Voters in Ondo State will file out today to elect a governor to a four-year term. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it has moved all sensitive materials and personnel to Akure, the state capital in readiness for the exercise. Similarly, uniformed and plain-clothed security personnel, including soldiers and members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been deployed to the state to guard against any violence.
This is because the election has generated considerable interests beyond its boundaries, given that Ondo is the only state in the entire South West region that enjoys oil derivation revenues from the federation account. More so, it is the only state that is not controlled either by Nigeria's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the region's dominant Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
The election is mainly a contest among three candidates, with the incumbent, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP), facing stiff challenge from ACN's Rotimi Akeredolu and Olusola Oke of the PDP. The three rounded off their campaigns last Tuesday, which included a live television debate organised by the Elections Debate Group of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON). Like every elections, tomorrow's poll in Ondo has the potential for violence; the inflammatory language used by the candidates and their supporters during campaigns underline this fear.
As expected, Mimiko has been robust in defending his record since he took office four years ago, showcasing his achievements in the most favourable light for the benefit of the voters. His opponents have equally been adept at pointing out what they say are his failures and how they intend to ameliorate these if the electorates gave them the chance. As interesting as the campaigns were, they were however marred by the use of uncouth language especially by virtually all candidates. Stalwarts of the ACN, which controls five of the six states in the South-west, view tomorrow's election as an opportunity to have a hundred percent control of the region; as such the exercise is "a task that must be accomplished". This indeed accounted for the series of allegations and counter-allegations levelled against each other by the contestants, setting the tone for the potential for violence during or after the exercise, unless efforts are made not to allow this to happen.
Part of such efforts was the decision by the Inspector General of Police to convene a stakeholder meeting last Wednesday, which included the INEC chairman, where candidates were reminded of the rules of the game and their role in making the outcome a complete success. Important also is the partial restriction of movement, from 6pm, which took effect yesterday as announced by the IG and the warning he gave to police personnel against 'unnecessary' use of firearm. The restriction is expected to ensure the security of citizens, election officials and materials, and as the IG said, to serve as "a strategy to curtail the influx and movement of undesirable and criminal elements in and out of the state before and during the elections". It is therefore expected that in carrying out this exercise, the police would play their role as stipulated in the Electoral Act.
They are expected to be professional, civil, non-partisan but firm in their approach to the public. In the same vein, it is also expected that INEC is ready to conduct a free and fair exercise, minimising as much as possible the possibility of acrimony from contestants. It is also expected that the commission would be guided by the lessons it learnt from the conduct of similar elections in Edo state last July. There should be no room for lack of electoral materials or late delivery of materials to polling booths as experienced in some parts of Edo. Of crucial importance would the behaviour of the contestants and their supporters during and after the exercise. All the candidates must commit to respect the wishes of the electorates as expressed in tomorrow's election. This will advance the course of democracy and build confidence in the electoral process. However, any perceived malpractice by any of the stakeholders must be promptly addressed.