Nigerian opposition candidate leads in election as governing party cries foul

[Surya Gayatri]

Last edited Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Guardian

Ex-dictator Muhammadu Buhari is more than 2m votes ahead but some voices in ruling PDP raise doubts over whether party would accept defeat.

On Tuesday, half the 36 states in Nigeria had declared returns in the contest between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military ruler Buhari, in an election watched closely in Africa and around the world.


Men read newspaper headlines on a street in Lagos as they await election results.

Buhari, a 72-year-old former army general, has campaigned as a born-again democrat intent on cleaning up the corrupt politics of the continent’s biggest economy and most populous nation.
...
The president, facing the prospect of becoming the first Nigerian incumbent to lose an election, will be hoping to claw back ground in his home region, the southern, oil-producing Niger Delta. Results from the commercial capital, Lagos, are also still to come.



Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/31/nigerian-opposition-election-lead-goodluck-government-cries-foul

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Interesting comments under the piece:

'The United States of America, the so called bastion of democracy, should learn from Nigeria. Democracy should be based on popular vote, and not some fake ass electoral map supported by corrupt as hell gerrymandering.

And while we are at it, when are we going to acknowledge that veto powers wielded by Western nations at the UN are undemocratic.'
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'How is Goodluck Jonathan 'crying foul' about an election that he himself is ultimately presiding over?

Even with the independence of the electoral commission, which is exactly the correct arrangement, it is his government that is ultimately responsible for ensuring these elections happen in a fully credible and competent manner.

For the incumbent President himself to 'cry foul' about the results and conduct of the election only speaks to a lack of control and competence by the Government itself.'

[oberliner]

1. That comment is idiotic

Almost seems like it must be parody.

Nigeria is probably the most corrupt democracy in the world.

[Surya Gayatri]

2. Perhaps written by a Nigerian? FWIW, the general public desperately

wants to keep this election as 'clean' as possible, and the 'fed-up' point appears to have been reached.

Very interesting perspective from Nigerians themselves on the media here in Europe (France 24), which I fear you will not hear States-side, US news being what it is.

ETA:
I'm afraid I have to agree with the comment about the US Electoral College. Anti-democratic travesty.

[oberliner]

3. It will be interesting to see how it plays out

I agree that there is little to no coverage here in the US on this important election. Certainly nothing from the Nigerian perspective in the MSM. Is there a good online source that you would recommend that is fairly neutral?

ETA: The US Electoral College may have problems but I do not think Nigeria is a model to use in terms of clean elections.

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Try France24.com video streaming. I've come to rely on their

TV news coverage, which I get as part of my ISP package, for a 'fair and balanced' POV.

http://www.france24.com/en/

http://www.france24.com/en/20150331-nigeria-presidential-election-jonathan-buhari/ (Nigerian coverage)

They do some excellent political analysis programs.

As far as the 'cleanliness' of elections goes, no African country can be held up as a model (even among developing nations).

That said, the skewed Electoral College is an anachronism in this age of instant communication and mass media.