2023 PRESIDENTIAL/NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION VOTING PATTERN, A PROTEST-Egede
By Nicholas Ebegboni
The voting pattern of the just concluded presidential cum national assembly election held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, has been described as a protest by the masses.
This description was made by a businessman based in Ime-obi, Ika South Local Government Area, Mr. Tony Ekam Egede in a chat with our correspondent on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
According to Mr. Egede, the way the people voted against most of the incumbents and their interest, shows that the people are tired of the way and manner the political officeholders are carrying out their functions.
He said the way people voted is a form of protest against politicians, adding that it was a message to the so-called leaders that it is no longer business as usual.
The businessman wondered how for good 24 years, the same set of persons are the ones that get political appointments, the same set are those that the government gives empowerment, why won’t the people protest? he asked.
In his words, “Let me use my ward, ward one in Ime-obi, Ika South LGA for example, we have Ogbe-isogban, Ogbe-wase, Ogbe-sere, and Ogbe-nmudein communities, Ogbe-nmudein has about six units out of the eleven units in the ward, while Ogbe-sere has about one or two units, but from the Ogbe-sere you have the ward one chairman, from the same quarter that is where the Ika South Deputy Chairman and the ward councilor is from. How do you expect people from other communities to feel?”
Continuing, he sa id “Look at the Obi Ikenchuku Road, the week before the general election was when they brought asphalt to pour on the road, this is a project that a signpost was placed at the beginning of the road that the contract to rehabilitate the road has been awarded, that signpost was placed there since 2020. Funny enough they just remembered the project.”
Speaking further, he pointed out that if one visits Ute, in Ika Northeast Local Government Area, one would see how beautiful and serene the environment is. “That project was not carried out yesterday here” he averred.
He maintained that there is no way the people there will not support whoever brought such development to the community. A situation where 2 days before the election someone is commencing a project that is supposed to have been executed 3 years ago and you think the people are fools.
In addition, he pointed out that the street lights installed along the same Obi Ikenchuku road which candles are far better than were also replaced a few days before the election. He wondered why politicians think that people are fools.
Mr. Egede disclosed that before the election, some communities chased some politicians coming to campaign away, adding that it took some persons to go and beg those communities, but unfortunately, the people still had to show their grievances.
According to him, the election serves as a warning to politicians that it’s not business as usual, and it goes to indicate that anyone voted into power in 2023 who does not perform would be sent packing by 2027. He said the era of someone getting a political position and using the position to acquire wealth for himself and his girlfriends is gradually coming to an end with the latest developments. While revealing that the beauty of the whole process is for an okada rider, a bus driver to win incumbent National Assembly members is something unheard of in the history of Nigerian politics.