Good site! I'll stay reading! Keep improving!

compliment,it is good to know u sir.pls sir how can we compare the party systems and democracy in nigeria,1993 and 2007.A comparative studies of political parties in 1993 and 2007.U can send it to my email provost4me@yahoo.com.I await ur response.THANKS.

For all of you who think this election is Nigeria's way of building a true democracy and becoming a shining light (Martins et al).I am encouraged.I am encouraged because we dont need to kill ourselves we only need to do what is right.if you trully beleive that democracy is growing then let us insist on the rule of law that is part of the process.Let the law takes its course the election be cancelled.Please accept it as Democracy is growing.

What values are we showing our children and children's children.That it is ok to steal, lie and defraud people.Why will they not grow up and do what martin say he saw in his akokite days.For your information people dont suddenly become thugs they grow into it.?????????

How do you expect Yar Adua to face the 419's and corrupt civil servants, armed robbers, corrupt police who assisted in the rigging who also know that he who is coming to equity must come with clean hands.

Is it not time we shift the cloud of darkenss or are people satisfied with having much and having nothing to show for it???wickedness and fraud has always brought a cloud of darkness over Nigeria that is why with Obasanjo,s effort for 8 years we have nothing to show for it.Yar adua cannot claim to be more righteous than obasanjo i wish him well but we can only shift that cloud when we begin to say the truth.

My bible says the only thing that exalts a nation is righteousness.If you think Yar Adua is going to perform well that is for the Nigerians who think that fraud will bring good.Evil begets evil my brothers not when you have the like of Adedibu in PDP.I am sure martins is over 30 by the time Yar adau finishes is term you will be near 40.With your expression i pray you see a glorious Nigeria in our lifetime.

We all wish our nation well let us begin to say the truth.

Thanks for all your comments.

You know, I read some people's comments and I just wonder whether they grew up in Nigeria or went to University in Nigeria. If you live in or grew up in Nigeria, you would understand that we Nigerians are not democratic in nature and that is just stating the fact. People cannot stand dissent or listen to the power of superior argument. If you disagree with your parents for instance, their opinion prevails no matter how good your idea may be and you get simply get beaten up if you insist on having your way.

I went to University of Lagos and as an Akokite; I witnessed ULSU elections for four years (thanks to Jelili Omotola of blessed memory for those years because there was no ASUU strike at Unilag). During elections, do you know the extent of bloodshed, anarchy, bullying and intimidation involved? Once, from the window of my room, I witnessed the murder of a student and his body was hid inside the hostel for almost a week. Why? He belonged to a rival group who was contesting elections. If you went to University in the UK or US, you would never be able to appreciate what I am talking about here because they are completely and fundamentally different. Now, anyone can simply dismiss these and say they are students. But you must realise that the University Campus clearly represents the complexity of the larger society.

Anyone can sit down on his computer and point accusing fingers and condemn Nigeria and swear at PDP and say all sorts. But what am I doing to remedy the situation? I look at people like Professor Chinua Achebe who I respect very much for his writings. But how can a man who is over 70 run to the United States and from the comfort of his home in America condemn what the people who live in Nigeria are doing? What moral right does any such person have to point accusing fingers? Truth is, if you are not part of the solution, you are certainly part of the problem and if you have nothing meaningful to say, you might as well shut up! It is so much easier to destroy than to build.

And what makes you imagine that if you were made the head of INEC or even the President of Nigeria today, you would do differently. I look at Utomi asking for ING to be headed by the well respected senate President and I wonder if he’s got a short-term memory. One of the several questions is whether the so-called ING will be made of Americans or British? Does the Nigerian Constitution envisage or make provision for ING? ‘Yanga dey for house; you wan wake am up’. Let’s be real! The problem with people like Utomi is that they are too idealistic and they appear to be too naïve to fully appreciate the situation. The strange thing is that he would wake up tomorrow morning only to realise that the problem is not with IWU or OBJ for that matter, it boils down to society dysfunction.

