It has now become a tradition for me to analyse the thoughts of eligible voters within my political landscape. This same reason has equally engulfed my thought in analyzing the voters in Ondo North ahead of the next general election come 2023.

Recently, I saw passers by arguing and discussing vehemently on who will win or who should win next election.
They talk endlessly on possible features and characteristics that their supposedly politicians has or had that stood him/her from other aspirants. They argued on features such as merit, political power rotation, generational shift, politicians criminal records, their pedigrees, spending ability, the power they possess, ability to induce, rigging, structure and other ever-present ingredients in the contest for political power in Ondo North.

However, based on my own candid view, these factors will always apply one way or the other in determining the outcome of elections. But there are some of these factors that are ever constant and we should take time to look at them.

There are certain fundamental assumptions people make during election times that I find interesting but problematic. We always say we must get their PVCs to vote “the right people” into power. This is a very good and equally necessary, but the assumption here is that if we troop out to vote, we will elect people who will do well in office.

I have my reservations about that. What trooping out to vote provides is that Akoko will have a say in deciding who will preside over their affairs. The voice and the choice of the majority will prevail. Most eligible voters will have their say and the majority will have their way. That is what a credible election can guarantee.

However, I am not so optimistic that because the majority of voters have voted for a candidate, that means he or she will deliver the goods. Elections, unfortunately, can only determine who has the most support among the candidates and not who is the most competent of them all. We have no way of knowing who will do well. Performance is not determined by campaign poetry or the ability to make an authoritative PowerPoint presentation.

Competence is not determined by popular vote. Nowhere in the world is an election guaranteed to elect the best candidate. Rather, elections determine the candidate or the party with the most support.

We need to let this fact sink in well.

But here is a caveat: elections offer us the opportunity to revolt with our thumbs. If we vote a candidate into office and the performance is not impressive, we can decide to vote for another one next time. So, while elections do not guarantee a competent winner, they can put the incumbent on notice that “if you fail to do well, we will vote you out”. That is why multiparty democracy is so beautiful. There is in-built incentive for performances if the votes count. We are not stuck with one candidate. If we vote for another candidate and that one fails too, we vote for another, and another, and another until we get it right. It could be frustrating at times but is there a better option?

I have argued over and again that for Ondo North Senatorial District to develop, the three tiers of government must be led by competent, patriotic and purposeful leaders, not many Akoko people agree with me. We still think if nothing is working, it is the governor that should be blamed. If children are out of school, it is the fault of the president, even though basic education is mostly the responsibility of councils and states. If primary healthcare centres lack drugs and personnel, we have to blame the Governor. If your street is riddled with potholes, it is the Governor fault. That is how we understand it.

I am not suggesting that the Governor has no role to play. He plays the key role in driving our development. He controls the levers of economic policies that can make or mar our lives. He is responsible for the security agencies and their failure can ruin our socio-economic lives and make the State one hell of a place. He sits at the head of the table where the biggest slice of the cake is distributed. He shares the juicy appointments and contracts in billions of naira. House of Assembly, house of Representatives and Senate may be powerful in their domains but the Governor is powerful over the whole State, even within the constitutional restraints.

Digest it and vote right!

Pastortee