Achieving credible 2024 Edo, Ondo governorship elections
Periodic election is one of the cardinal principles of democracy. Nigeria started having elections over a century ago. The quality of our elections has been debatable. Winners score the election management body high while losers castigate the Independent National Electoral Commission. As an independent observer of the process since 1999, I would say that it is a work in progress. There is a popular saying that you can always better your best. In time past, particularly before the 2007 general elections, INEC often held elections in two batches. National elections viz presidential, Senate and House of Representatives were held on a particular day, while state elections, namely governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were held on another day. Arising from the electoral fraud of the 2003 governorship election in Anambra State and subsequent judicial pronouncement on it as well as those of Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi; the off-cycle governorship election h