After reading this, I'm sure there will be people who will say they are ashamed of me and all that kind of talk but the question is, what have you done to change the system and where are you talking from? Even God came down to earth in the form of a man to see what this world was like and that it is not easy down here. He was betrayed and sold off by one of his best friends; denied by his most powerful disciple and eventually he was murdered. That clearly qualified him to represent man because he is able show compassion for the failings and short-comings of people. He knows where it hurts because he’s been there!

So just jumping on your 16MB broadband in the US or UK and not give a toss about the less than 128 KBPS in Nigeria, to me is just plain hypocrisy. Personally, I firmly believe that above all the myriad of problems facing Nigeria today, if we give democracy (however imperfect it is today because come to think of; that’s all we have) a chance, Nigeria will be better off. If people like you and me prayed for Nigeria and wished the people well, we would be better off. If we spent more time and wrote about the good in Nigeria and less of the ill, we will clearly be better off. Take a look at the Western media and you will see that they never talk about the good and development happening in Abuja or the new Tinapa Resort in Calabar. All they report is the AIDS and the Malaria and the other problems facing Nigeria. Does not America have its own problems? Guys, we must make a difference and shine our light and tell of the good works in Nigeria because if we are waiting for the Western media, all they would ever say or see is the darkness and the disease and problems.

Finally, no nation becomes democratic overnight and it does not just jump on you because you have civilians in government. It’s akin to getting married and trying to compare your one year marriage to that of a couple who have been for forty years. Just like good marriages are built and nurtured and takes time and patience, nation-building requires patience, cooperation, consistency, etc. Democracy is a culture that we must teach our children from infancy and show them by example in our homes and schools by the way we treat our spouses and everyone in the family. When these kids grow up and go to university, they will have learnt to handle dissent and listen to superior arguments. And eventually, they graduate and transfer this good behaviour to the larger society. Teach your child the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it (I quoted from the bible. I didn’t say it!).

Nigerian democracy does not have to be a replica of the one in the US for we do not have a similar background as America. For instance, how would expect China to have the US kind of democracy when they are almost 1.6 billion people? The problem in Iraq for instance is that America is trying to foist their version of democracy on them and we all know that it’s never going to work. Who told the US and UK that Iraq needed democracy anyway? Well, that’s the subject for another day! It is the same thing for Nigeria. Democracy in a nation with over 160 ethnic groups and over 250 languages will not happen in a day. It will be a learning process and we must learn the ropes.

So my beloved fellow Nigerians, we must be patriotic and join hands together and build our Nation. We will never be able to have the Nigeria of our dream if all we do is tear down the house for if you tear down the house, when there's rain outside, you would have no where to run for shelter. Nigerians everywhere you go are one of the smartest people on earth and with the right set of people in leadership to show the way, we will surely have a great Nation. Let’s give Yar Adua and Jonathan a chance and wish them well and if you have the opportunity, join hands and together, let’s make Nigeria a truly great Nation that we can ALL proudly call our own.

May God bless Nigeria.

I agree that we should not compare our young democracy (if you can call it that) with that of the U.S. and the U.K. However, it is said that when you know better, you do better. Surely we know better than what we have done?

If we do not stop making excuses for mediocrity, we will not see the Nigeria we desire, not in our generation.

So, why don't we all join hands and start making individual contributions to make Nigeria better. And, let us start by not running down Nigeria, negativity breeds negativity. We can build a better Nigeria. We are Africans, and let's remember where the early civilizations began.

I agree that we should not compare our young democracy (if you can call it that)with that of the U.S. and the U.K. However, it is said that when you know better, you do better. Surely we know better than what we have done?

If we do not stop making excuses for mediocrity, we will not see the Nigeria we desire, not in our generation.

So, why don't we all join hands and start making individual contributions to make Nigeria better. And, let us start by not running down Nigeria, negativity breeds negativity. We can build a better Nigeria. We are Africans, and let's remember where the early civilizations began.

