The Edo State Governorship Election of September 2024 has exposed the raw truth about Nigeria's democracy - it stands on the brink of collapse. This is not hyperbole but a stark reality every Nigerian must confront, regardless of political affiliation or tribal loyalty.
For the first time, we have witnessed INEC, our supposed electoral umpire, directly complicit in blatant election fraud. The results declared by INEC bear no resemblance to what actually happened at polling stations across Edo State. More damning still, these fabricated results contradict what INEC itself uploaded to its own results viewing portal - a shocking contradiction that reveals the extent of this manipulation.
Let us speak plainly: the results were written before a single vote was cast. The will of Edo voters was trampled, discarded, and replaced with pre-determined outcomes. This was not a mere irregularity or technical glitch but a calculated subversion of democracy itself.
If this fraud is allowed to stand, the 2027 general elections will be nothing but theater. Why would anyone bother to campaign? Why would citizens queue for hours to vote? The message being sent is crystal clear: your votes don't matter; the results will be whatever the powers that be decide. The ballot has been replaced by the backdoor deal.
The judiciary now faces its moment of truth. The Electoral Tribunal has already failed the people by ignoring overwhelming evidence of result manipulation. The Appeal Court and Supreme Court must now choose between upholding democracy or becoming accomplices in its destruction. There is no middle ground - they will either validate fraud or defend the actual votes cast by Edo citizens.
This is not about which party wins or loses. This is about whether Nigeria still has a democracy worth the name. When election results can be openly falsified with no consequences, we have already begun the slide into full authoritarianism disguised as democracy.
Nigerians across the country must unite and demand - firmly but peacefully - that the true winner of the Edo election be recognized. We cannot afford to be silent. Each silence, each shrug of resignation, hammers another nail in democracy's coffin. Today it's Edo; tomorrow it will be your state, your local government, your ward.
The Appeal Court and Supreme Court must overturn this travesty and give the mandate to the rightful winner based on actual votes cast. Anything less is a betrayal not just of Edo voters but of Nigeria's democratic aspirations. The courts must choose between truth and convenience, between law and power.
Make no mistake: if this election stands, it marks the death of Nigeria's democracy. We will continue to hold elections, but they will be empty rituals with predetermined outcomes. The voice of the people will be permanently silenced, replaced by the dictates of those who control the electoral machinery.
This is the hard truth every Nigerian must face. The Edo election is not just another disputed contest - it represents a fundamental test of whether Nigeria's democracy will survive. The time for polite euphemisms and cautious equivocation has passed. Either we defend the integrity of our elections now, or we surrender our right to choose our leaders forever.
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