Ekiti State: Fountain of knowledge
#Ekiti-decides, as it was tagged before yesterday, Saturday, June 18, 2022, the election is come and gone, with the result setting a template of what 2023 general elections shall look like. In order to think of what 2023 general election may look like; let us take a deep analytical calculation of this Ekiti State Governorship election. Let us go.
The Independent National Electoral Commission improved tremendously in the electioneering process of the country, and this is as result of the adoption of technology in the conduct and E-transmission of votes cast; from the polling booths to the Collation Centre.
We saw this coming when INEC introduced and deployed Bimodal Voter Accreditation System [BVAS] into the electioneering process. This action moved Nigeria from analogue era to a digitalized-compliant era.
We must and should give the credit of this milestone achievement to the following:
One is the INEC; which brought out the reformation thought, drew up the thought as a Bill before forwarding them through Executive to the Nigerian National Assembly.
Two is the Nigerian National Assembly that worked tirelessly for years over the electoral reformation Bill – we should not forget too quickly that the Bill was going front and back between the National Assembly and the Presidency because of the President’s refusal to sign it into for whatever undemocratic reasons only President Buhari could fathom.
The National Assembly, under tremendous pressure from the Nigerian people eventually completed its work and moved same to the President for assent.
The third Institute that deserved mentioning for credit is the Presidency because at the end of the day; President Muhammadu Buhari – either reluctantly or even under duress, signed the Bill into Law.
Yet there is another Body that deserves of accolade more than the three above, and that is the good and great People of Nigeria. If the Nigerians did not mount pressure of unlimited proportion on the first three categorie; mentioned above, the political gods of the Nigerian territory would have preferred the analogue system because that was their winning card – and there is no good football manager that changes a winning team. The brave Nigerian People deserve an everlasting accolades.
The first lesson derivable from the Ekiti just concluded election therefore is that 2023 general elections – all things being equal, should be better, strictly on the account of E-transmission of election results.
Another template that the Ekiti election has set is that there is higher level of awareness amongst the Nigerian people of now, to participate in elections – Ekiti election at least attested to this. This can be attributed to the fact that Nigerians started admitting that their votes might be counting now, unlike the past when most Nigerians concluded, under melancholy that their votes never counted.
Again, the catalyst that is bringing this revolution – because a major revolution it is turning to be, is the technological embracement of the current transformation.
Another thing we must try to recognize is that; going by previous electioneering practices we were used to in Nigeria, it would have remained a two-horse-race – and that would have been between the APC and the PDP. But Ekiti introduced a different dimension when a three-horse-race was suddenly thrown up and the one rated as most underdog; which is the SDP, took the Second position as against the most expected PDP.
Then we should not forget the role played by the Security Agencies, mostly the Police. This is not to say that the security agencies are now wholly and fully a born again bunch but their performances this time around; on improved side of history, must not be ignored. Could this be sign of good things to come in 2023 general elections?
Time will not permit me to gross over many signs of things picked up from Ekiti 2022, that could be laid down as template for 2023 general elections, because this is supposed to be a short broadcast of what The Guru shall be handling in the studio tomorrow, by the grace of God.
Suffice to say that there are signs of good things to come in 2023 – all things being equal. These signs are subject to many variant dynamics. Prominent among them would be the willingness of Terrorist/Bandits/Kidnappers, Unknown gunmen and other evil forces reducing their hostilities.
But beyond the high engagement of these none-State agents of death, the State-owned personae dramatis that brought the latter into being and keep sustaining them may have to agree on stepping down from the Contract of INVITATION Reality because this contract that no one wants to own to, remains in place.
It is the difference between Concordia of both parties – both parties can only be decoded by those that are well initiated, that may likely translate into moving Ekiti 2022 governorship election as a template for 2023 general election.
Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
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Great one Sir,
This is a positive steps and from the look of things, 2023 general election will come in a different direction that the masses voice will be counted and Nigerian history will be revised and back to our dream country. May God continue to guide and protect our ways and grant us the wisdom to overcome and celebrate God’s Victory IJN. 🙏♥️
While we can commend all the parties that made e-voting possible especially the good people of Nigeria, what can be done to eradicate vote buying which has been made possible by the delibarate paupering of the poor masses of this country. @theguru sir, do you sincerely think or believe we can get it right politically in this country going by the fact that politics here is determined by the moneybags, this was evident during the recently concluded primaries of the major parties in the land, where billions of naira have been expended on just primary elections. The guru has constantly maintained that the eagle won’t be landing anytime soon, not in 2023. Does it mean that we should brace ourselves up for tougher times in this country, or do we seek amicable separation of this forced marriage of 1914 that hasn’t worked and is not likely to work for the foreseeable future 🤔. Guru sir, our political Nostradamus, kindly shed some light, and what should be the position of those of us who are politically aware in our community? God bless you sir.