As Osun decides its next Governor today, what is expected of Abuja

MAIN POINTS:

*Osun belongs to its people
*Security must protect voters, not intimidate them
*Abuja must resist the temptation to influence the outcome
*INEC must be allowed to work
*The opposition deserves protection too
*Abuja must also protect the dignity of Osun
*What happens after the votes?
*The real winner should be democracy
*A message to Abuja

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Therefore, my message to Abuja today is not complicated:
Do not choose Osun’s governor. Protect Osun’s choice.
Do not intimidate voters. Protect them.
Do not manipulate the process. Strengthen it.
Do not obstruct opposition voices. Protect their rights.
Do not pressure electoral officials. Allow them to work.
Do not use security agencies as political weapons. Make them guardians of the democratic process.
And when the votes are counted, do not ask first: Who won?
Ask instead: Was the election free, fair, peaceful, transparent and credible?
If the answer is yes, Nigeria wins.

Today, Osun State stands at another important democratic crossroads. Across the state, citizens are exercising one of the most fundamental powers in a democracy: the power to choose, through the ballot, the person they want to entrust with the affairs of their state.

But while the attention of Osun is understandably fixed on polling units, candidates, party agents and election results, there is another constituency whose conduct will matter enormously to the credibility of the exercise: Abuja.

By Abuja, I mean more than the Federal Capital Territory. We mean the federal authorities, the security architecture of the country, the institutions responsible for protecting democratic processes and, most importantly, the political leadership of Nigeria.

The question before Abuja today is simple but profound: Will the federal government allow the people of Osun to freely choose their governor without fear, intimidation, manipulation or interference?

That is the real test.

An election is not a gift from government to citizens. It is the constitutional mechanism through which citizens exercise sovereignty.

The people of Osun are not going to the polling units to seek permission to choose their governor. They are going there to exercise a right that belongs to them.

Therefore, neither the federal government, political parties, security agencies nor influential individuals should behave as though the people of Osun are merely spectators in a contest whose outcome can be determined elsewhere.

The ballot belongs to the voter.

The mandate belongs to the people.

And the legitimacy of the eventual winner must come from the free expression of that mandate.

This is why Abuja must understand that its greatest responsibility today is not to produce a winner. It is to protect the process through which Osun produces its winner.

One of the most important responsibilities of the federal authorities is security.

There must be sufficient security presence to prevent violence, protect election officials, safeguard electoral materials and ensure that citizens can vote without intimidation.

But there is a delicate line between security and intimidation.

Security personnel must not become instruments of political influence. Their duty is to the Constitution and the Nigerian people—not to any candidate, party or political interest.

The presence of security officers at polling units should give voters confidence, not fear.

A police officer should be seen as a protector of democracy, not as someone capable of determining who is allowed to vote.

The same principle applies to every other security agency deployed for the election.

Professionalism must prevail.

Neutrality must prevail.

Restraint must prevail.

Every government naturally has political interests. Political parties seek victory. Politicians seek power. Supporters seek the success of their candidates.

But the federal government occupies a different constitutional and moral position.

The government of Nigeria must be bigger than partisan calculations.

If Abuja is perceived as attempting to impose a preferred candidate on Osun, the damage will extend far beyond today’s election. It will deepen public distrust in democracy and reinforce the dangerous belief that elections are won not by voters but by those who control state power.

That would be a terrible message to send to Nigerians.

The federal government should therefore demonstrate that it is confident enough in democracy to accept whatever legitimate outcome the people of Osun produce.

If its preferred candidate wins, let that victory be because Osun voters chose him.

If another candidate wins, let Abuja respect the people’s decision.

That is democracy.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has a particularly important responsibility.

Election officials must be allowed to perform their duties without political pressure. Results must be handled transparently, polling procedures must be followed and complaints must be addressed through established legal channels.

Where there are irregularities, the appropriate institutions should investigate them.

Where there are disputes, the courts remain available.

But nobody should attempt to substitute political power for electoral procedure.

The integrity of an election is not measured only by who wins. It is measured by whether citizens believe that their votes were properly counted.

A victory that cannot withstand scrutiny is ultimately a fragile victory.

A healthy democracy does not protect only the candidate who eventually wins.

It protects the candidate who loses.

It protects the voter who supports the opposition.

It protects journalists reporting the election.

It protects election observers.

It protects party agents.

It protects civil society organisations monitoring the process.

This is because democracy is not simply about producing winners. It is about creating a system in which citizens can participate without fear of punishment for making a political choice.

The opposition must therefore be allowed to organise, observe, challenge and seek legal redress where necessary.

Losing an election should never mean losing one’s citizenship rights.

There is another responsibility that is rarely discussed: respect.

Osun is not merely another state on Nigeria’s political map. It is a state with a rich history, deep cultural identity and politically conscious citizens.

Its people deserve to be treated as adults capable of making their own political choices.

The federal government should therefore avoid every action or statement that could be interpreted as treating Osun voters as political subjects whose decision must conform to the wishes of Abuja.

The federal government does not own Osun.

No political party owns Osun.

No individual owns Osun.

Osun belongs to the people of Osun.

Perhaps the most important test begins after the polls close.

Abuja must be prepared to respect the outcome certified through the appropriate electoral process.

If there are legitimate complaints, they should be pursued peacefully and constitutionally.

Candidates must resist the temptation to mobilise supporters for violence.

Supporters must understand that political disagreement does not justify destruction.

And security agencies must remain vigilant against anyone attempting to turn political competition into communal conflict.

Election day must not become a day of revenge.

It must be a day of choice.

Osun’s governorship election should not be reduced to a battle between political parties.

At its highest level, it is a test of Nigeria’s democratic maturity.

Can a Nigerian state conduct a competitive election without violence?

Can political actors accept the will of the people?

Can security agencies remain neutral?

Can electoral officials withstand pressure?

Can the federal government resist the temptation to interfere?

Can the courts provide credible remedies when disputes arise?

These are bigger questions than the identity of the next governor.

Because governors come and go. Political parties rise and fall. Governments change.

But the institutions we build today can outlive all of them.

Therefore, my message to Abuja today is not complicated:

Do not choose Osun’s governor. Protect Osun’s choice.

Do not intimidate voters. Protect them.

Do not manipulate the process. Strengthen it.

Do not obstruct opposition voices. Protect their rights.

Do not pressure electoral officials. Allow them to work.

Do not use security agencies as political weapons. Make them guardians of the democratic process.

And when the votes are counted, do not ask first: Who won?

Ask instead: Was the election free, fair, peaceful, transparent and credible?

If the answer is yes, Nigeria wins.

If the answer is no, even the declared winner inherits a legitimacy problem.

Today, Osun is watching.

Nigeria is watching.

History is watching.

The people of Osun have the right to determine who governs them. Abuja’s responsibility is to ensure that nobody—whether powerful or powerless—takes that right away from them.

Let the people vote. Let the votes count. Let the lawful result stand.

That is not a favour to Osun.

It is the minimum requirement of democracy.

Adefaka is publisher of The DEFENDER Newspaper Nigeria. Contact: +234 8163323906. Email: omope72@gmail.com