It would have sounded encouraging, hearing the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu assure that his commission would ensure a free, fair and credible election in the September 21, Edo State governorship poll. Yakubu made the promise on Tuesday, during his visit to Edo, where he explained that INEC had released the funds needed for the conduct of the election to the state office.

He also declared the neutrality of INEC in the poll, stressing that that the commission has no candidate in the contest but purely bent on delivering credible election. He appealed to all registered voters in Edo to come out to vote, assuring that INEC will protect the integrity of the process and uphold the choice made by the electorate. Yakubu also allayed fears of system failure during the election.

Ordinarily, these are pledges that the Edo electorate should hold on to in going out to vote for their candidates and political parties on September 21. By the prescriptions of our laws, INEC, which Yakubu heads, is supposed to be independent, neutral and impartial in supervising elections in the country. As a person, the INEC chairman, also boasts of a shining record in his discipline – History – where he made a First-Class degree and capped it with a celebrated Doctorate.

But the blistering credentials were not brought to bear in the 2023 general elections which Yakubu supervised. If anything, his performance and INEC in that outing, were simply, disastrous. Nigerians are yet to get over the trauma of the electoral heist which INEC under Yakubu visited on them in that exercise. That fear of manipulating the process for a preferred candidate by the agency, looms large in the Edo contest. The hope is that Yakubu and his commission would see in the Edo election, an opportunity to redeem their sullied image. That, perhaps, may have informed his pledge of fairness.

Then, the factor of the security agencies in the state! Their disposition so far, especially the Police, gives cause for concern. There have been allegations by Team Asue Media Organization (TAMO), the media outfit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo of Police “harassment, intimidation and outright victimization” of members of the PDP in Edo ahead of the election. This is unfortunate. The Police seem to be reading the lips of the All Progressives Congress (APC) godfathers, who are bent on having the election go the way of their candidate, Monday Okpebhelo, even before the ballots.

President Bola Tinubu, has not helped matters here. The other day, he was featured in a viral video, assuring the APC members in Edo that he would hand the state to them. “You know me well,” he told his supporters. “You know (former Edo Governor) Adams Oshiomhole well. We are still going to fight further. Don’t worry, we are with you, you will not walk alone. One thing I can assure you is this: do you want Edo back? As the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will give Edo back to you”. For a man whose political ideology is anchored on grabbing power and running with it, such declaration, speaks volumes. If you suspect that the outcome of the contest may have been determined beforehand, you may not be wrong.

Latching on to that, Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has been prancing about, causing confusion with statements that belie the position he occupies. Oshiomhole should have been more circumspect, considering his age -72 – his standing, as erstwhile labour leader, former APC national chairman, current status and the fact of having been a governor in the state. He has his predecessor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to copy from on how to conduct himself with decency while campaigning for his party’s candidate but has chosen to act in the contrary. His actions and outbursts are not what Edo needs to move forward.

The September 21 Edo governorship election is not about political parties, nor premium-grade urchin grandstanding. It is about individuals and their capacities to deliver on their promises. The state needs one with vision and ideas to take it to the next level. This is where Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate comes in. Ighodalo stands out with a comprehensive manifesto that pledges to transform the State into a beacon of progress and prosperity.

His person and antecedents offer hopes and assurances on what to expect if elected to office. Ighodalo, a product of the prestigious King’s College, Lagos, had a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1981, and a Law degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1984.

Having worked as an Associate in the law firm of Chris Ogunbanjo & Co upon graduation from the Nigerian Law School in 1985, Ighodalo, alongside Femi Olubanwo, set up the Banwo and Ighodalo law firm in 1991, thus starting a soaring corporate and commercial law practice in Nigeria that specialized in advising major corporations on corporate finance, capital markets, energy and natural resources, mergers and acquisitions, banking and securitization and project finance.

He was chairman of the boards of Nigerian Breweries Plc. and Sterling Financial Holding Company, as well as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), aside sitting on the boards of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc., and the FATE Foundation, an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurs in Nigeria, among others.

Ighodalo, thus comes on board with a robust resume in learning and accomplishments. These, he intends to impact on the state. His vision for Edo is not just ambitious but meticulously planned to tackle the state’s most pressing issues head-on. At the core of it all is good governance and unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of Edo indigenes and residents. He promises to create a civil and public service that attracts top talents, significantly increase the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR), and establish strong, resilient institutions. This is essential for ensuring that the state can implement and sustain the ambitious projects outlined in his manifesto. Other pillars of his agenda include poverty reduction, education and skill acquisition for every child in the state, repositioning the healthcare system, a comprehensive economic package that includes transforming Edo into the food basket of South-South Nigeria by establishing large, properly designed production parks in the three senatorial areas.

Candidates of other parties are expected to bring to the table their intentions for the state. That is what an election should be – a contest of ideas and by extension, celebration of democracy, not a fiat from the presidency nor Oshiomhole’s strong-arm antics.