The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received commendations from virtually every stakeholder for running a well conducted governorship election in Edo State on September 19, 2020. The just concluded Edo State governorship election saw Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being declared winner of the election by INEC. Governor Obaseki garnered 307,995 votes to defeat his closest rival, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who received 233,619 votes.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room noted a significant improvement in INEC’s conduct of the election, with logistics issues of distribution of materials, deployment of staff and challenges in the Voters’ Register significantly reduced. Overbearing security presence was less of an issue in the election, as security personnel conducted themselves in a professional manner. Reports received by Situation Room indicate that security personnel wore identification tags and intervened to resolve disruptions that arose in some voting locations. However, the challenge of vote buying/trading was still prevalent. Politicians are increasingly investing monies to buy votes with voters appearing to be willing to sell their votes. In the Edo State election, this practice was widespread with all of the major political parties engaging in this infringement. This raises the need for a more effective enforcement of election laws that prohibit vote buying and other election offences.
In a statement, Situation Room noted that, “Overall, the Edo State governorship election was violence free to the relief of stakeholders who had feared that the violence laden rhetoric of the election participants could pose a threat to peaceful elections. It is noteworthy that efforts at mediating peace and reducing political tension mounted by INEC, the Police, the National Peace Committee, the Benin Monarch, the Oba of Benin and civil society groups paid off.” INEC conducted a much improved governorship election in Edo State, which raises expectations that the Commission will ensure that the progress made with improvements in its conduct of the election are deepened and sustained during the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for October 10, 2020.