A lot was at stake in the just concluded off-cycle gubernatorial election in Osun State. It was an election that meant a lot for the two dominant parties in the country- the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The desire to win the election weighed more on the APC than on the PDP.
While the APC wanted to assert its supremacy on the state, particularly with the array of political heavy weights from the state, it was a test run for the PDP ahead of the 2023 general election.
The opposition PDP also wanted to prove that its candidate, Ademola Adeleke was indeed, robbed of his victory in 2018, as being alleged.
With the desperation on both sides, all eyes were on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adorn its toga of real umpire and non-partisanship.
By the time the result of the election was announced in the early hours of Sunday, July 17, 2022, it became obvious that the Commission effectively moderated the situation, relying hugely on the provisions in the amended 2022 Electoral Act that now allows the deployment of technology.
Some doubting Thomases, who had written off the Commission, now seem to change their mindset.
Since the new Electoral Act came into effect last year, INEC has been able to leverage the provisions therein to organise and deliver more reliable elections than before.
For example, its outing in Anambra, Ekiti and now Osun State has been described by some observers as commendable, despite some glitches.
A political pundit, who commented on INEC’s successful outing, said: “That INEC has cured the various diseases such as waiting for results to come from difficult terrains and far-flung areas, ballot box snatching, collation centre heists, which are the highway to election rigging.
“The single potency of electronic result transmission is a masterstroke that ought to keep cynics like me at bay. In other words, I’m enthused by both the sound bites and the optics of what has happened so far.”
Observers say that electronic transmission of result from the polling units to local government has reduced drastically result manipulation and rigging which hitherto characterised elections in the country.
With just few months to the general election, observers also said that INEC’s performance in the Osun election was a pointer that Nigerians can now repose more confidence in the legitimacy of their votes.
They also noted that the voting masses now know that they can actually vote for their preferred candidates and be certain that their votes would count which may prove to be a game changer in 2023 general election.
Some of those who spoke with BusinessDay predicted that a lot of people would, in 2023, vote on the basis of the candidates’ perceived popularity and track record, rather than on party lines or religious sentiments.
Read also: 2023 will be our best election ever – INEC
Gideon Ayogu, a political analyst, said: “This is a notable development as we may just witness a case where popular candidates emerge from the ballot boxes, irrespective of the party/platform on which they run.
“This is the case, especially when you consider the merits of the new Electoral Act and the option of e-transmission of election results, thereby reducing the possibility of blatant and widespread rigging/falsification of results which used to be the bane of elections in Nigeria.”
Ayogu further said that the upset in the Osun gubernatorial election further shows that the power of incumbency or being in the ruling party may no longer guarantee a smooth run at the polls.
“Just as was the case when President Muhammadu Buhari unseated Goodluck Jonathan, Osun may prove another watershed moment in the history of elections in Nigeria, signposting or ushering in a general election filled with shocking upsets in 2023,” he said.
Ayo Kusamotu, a lawyer and political commentator, who condemned the reported cases of vote-buying during the exercise, said that the INEC should urgently address the menace, without allowing it to mar the 2023 general election.
Kusamotu, however, pointed out that “The result reflected the will of the people to a large extent. The people did not want Oyetola to get another term of four years.
“The people have spoken; I hope it sends a message that it would not be a walk in the park in the 2023 general election for any candidate or party.
“I hope this result strengthens the opposition parties to know that; if they work hard they can defeat the APC anywhere, although the dynamic of winning elections is different across states”,
Observers have also given credit to the security officials, over their neutrality and general conduct in last Saturday’s election. They said the security agencies did not allow themselves to use to aid result manipulation or vote-buying.
Having proven its readiness for 2023, Nigerians have urged the INEC to ensure that the massive child-voting in the Northern part of the country is checked.
“Unfortunately, the test-run of the new INEC, has happened in the South alone. It would have been complete if such a major election takes place in the North so that Nigerians would also see how the Commission deals with the issue of child-voting, which in itself, is a serious cause of concern regarding the integrity of the process,” a concerned Nigerian said.
