Nigerians break jinx of election violence and rigging with 2011 presidential elections.
By Chido Nwangwu
USAfricaonline.com: Reports emerging from different key cities and regions of Nigeria show that Nigerians are breaking the jinx of decades of falsified electoral results, low voter turn out, election violence, massive rigging and other negative factors which have made Africa’s
giant a laughing stock on authentic democratic rights.
Based on the observations of election observers, security agents and USAfrica reporters across Nigeria, the presidential elections, still going on today, April 16, 2011, it is a new dawn as the key candidates: incumbent Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (PDP), retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (CPC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (ACN) have cast their votes peacefully and successfully.
USAfrica notes that a critical and commendable person in the march to this new, credible process is Attahiru Jega, professor and chairman of the Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission, who is entering the history books as the man who led the organizing of the most credible and largest electoral voting exercise whereby a sitting President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) did not appear intrusive or overbearing.
The INEC registered more than 73 million voters in the country of almost 150 million. Nigerians. The elections have not been without its minor share of disruptions: a few hours before the polls opened, another bomb blast exploded in Maiduguri in Nigeria’s far north east. There are reports of ballot box snatching by partisan thugs and election riggers, too.
USAfrica elections monitoring and projections indicate that Nigerians may reward Jonathan with their votes for being the man whose presidency handled and funded the process via INEC where the highest number of Nigerians exercised the right to vote.
His campaign and supporters are hoping for a first round win rather than a risky run-off against Buhari or Ribadu. The geo-political reality is that the northern region and the middle belt areas near the Rivers Niger and Benue hold the highest number of voters and seats in the National Assembly of Nigeria (Senate and House of Representatives). Most of those voters including the former dictator Gen. Ibrhaim Babangida and some vocal leaders from the area who insist that Jonathan reneged on a power rotation to the north count could mobilize further and in huge numbers for the anti-corruption former dictator and conservative Islamic adherent Buhari.
But the man named Goodluck is not folding his hands and waiting to hand over power to those who argue region and rotation rather than who will do more for all Nigerians. At the end of the day, the process of voting and the factual announcements of the true results, from past experiences except the Humphrey Nwosu led INEC June 12 elections, live in two different planets.
Prof. Jega has done the first part of organizing free and fair presidential elections; now, Nigerians await the second, critical part of declaring results which represent the will, affirmation and actual votes of its citizens. They hope they will not see any results which include Nigerian “voters” with fake names like Mike Tyson and Nelson Mandela which appeared in the first INEC list . Regardless, Nigerians have broken the jinx of election violence, falsifications and massive rigging with this April 16, 2011 presidential elections. •Chido Nwangwu, Founder and Publisher of USAfrica, and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com; The Black Business Journal, CLASSmagazine, PhotoWorks.TV, AchebeBooks.com, Nigeria360, USAfricaTV and several blogs, assessed by The New York TImes as the largest and arguably most influential multimedia networks for Africans and Americans. He was recently profiled for multimedia and public policy leadership by CNN International http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2010/07/29/mpa.african.media.bk.a.cnn Chido@USAfricaonline.com. wireless: 1-832-45-CHIDO (24436). Office: 713-270-5500.
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Why Chinua Achebe, the Eagle on the Iroko, is Africa’s writer of the century. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica, and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com https://usafricaonline.com/chido.achebebest.html
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Pat Utomi’s power of ideas into Nigeria’s 2011 presidential elections. By Chido Nwangwu.https://usafricaonline.com/2011/01/16/pat-utomi-power-of-ideas-into-nigerias-2011-presidential-elections-by-chido-nwangwu
www.usafricaonline.com/chido.ngrtalibans09.html
Why Chinua Achebe, the Eagle on the Iroko, is Africa’s writer of the century. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica, and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com https://usafricaonline.com/chido.achebebest.html
A I have said aforetime…even so say I again, that GOODLUCK AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW NIGERIANS. http://www.youtube.com/user/guosalanguagetv1#p/a/…
You can fool the people somtimes but you cannot fool the people all of the time…now we'ved seen the light and we stood up to fight for our rights…it is not yet bed of roses but we'll nurture the artificial roses into real roses…we have just won a battle and not yet the war…the battles can never be finished but like other progressively prosperous nations of the world, there is one thing we now have in Nigeria – HOPE- but not yet – CHANGE. That President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is the man that has the guts to free Nigeria from the mentality of its not possible to reality. I have many bitter arguements with many friends over how Nigeria will move forwards but I'm glad, even if I die today, that there is Nigeria that will say "Let It Go If Will Make Nigeria More Focused, Invention and Innovation Inclined, Adopt More International Standards In Our Choices, and make Emmy enjoy his NAIJACENTRICISM".
Chido, this is a well prepared lunch for us here in U.S. I ate your dish with euphoria and felicity. Up up Jona!! Thanks and may God give you more and more wisdom on what you already have. Well done.
As I have said before, so say I even the more, that GOODLUCK AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW NIGERIANS. WATCH THESE VIDEOS: (A SONG FOR PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4CSUprdasM
and, GUOSA, A NIGERIAN AND ECOWAS COMMON INDIGENOUS FUTURE LINGUA FRANCA; promote the unity and identity of Nigerians and West Africans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDZnxXIOkmk
Anyways in my ward which is at Unit 19 Ward 1 is PDP 77, CPC 16, ACN 7, NCP 2 and DMP 1.
I can tell you for sure that rigging of elections is a thing of the past! I am just returning from the polling station and you need to see the joy and feeling of self worth in the faces of the voters.The voters were very orderly, patient, excited. Almost everyone stayed behind to witness the counting aand nd signing of the result by the Party Agents. This is what the mindset of ONE MAN can do in such a short period of time.