelings that some things were not done rightly.” Jonathan still remains the only Nigerian President to hand over to an opposition party after he was defeated at the polls.
The former President reportedly went further to express his disappointment over what he described as the failure of technology to improve the country’s electoral process. He was quoted as saying in Abuja recently, that “the outcome of the governorship election in Edo State had shown that technology would not solve Nigeria’s electoral challenges.To him a change in citizens conduct is the only panacea to credible elections.
Also reacting to the conduct of the 2024 Edo governorship poll,
a former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, at an event in Abuja, reportedly raised fears over what to expect in 2027 general elections due to alleged actions of the ruling party.
Meanwhile , the ruling APC and a civil society organization, Yiaga Africa which monitored the 2024 Edo governorship poll, have been enmeshed in disagreement over the NGO’s report on the conduct of the poll.
Surprisingly, given the controversies that trailed the general elections of 2023, it remains a puzzle why the INEC chairman, Yakubu Mahmoud has to continue to lead the electoral umpire. Else where in developed climes, the INEC chairman ought to have resigned following the conduct of last year’s Presidential election especially, Mahmoud’s claim that so-called ‘glitches’ hindered the commission from transmitting results via the iRev portal.
Contrary to criticisms, Mahmoud is however, staying put even when the INEC’s. conduct of elections does not seem to be improving.
Sadly, he seems not to give a hoot about the feeling of many Nigerians vis-a-vis the conduct of elections under his watch. Many Nigerians feel he probably enjoys the support of the ruling party.
In the light of the foregoing, Nigeria Newspoint is of the view that given the hue and cry that followed both the conduct of the 2023 general elections, as well as the 2024 Edo governorship poll, Mahmoud as INEC chairman should resign for fresh blood to be injected into the country’s electoral system.
Nigeria Newspoint agrees with former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he observed that many of the crises in the African continent emanated from “struggle for power.”
There is evidence suggesting that persisting cases of flawed electoral contests have been responsible for many of the violent crises, even wars in Africa.
And no one wishes such for Nigeria also a country.