An emerging pattern of balloting in Nigeria

PAUL ARHEWE 20/04/2011 02:43:00

A significant voting pattern was observed as the results from last week’s presidential election began to trickle in on Sunday Nigerians, to some extent may have jettisoned the moribund pattern of voting en-masse along party line. As it was made obvious in the poll that the electorate voted based on personality preference; this also took into consideration the ethnic and religious pathway. Thus, clearly dividing the country dangerously in two halves: -the northern and southern- like the prototype the late Gideon Okah proffered during the botched April 22 coup in 1990.

At last, a watershed in Nigeria’s electoral process?

By Paul Arhewe

Change, as it is generally known, is a constant factor that can never be ruled out in any human engagements, whether positively or negatively driven। No doubt, last weekend’s Senatorial and House of Representatives polls have brought significant change, both positively and negatively in the hitherto pattern of electioneering in Nigeria. Recently, I read an article from the archives of Times Magazine titled ‘Nigeria: Electioneering in the Bush’. This article was written November 2, 1959, precisely eleven months to Nigeria’s independence. Nigerians then had never voted in any popularly organised election.

Now, the ball in INEC’s court?

PAUL ARHEWE 30/03/2011 03:35:00

The long anticipated wait is almost over with barely two days to the April polls. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured us that all is in position to ensure well-conducted national elections, starting with the parliamentary poll on this Saturday; the presidential poll is slated for April 9, and the gubernatorial and state legislative elections for April 16. Four years after the last general elections, and a hasty preparation that visibly began only last year with a princely 86 billion Naira to fund the exercise in order to avert hitches, should we now as a country, say we have gotten it right? And does the ball now lies in INEC’s court which will bring about a perfect election that the country has dearly sought for? Not at all! Just as OBJ was alleged to have once said; even if Jesus should conduct an election in Nigeria there will still be foul cry; INEC with its staffers and ad-hoc staff cannot alone make us get it right 100 per cent.

Mark Zuckerberg: A mirror for Nigerian youths

PAUL ARHEWE 23/03/2011 00:39:00

Recently Forbes International released the list of world most richest people, of which two Nigerians AlikoDangote and Mike Adenuga emerged the 51st and 595th respectively। One of the profiles of these wealthy personalities that fascinate me most is that of Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest of these billionaires, occupying the 52nd position next to Dangote with a fortune of $13।5 billion। It may surprise many of us who don’t know that 26-year-old Zuckerberg, is the founder and CEO of the popular social–networking site, Facebook, that both old and young people are passionate about.

Nigerian politicians and their vague promises

 PAUL ARHEWE 23/02/2011 01:26:00

Many vague and bogus promises are bound to be bandied across Nigeria as politicians campaign to win the votes of the electorate. The aforementioned may not be new to us, nevertheless, what many of us would find hilarious and a kind of mockery is, when politicians, having spent four years without much achievement to show us, come around to tell us when voted for another term, they would conjure paradise from heaven to Nigeria. Please, they should spare us such illusionary cajole and think of better ways to woo the electorate. The question a reasonable person should ask is: What stopped them from implementing in the first four years those fine ideas they are now peddling? Some of them would argue they need another term to fine-tune and complete projects they have started- If this is their stance, we should begin to see how poorly they have managed government business entrusted to them.

Head or tail, Gaddafi still loses

PAUL ARHEWE 15/03/2011 05:21:00

Muammar Gaddafi’s continuous slaughtering of his people to remain in power, even though he has spent the last 42 years as a sole leader for this North Africa country, no doubt has again illustrated how power can intoxicate and his show of abundant recklessness and inconsideration for the many lives and public infrastructure that are destroyed daily.
Since penultimate Sunday, the aggressive anti-counter attacks against rebels, who are pursuing his ouster made this tyrannical ruler regain some lost grounds. Gaddafi’s forces attacked the areas where rebels had taken control of; bombarding them through airstrikes, tanks, and rocket launchers making death toll mounts. One fact is clear whether Gaddafi eventually regains all rebels captured areas in eastern and other parts of Libya, he will still be a loser. Winning or not, his people will continue to despise him and he won’t be able to rule majestically and have the free reign to command total control as he flamboyantly flaunt before this self attracted predicament.

Making caricature of our societal values

By Paul Arhewe

It is only in a fool paradise that the grandiose display of parody and the daylight slaughtering of societal values are wholesomely applauded. When criminals and ex-convicts are publicly celebrated and pencilled down for future highest political positions then it explicitly shows how putrid societal values has been debased.
The red-carpet reception organised by friends and toadies to celebrate the return of the ex-convict cum PDP big whip is not only a slight on our societal values but really degrading especially as the country is trying to stamp out the smear Nigerians are stereotyped with as one of the world’s most corrupt people. How would observers from other sane societies take us serious in our claims and pseudo-determination to adopt the Dora Akunyili’s approach of rebranding Nigeria?

Ghana: Nigerians must come!

PAUL ARHEWE 04/03/2011 02:47:00

It is amazing how time flies and events change fast. The axiom that what goes around comes around can be linked to the 1983 ‘Ghana must go’ operation under the regime of then General Muhammadu Buhari and his able deputy, late Brigadier-General BabatundeIdiagbon. Many pointers are vividly showing us how Nigerians and many firms are shifting sites and their headquarters to the former Gold Coast.
It was just like yesterday that we witnessed the convoy of trailers, like those used in transporting goats and cows from Sokoto to Lagos, taking the dislodged ‘unwanted Ghanaians’ home. The nomenclature ‘Ghana must go’ bag is now popular with the multi coloured sack-like bag because this was what many Ghanaians then used in packing their little belongings back to the country of Kwame Nkrumah.

Careless deaths: A call for more police trainings

By PAUL ARHEWE 16/02/2011 05:16:00
The stampede last weekend at the campaign rally of the president in Port-Harcourt where 12 people were reported to have lost their lives, has again shown how shabbily events with mammoth crowds are organised in Nigeria and the role security men play to prevent misfortunes. Why should people be crammed and arranged in a space where escape routes during emergency are not visibly available?
The Port Harcourt sports stadium, venue of the rally, was turned into an arena of commotion and pandemonium as a shot from a policeman to disperse crowd sparked off panic. In this modern age, how can a policeman shoot into the air just to control crowd? This goes to show how untrained many of our security officers are.

Significance of Ideology in Nigerian politics

By Paul Arhewe

The New Year has seen political activities in the country at its crescendo as the April general polls become imminent with few months away. As expected, the world is watching and waiting with keen interest to see if the most populous black nation can break the jinx this time to conduct elections that would be freer and fairer than what were experienced especially since Nigeria retraced its steps to democratic rule since 1999.
Indeed, last week the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in its presidential primaries in Abuja successfully used a well organised convention and peaceful process in selecting incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan for its sole ticket for the exalted seat. For once, Nigerians are showering PDP with encomiums for the transparent manner it organised the poll.