Na serious matter wey dey happen for Benin o! This Sunday, dem go hold election for local and legislative levels, and e no too far from di attempted coup wey shake everywhere for Cotonou few weeks back.
We dey expect about 8 million registered voters to jam polling stations to choose 109 members of parliament plus local representatives. Na big deal be dis, especially as e dey come before di presidential election wey go land for 12th April.
Na di first election after di coup saga wey dem say soldiers try to plot, but di army say dem don foil di plan and don regain control. As e be, President Talon wey don dey serve for second and final term no go run for di upcoming presidential election. Na Economy Minister Romuald Wadagni and Paul Hounkpè from di Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) dey contest.
This election dey come three years after di last ones wey happen for January 2023. Di new constitution wey dem pass for November change di election calendar so all elections now go dey happen within di same year. MPs go dey elected for seven years now, instead of di old five years.
As voters dey prepare, dem go also get chance to elect councillors for their local areas. Dem don set aside 24 seats for women, one seat per each electoral district. For di legislative elections, five parties dey contest, three from di ruling coalition–di Progressive Union for Renewal, di Republican Bloc, and Moele-Benin. Di remaining two be di Democrats wey dey linked to former president, and FCBE wey be moderate opposition.
For di local elections, na only three parties dey run: di Progressive Union for Renewal, di Republican Bloc, and di FCBE. Di Democrats no dey participate because di election commission don declare their candidate lists inadmissible. Na wah o! E be like say di movement for democrats don collapse totally!
Some governance experts dey talk say di campaign no dey bring dat excitement wey people dey feel before. Joël Atayi Guedegbe, one of dem, don yarn say di atmosphere dey calm, and e get as e dey peaceful but no strong wave of energy. E also talk say many voters fit no get interest because e be festival season with di Vodun Days around.
Turnout go dey key this time around, and e fit low. Di young people wey dem suppose mobilize for di elections dey prioritize work, and dem dey talk say job creation na di main concern. New rules wey dey guide di elections require parties to achieve at least 20 percent of di votes in each electoral district for dem to receive seats. If dem don form agreement before di vote, di threshold go drop to 10 percent.
Experts dey fear say Benin fit dey head towards a single-party parliament like wetin happen for 2019. Na so di matter be as di countdown to di elections dey tick, and all eyes go dey on di results. Omo, we go dey follow di gist, make we see wetin go happen!
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