7 things we learnt from governorship exercise
Here are seven things the Anambra governorship election taught us.
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![Abdullahi Ganduje [Facebook]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Abdullahi Ganduje [Facebook]")
His 'closest' challenger, Tony Nwoye of the APC, polled a paltry 98,752 votes in contast.
Oseloka Obaze of the PDP got 70, 293 votes to come third; while Osita Chidoka of the United Progressives Party got 7,903 to come fourth.
Here are a few things we learnt from the Anambra governorship contest.
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1. INEC still sucks at logistics
Voting materials arrived late in most polling units, smart card readers couldn’t identify fingerprints—a situation which made electoral officers to resort to manual accreditation and voting--and voter awareness wasn’t exactly top notch ahead of voting day.
Familiar failings.
If it sounds like you’ve heard all of that before when reading reports on how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fared after a poll, that’s because you have.
In 2017, we can’t get basic logistics and technology right when conducting an election for just one State?
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C’mon!
2. Debates don’t mean nada in Nigeria
PDP’s Oseloka and UPP’s Chidoka were the most eloquent and articulate lot during the ChannelsTVorganised debate a few days before the first ballot was cast in anger.
For all their debating skills, they came third and fourth respectively.
Former Aviation and road safety boss, Chidoka, was in a race to finish above invalid votes at the end of the exercise. He almost emerged from this exercise empty handed.
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In contrast, Obiano was rightly adjudged to have performed badly during the debate, but he won by a moonslide (forgive the expression). For context, Obiano swept all 21 local governments on offer.
While debates are a good thing—and we should encourage participation from candidates going forward—it appears that the Nigerian electorate isn’t that sophisticated at this time to vote for a candidate based on how well he communicates his policies and proposals ahead of voting.
And besides, how many prospective voters had electricity to power their TV sets on the night of the debate?
3. Stomach infrastructure is still a thing
There were images of candidates and party officials dispensing money and foodstuff to prospective voters at polling units; with law enforcement conveniently looking the other way.
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Chidoka is still groaning about vote buying and the triumph of money politics over ideas. He's not alone.
For Nigeria, old habits really do die hard.
4. Godfathers have gone nowhere
PDP’s Obaze went into Saturday’s election riding on the coattail of former Governor Peter Obi.
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Some of the candidates also boasted godfathers and party moneybags who made sure to outspend the next man.
One man was arrested for arriving polling booths with money to share—in broad daylight. He looked and dressed like a local godfather.
Anambra just confirmed that you still need plenty of money and godfathers to contest an election in Nigeria.
If in doubt, ask actor Yul Edochie of the Democratic Peoples Congress who got just 143 votes for his troubles--probably from members of his immediate family.
5. People still stuff ballot boxes sha
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Ok, ballot box stuffing hasn’t really left our polling units and elections. Yeah, because you asked.
And until we make the step up to full blown electronic voting, we’d still be encountering these problems.
6. Voter apathy is still a thing
There are about two million registered voters in Anambra. Only a fraction of that number turned out to vote.
Ok, maybe it’s because IPOB threatened to kill anyone who came out to vote, butvoter apathy didn’t start with Anambra.
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Sometimes, people just don’t care anymore because they have been made to feel that their votes don’t count. So, they sit their butts at home and watch Nollywood instead.
It’s also doubly difficult to register as a voter or to get a registration card in 21st century Nigeria. It's akin to sitting for TOEFL.
And where else in the world do you have to travel to your village…or where you registered, just to vote?
We make the voting process so cumbersome and unattractive just so we can rig the entire process.
7. Anambra is a 'basket' case
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37 candidates affixed their names on the ballot paper for this election.
When Anambra does it, it does it big.
Anambra kwenu!
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
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Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
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![Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]")