The above subject matter does not serves as a baithe or debate but an opinion of a concerned citizen of the state based on the most recent election in Edo state with a coads-nigs results created by a beatific situations at the collation centre.

Election in Nigeria is now a matter of political interest and not the people's interest. Since the inception of the APC led government, Nigerians had thought that the disciplinary nature of the president as ascribed by the press and pundit's will reflect on every agencies of the government to yield a positive results and strengthen our democracy but many Nigerians have been left disappointed so far with the influence of the presidency towards the decision of the judiciary, security agencies and our electoral body where election results are expected to flow in only one direction.

The recent election in Edo state, Kogi, Taraba etc..have further raised a palpitating questions on whether we can trust election results under this government or if there are durable institutions with inbuilt check and balances to provide mechanism to guide the electoral processes and enforce election outcome? even if we have those institutions in place, can we trust the government body language in providing a leveling playing ground?

Conceptually, Nigerians are beginning to wonder if the concept of "CHANGE" is only a means of perpetuating power from opposition rather than meeting campaign promises to strengthen our institutions towards a better Nigeria. We then asked, what APC really means by "CHANGE" if needs are not yet met, democracy is not yet strengthened, Election results are still impervious, poverty, unemployment on the rise, and lopsided judicial judgement etc all this encapsulate the essence of fake elections, which are meant to enable dictators to rubber stamp their continued existence, playing mockery with the concept of our democracy.

Previous government and the new government proved the power of the incumbent in election matters with the control of state machinery, the army, the security force etc. They carry ballots on one hand and bullets on the other while the electorate are left hopeless on choices, how then can we say our vote is significant in this regards?

Former president of the republic of Congo Pascal Lissouba once said in quote that " One does not organize elections to end up on the losing side; such contests are mainly window - dressing exercises aimed at legitimizing the status- quo" (www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/august-2011/african-elections-works-progress). Can we compare such statement to what is happening mow in Nigeria?

EDO STATE ELECTION

The edo state election was seen by many as an acid test for the upcoming Ondo state election and how the huddle will be pass in 2019. Did the election results reflect the will of the people or serve as a yardstick for the rise or fall of democracy in Nigeria? i will leave that for Nigerians and the judiciary to decide. Recall that before the commencement of the election in edo state, PDP state publicity secretary Chris Nehikhare at a press conference raised a concerned that the election results are already pre-determined at the INEC office. www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/edo-state-rigging-like-bad-home-video-act-orboh-pdp-chairman/) many of us at that time debunk such claim believing is just a political game and distraction or an antics to gain political sympathy from the electorate but the election results prove otherwise where results announced at the collation centre is different from the one announced at each poling unit etc Even results collated by election observers, party agents were different from the once announced at the collation centres http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/10/observer-groups-declare-edo-election-rigged-reveal-how-inec-helped-apc/)

This as raised a serious concerns on how the credibility and the legitimacy of the electoral outcome in Ondo state will look like. Nigerians are now faced with an institutional framework that do not promote the rule of law, where elections are now administered in an unprofessional manner such as voter's being excluded from the voting list, rampant electoral malpractices, opaque election campaign funds, and vote tabulation processes that are not transparent or seen as credible


CONCLUSION

For us to have a credible election under this government, the INEC chairman must step down for the sake of federal character. We cannot have a Northerner as an INEC boss with a Northern president and expect transparency.

We are watching

Okay

I keep telling people


El Rufai and Amina Bala Zakari have already prepared fake results to be announced in favour of Akeredolu, just like they did in Edo State.


The fraud and Rape on Democracy that INEC committed in Edo State will be child's play when compared to what will happen in Ondo State Election.