EDO 2024 GUBER: When Process is Fair Equitable

 EDO 2024 GUBER: When Process is Fair, Equitable...

By: Winwin Black Ehiabhi

As Edo state prepares for the 2024 governorship election, the incumbent governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has  said that the process of seeking for his successor, must be fair, equitable and inclusive. This is very commendable, especially bearing in mind that the process that produced him as a successor to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, wasn’t fair, equitable and inclusive; it was a very fraudulent process, and if Mr. Obaseki is now willing and ready to put a stop to that infamous process, it will not only be a plus to him as a person, it will also wipe off a lot of anomalies of his administration, and he will finish well as a governor that stood by due process, and a governor that put right the hitherto wrongs of imposition of candidates on the people. However, if this his statement is a mere political statement like many others that he has been making, it will be a big tragedy to him.

As all eyes are on Mr. Obaseki with respect to the process of selecting a flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a good number of Edo people are taking his statement with a pinch of salt.

We are not in doubt that, our process of selecting those that lead us in the political environment is flawed, and acutely insufficient in helping us to put a round peg in a round hole, as the process puts the masses at the mercy of the electoral college so called delegates, whose conscience are often paid for by desperate political business men who do not have any clue about governance, nor have the interest of the masses at heart.

However, since this flawed selection process is what our constitution has provided us with, for Edo state to get it right, the delegates must look beyond personal gains; they must be sincere in their choice of candidate, they must seek the interest of Edo state, and not their personal interests, as Edo state currently needs someone with credibility; someone that is focused and sincerely wants to change the history of Edo state for the better; not a business man who wants to invest his money in ‘Edo state Political business’ with the aim of recouping it when he gets into office.

Edo people, particularly the delegates, should be reminded that, our roads in Edo state are terribly bad, our state University, Edo state University, Ekpoma is not operating optimally, youth employment rate is very high, insecurity has turned us to refugees, even in our own land, a number of our public schools have poor structures, with paucity of teachers; our health facilities are nothing to write home about, and a myriad of several unpalatable challenges facing the people. 

The delegates will be doing a lot of disservice to Edo state, if they should look away from all these myriads of problems and give their votes to the highest bidder. If this should happen, God forbid, Edo state is in for another eight years of woes, pains and tears.

Lastly, Edo people should not forget what Obaseki said on Channels television in 2020. He said; ‘…Godfatherism is dangerous to our democracy. If, God forbid, I ever try to become a godfather, I should be dealt with…’