Setting The Ondo & Edo Agenda by Odiawa Ai

The 2023 general elections, which brought in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu into the presidency alongside some governors and legislators have frequently been criticized as defective and failed to measure up to expectations of Nigerians.

Besides, the off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, which took place later in the year, showed no significant improvement in Nigeria’s quest for free, fair, and credible elections.

Notwithstanding, with the by-elections to fill vacancies declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in some federal and state constituencies, combined with the off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states, stakeholders are anxious to see a significantly improved umpire at work.

Specifically, election monitoring groups trust that for INEC and political class to achieve desired results, viable monitoring of party primaries scheduled for February in Edo and Ondo states and strict compliance with the Electoral Act are the foundation for tenable elections. It will likewise forestall a plethora of pre-election litigation as experienced during the 2023 general elections.

INEC had fixed September 21, 2024, for Edo state gubernatorial election while that of Ondo state will hold on November 16. The electoral body said the dates announced were in line with Section 178 (2) of the Constitution, stipulating that election into the said offices shall take place not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the last holder of the office.

However, the next general elections will hold in 2027, Nigeria has eight off-cycle gubernatorial elections, which include Anambra, Bayelsa, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Imo states.

But before Edo and Ondo elections, scheduled to take place in September and November respectively, 44 re-runs and by-elections will take place by February 3. The by-elections came about the resignations or passings of elected lawmakers and subsequent vacancies pronounced by the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the state houses of assemblies.

INEC, which released the timetable for the elections, listed the impacted constituencies in the Senate as Ebonyi South Senatorial District in Ebonyi state and Yobe East Senatorial District in Yobe.

In the House of Representatives, INEC declared vacancies for Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency in Ondo State; Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency, Taraba State; Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, Lagos State; and Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency, Kebbi State.

Also, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a meeting with leaders of political leaders in Abuja, noted that towards the end of litigation after the 2023 elections, courts requested the commission to conduct rerun elections in 34 federal and state constituencies, comprised of one in the Senate, 11 federal constituencies, and 22 state constituencies.

While there are contentions that no electoral cycle is perfect, political pundits accept that elections that have been scheduled for this year are important for INEC to prove that there are hopes for tenable political races in the future. To them, the result of the Edo and Ondo political race will have a direct impact on Anambra gubernatorial political race, which will take place in 2025, Ekiti and Osun in 2026 and next general elections in 2027.