Anambra Polls: Kudos INEC, Police But…

In sharp contrast to the electoral malfeasance that passed for previous elections under the
President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the last two years, the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra State provided Nigeria the much needed bullishness of having credible elections in 2019. Whether or not the momentum will be sustained, however, remains a puzzle which only time can unravel.
The Anambra election, arguably the best under the Buhari administration, beams a new reality of change in Nigeria’s electoral politics. It was devoid of the usual hiccups that had always characterised the exercise in the country.
Unlike in the past when State machineries were always deployed to manipulate victory in favour of the ruling behemoth at the centre, the outcome of the Anambra gubernatorial poll suggests that the country is gradually moving away from do-or-die politics and the notoriety of using presidential fiat to rig elections and subvert the will of the electorate.
Even though the massive deployment of security agencies may have discouraged some voters from participating, The Tide believes that the impartiality of the electoral umpire, the civil conduct of the security agencies and the father-for-all posture of President Buhari provided a level playing field that culminated in the peaceful conduct of the election.
We commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies, especially the police, for this feat and urge a replica of this attitudinal change in subsequent elections in the country. We hope that the electoral body will sustain the tempo and improve on areas of lapses such as the failure of card readers and late arrival of electoral materials, ahead of the 2019 general elections in the country.
Also worthy of commendation is President Buhari’s non-interference in the electoral process. In particular, the President’s marching order for immediate reinstatement of Governor Willie Obiano’s security details that was withdrawn by the overzealous Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, few days to the election, suggests a new presidential approach towards having free and fair elections in Nigeria as well as deepening the nation’s democracy. We hope that this new spirit of “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” recently displayed by the President will be replicated in subsequent elections in the country.
Another notable take-away from the Anambra election is the deflation of threat by the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The large turnout of voters for the election and the peaceful manner the exercise went against the demand of IPOB for total boycott was a clear indication of Nigerians’ preference for democracy as against anarchy. It also suggests that the Igbos, just like other ethnic nationalities in the country, are desirous to live and co-exist peacefully within the Nigerian nation.
The Tide is also impressed by the peaceful conduct of the governorship candidates before, during and after the election. The spirit of good sportsmanship demonstrated by almost all the opposition candidates, after Obiano was declared the winner of the election, is particularly heart-warming. It is, no doubt, a departure from the do-or-die politics of the past and indeed, a renewal of confidence in the sanctity of the ballot.
While we congratulate Governor Obiano on his re-election, we wish to urge him to sustain the tempo of good leadership that earned him the trust, confidence and votes of the electorate for the second term. We, however, expect him to be magnanimous in victory by reaching out to the opposition for necessary advice and suggestions that will help in sustaining and improving development in Anambra State.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the successful conduct of the Anambra election has set a new tone for the nation’s democratic culture. The Tide particularly considers the outcome of the election as a good precursor for subsequent elections in the country. But, we are worried by the allegation of money exchanging hands on the election day. This allegation, if it is anything to go by, is a sad reflection of the nation’s moral debauchery and poverty-driven politics.
There is, therefore, a crying need for proper education and total re-orientation of the electorate ahead of the 2019 general elections. Having experienced poverty of leadership in the country for many years, it is incongruous and defies all logical reasoning for any Nigerian to sell his or her votes for a paltry sum.
Nevertheless, the Anambra governorship poll has, arguably, proven to the nation that the INEC and the police, if given the enabling environment to operate freely without undue influence and interference from high quarters, can do the needful and make Nigeria proud. We only hope that the two critical institutions in our electoral system will sustain this credibility in subsequent elections.