EDO DECIDES 2016; THE STAKES

Today, 28/09/2016, is the D-day. It is the day when the successor to Governor Adams Oshiomole will be chosen and the fate of the governorship candidates decided.
After postponing the election day due to security reasons, it is hoped that this process will be peaceful. The stakes are really high.
Ever since Oshiomole came into power, he has always claimed that the PDP in Edo state is dead and buried. Now is the time to prove that. With the momentum the PDP had gathered, could the dry bones have risen?
Godfatherism in Edo state has always been an issue. Oshiomole successfully conquered godfatherism in the state. However, it appears that if the APC candidate wins and care is not taken, he (Oshiomole) may transform into a godfather himself. The PDP candidate himself is accused of being supported by the family of Igbinidion (the former governor of the state) and there are allegations that they are his godfathers. It will be interesting to see if Edo people lift the veil and know whether a candidate is a stooge for some other person or not. Or is the state returning to godfatherism?
This election is also a litmus test for the public perception of Oshiomole's performance. There have been arguments and counter arguments on this issue. While some people claim that Oshiomole has under performed (especially in his second tenure), others argue that he has done better than the PDP government which ruled Edo state from 1999 to 2008. Should the APC win, then the people had a good perception of Oshiomole administration (or at least they prefer it to the PDP). Should the PDP win, then the people may not have had a good perception of Oshiomole's administration (or they decided to forgive the PDP of its past sins).
Edo state is the only state in the South South that is controlled by the APC. A loss of the state would mean the APC has been totally wiped out of that region. The party cannot afford to lose it. Therefore it will fight hard to retain it. We hope the fight will remain clean. The stakes are higher for the APC than the PDP. It will be interesting to see whether the APC will be exterminated from the region or whether they will solidify their grip on Edo state.
INEC is also under test again. With a track record of inconclusive governorship elections, we'll hope they improve.
The postponement of the election is yet another thing. In 2015, under the PDP led federal government, the general election was conducted. The date was postponed and the PDP lost. Now the governorship election was postponed under the APC. Could the same fate befall it? That aside, the security agencies will have no excuse for any security lapse because the election was postponed to give them time to prepare adequately. INEC too should not give excuses for any problem because they have claimed to be ready ever since.
In all, today is a celebration and demonstration of democracy. Let the people go out and decide who to lead them. One man, one vote. God bless Edo state. God bless Nigeria.