Ekiti 2014: The permutation, anxiety

AT last the D-day is here. In less than 24 hours from now, voters in Ekiti State will go to the poll to elect the governor that will pilot the affairs of the state for another four years. The exercise will be the climax of months on intense political intrigues by the leading political gladiators and their parties, as well as other stakeholders in the state with vested interest the election. Not all the 18 candidates for the election can be said to have taken their campaigns seriously as only a few of them actually embarked on vigorous campaigns across the 16 local government areas in the state, selling their programmes and manifestoes of their parties to the prospective voters. Despite the skirmishes that characterized the campaigns of the leading candidates ostensibly because of the fact that the stake is higher, it is assumed that the voters had the opportunity to assess the contenders towards making up their minds on the right choice at the poll. The arduous task of conducting or having a peaceful and credible ballot in Ekiti does not rest squarely with the candidates, their supporters and party members alone. But suffice to say that their role in making the exercise a huge success by comporting themselves, during and after the election is germane. Like in every contest, there will be a winner and losers in this case because of the large number of contestants for the exalted office. The burden of creating a new vista in the history of elections in the land through the Ekiti poll also rests on the shoulders of the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an umpire. It is another test case for the neutrality, competence, efficiency, capacity and capability of the commission, as the journey to the 2015 general election peaks. The commission has the real opportunity to prove to its critics and adversaries that it has not only been able to correct past mistakes but is poised to create a template for subsequent elections in the country. Some of its critics had raised a number of issues that characterised a similar election held in Anambra State, which, in their opinion, left much to be desired on the part of the INEC. To assure the public of its intention to do a good job, the INEC has deployed more key functionaries of the commission to facilitate the conduct of the election. There are estimated 2,195 presiding officers and 177 collation officers to assist in making the exercise free, transparent and credible. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Hussaini Halilu Pai, has engaged all the stakeholders, including traditional rulers on the imperative of a collaborative effort to deliver a peaceful election. Apart from concluding all logistic arrangements for the poll in earnest, he said the commission had provided 2,803 ballot boxes and voting cubicles. The commission, he said, had met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious leaders and bodies, members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), commercial motorcyclists and youths of all the political parties. “We have also met several times with and trained civil society organisations, faith-based organisations,0 people living with disabilities and so on. We have met with all shades of stakeholders and with women groups too at the senatorial level. We have met the women at Oye, we have met them at Emure and we also met the women in Ado Ekiti. The whole purpose is to really sensitise and educate them on the coming governorship election and the need to join hands with the INEC to ensure successful election,” Pai had said. There is a massive security buildup for the election. All relevant law enforcement agencies have mobilize necessary resources towards complementing the arrangement by the INEC and other stakeholders ensure a peaceful election. For instance, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said it had approved the deployment of 15,000 personnel. The Corps Spokesman, Okeh Emmanuel, in Abuja said the Commandant-General of the Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, gave the directive. He said: “In encouraging registered voters to come out and exercise their civic right, the Corps chief executive, apart from the deployment of over 15,000 regular and volunteer personnel, has also deployed some specialised units. The units are; the Special Forces, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radio-Active Squad.” More importantly, the police have stepped security within the last few days with its officers and men embarking on regular patrols and deploying others officers to strategic parts of the state. Expectedly, undercover agents are said be complementing the efforts of other agencies to guarantee law and order before, during and even after the election. In fact, initial report indicated that no fewer than 12,000 policemen were to be deployed for the election. Mr Mike Zuokoumor, the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police in charge of Operations, had disclosed that a total of 25 sniffer dogs and horses would be deployed to provide security, aside from 200 Counter Terrorism Specialists and 200 Crime Prevention Officers. The weeks of campaigns and holding of rallied by the candidates and their parties has now culminated in the election proper tomorrow. Each of the candidates has made promises to herald a new dawn if elected. The moment has come when the endless permutations by groups with variegated interests in the election will be put to real test for accuracy or otherwise. The conduct of the poll will bring to an end months of apprehension and fear based on either on the real or imagined. It outcome will unarguably bring a soothing balm to some nerves and possible raise the temperature a few.