ACCORDING to the sages, democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
What could be gleaned from this time-honoured concept is that government is a social contract between those steering the ship of statecraft and the people.
Like every contract, both the state policy makers and the people have responsibilities, which should be accomplished so as to lubricate the wheels of good governance, security, peace, growth and accountability.
One of the features of social contract with regard to democracy and good governance is right of the people to democratically elect who governs them, just as those seeking to govern the people are to first seek and obtain the peoples mandate through democratic and regular electoral process.
This is in line with global best practices and acclaimed democratic norms and values.
It is against this backdrop that nations subscribing to democratic tenets invariably find it imperative to making regular and democratic election as signpost to their system of government.
Recent events preparatory to Edo State governorship elections, however, appear to cast doubts as to the extent the key players on the political chessboard and perhaps their followers are prepared to internalize the virtues of fair contests, tolerance, democratic norms and values during the poll.
For instance, the recent shooting incident at the Benin Airport, allegedly targeted at Phillip Shaibu and the All Processives Congress (APC) candidate for the forthcoming guber polls by hoodlums to say the least portends danger to democracy and good governance.
In the inglorious show of shame, a police officer on duty at the airport was mowed down by yet-to-be identified gunmen.
Many have attributed this ugly incident to political intolerance among some unscrupulous political hirelings, while others blamed security lapses as being responsible.
While we express our condolences to the family of the deceased police officer in addition to condemning in very strong terms such barbaric act, we are worried that politics should degenerate to desecration and denigration of the sanctity of human lives.
It is callous, crude, brutal, wicked, unjust and totally unacceptable, especially in a society that lays claim to democracy and good governance.
This obvious impediment on the democracy highway to the guber poll in Edo State is not only a snare to the state but our entire journey on the democracy highway.
It definitely will inflict fears on the electorate with regards to their safety and fair conduct during the polls
This is a red flag that should not be ignored but properly handled to avoid unimanageable consequences.
Accordingly, we call for proper investigations and prosecution of any person, persons or group of persons directly or indirectly connected to the perpetration of the dastardly act.
Election should not be a do or die affair, but on the contrary, should serve as a vehicle for free and fair exercise of franchise by the electorate. Edo people and indeed Nigerians need a free and fair poll in choosing their leaders.
Resort to violence either before, during or after elections is barbaric, unconscionable and should not form part of the inputs of democratic process.
People should not be intimidated to abandon their civic responsibilty in freely choosing their leaders by gun totting rascals.
The Inspector-General of Police and other heads of the security agencies, apart from fishing out the perpetrators of the airport shooting incident, a should make adequate preparations for security of lives and property during and after the polls.
Nigerians, and indeed political analysts and observers the world over, are watching as the conduct and the outcome of the poll will go a long way in our passing the test as a truly democratic nation.
At these hard times of hunger and growing desire for credible, accountable and good governance, we cannot afford to draw the hands of the clock back through bloodletting, thuggery, acrimony and brute force.
