ANAMBRA ELECTION, INEC AND FUTURE OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

By Karlgold Olly

The Anambra state governorship election has just been concluded, with the incumbent governor emerging as a winner in an election that observers categorized as peaceful, free and fair despite little hiccups ranging from late arrival of electoral materials, omission of registered voters names in the voters register etc. These hiccups the observers stated are minimal as may be seen in activities of men but near perfect.

One can somehow heave a sigh of relief that the era of the PDP stranglehold on the agency is coming to an end, or do we say that power of incumbency played a role. No doubt this might be, but considering the recent changes made by INEC, bringing in observers from abroad (Ghana, south Africa and UK) on the one side, constituting an election monitoring team which its members could be said to have integrity and the changing of their officials in the sate must have been instrumental to the successes of this election.

If this trend is maintained, then Nigeria and Nigerians can no breath fresh air in the political terrain, believing that the carry-go era of the so-called largest political party in Africa had come to an end. The Soludo solution could not even save situation, as even his emergence as the flag bearer of PDP was fraught with agitations, court cases, kidnapping and kidnap accusations etc.

This time it might be bravado for Prof. M. Iwu who might have decided to save his name from being dragged to the mud again and do the right thing for once. The 2011 elections are just by the corner, and other political parties are strategizing to take over power and the Anambra state governorship election I believe had sent message to the ruling party that their time have expired as they have woefully failed Nigerians and the Nigerian state. They have failed to follow their manifestoes of power for all by 2010, standard and affordable education and above all the so-called SEVEN POINRT AGENDA of Yar'adua.

The party that had maintained that the nation should continue existing with a vacuum that is replaceable, politicizing the incapacitation of the president without regard to the aspirations and opinion of the Nigerian citizenry and the future of the country. The Federal executive council (FEC) that hitherto declared Yar'adua fit today are aligning themselves with the Vice-President so as not to lose out should power finally be transferred to him. Akunyili, Mark, and the rest who announced initially the fitness of the president seem to have come abreast with the reality on ground and as such called for the transmission of the transfer of authority letter to the VP.

The truth must be told without equivocation, PDP had failed as a party, and the recent election in Anambra state is a pointer that Nigerian are tired of these political vampires, bourgeoisie gladiators who use state fund for primordial, parochial end and see state fund as prebends to be appropriated for themselves and their cronies. The day of reckoning shall come and these parasitic public office holders shall definitely give account of their stewardship.

Finally Peter Obi, should in the interest of posterity give Anambra people the desired leadership required of him and also deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizens of the state. To the losers, they should sheath their swords, join hands with the elected and move the state forward because they must not be in power to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state, and they are all stakeholders and elites in the state.

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