It is unfathomable that people like Mr. Williams could still be thinking that virtually all solutions to Third World countries' electoral problems could be derived from the Jeffersonian form of democracy. I used to think the same way like you when I was residing in Nigeria practicing journalism until I witnessed the gross imperfections that characterized the United States Presidential elections in 2000. If I may remind you, exit polls initially called Florida for the Democratic Party flagbearer, Al Gore. Then in a twist still inexplicable up till now, the tide surreptitiously changed and the state was called for the Republican Party candidate: GW Bush whose brother I also must remind you was then the Governor of Florida. After several weeks of litigations, the politicized Supreme Court ultimately decided 5-4 in favor of Mr. Bush.

Given this background, you would need to convince me that the Western World has any moral justification to condemn the recently conducted elections in Nigeria. If electoral malpractices could happen in the United States after over 220 years of Independence, it could happen in Nigeria and it could happen in Mexico as we just experienced between Lopez and Calderon.

You also exaggerated when you said that this was the worst election ever conducted in Nigeria. I do not know how old you are but my history teaches me that the parliamentary elections of the 60s were so atrocious that thousands of lives were lost. I also personally witnessed the 1983 elections where the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) conducted elections resulted in chaos in many parts of the country.I mean the latter elections were so massively rigged that it defied all logic and commonsense. I have spoken to people in Nigeria before and since the recent elections, though there were scattered reports of violence, nothing out of these could compare to the Hobbesian state of nature which characterized the elections of the mid-60s and that of 1983.

It looks to me that you are feeding off the observations of the First World corp of observers. Instead of you to write that we seek to improve on the excersise, you are quick to condemn. You accuse Obasanjo of failing twice. That's just your own judgement. The guy has at least once voluntarily conducted transition election - in 1979 when he could have decided to stay on using the power of the butt of the gun. Are you blaming the failure of Shagari regime on him?

For the sake of the sacrifices of our forefathers and the couargeous teeming populace still toughing it out in the country, may God help us to grow as a nation.

Democracy is not our problem in Nigeria but good governance. Enough of all the talk about International standard as if all the western countries don't have their own challenges in conducting elections. Isn't George Bush still the President of United States after the debacle of Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004? We either challenge the world media who insist on defining Nigeria as a corrupt and backward country or accept whatever name they call us. It's our choice.

KAME AGODO, I am sorry you or people that live in your Niger Delta area could not vote. But I tell you what! I see a Nigeria where in future every body that wants to vote we will able to vote. So please don’t get my point all twisted, Nigeria's Democracy is growing and will continue to grow, having a successful election does not mean much, if the economy is weak, or if the other Arms of government does not function well. What I am saying is this, "WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE SHINNING LIGHT ON THE POSITIVES OF NIGERIA" we all can not continue to jump into the "Bash Nigeria band wagon". I want our people to write more about the Telecom Boom in Nigeria, I want our people to write more about the huge progress made in the Banking sector, let us tell the positive story about our country. We already have many people and media bashing mother land Nigeria. I am sorry KAME AGODO I am not just going to be part of crowd that sees only faults. We should be happy that Obasanjo did not end up changing the constitution in order to stay a third term, we should be happy that we have a Judicial arm of government that people can plead their cases to, we should be happy that we are not fighting civil war, we should be happy we have not had a military coup. Let’s celebrate the good things.

I have one advice for you KAME AGODO, stop the fantasy, things aren’t’ going to be all rosie in Nigerian Democracy for a while, these things just happen to take time before the get better. Even in the 2004 U.S election people voted in Florida and their votes were not counted. This is just how life is, off course I will love to see a Nigeria where you and your people vote, but until then let's be happy and celebrate the good in our country, and stop the whole "shame talk"

Nigeria suffers from a lack of leadership.
Elected officials want western riches.
They do not care about building their country.

I feel so much shame for Nigeria when I read comments from people like M. Mbata, Martins Itua, etc. However, I take solace in the comments of those like Mohamed MALLECK.

Those who parade themselves as winners in the horrible show of shame called elections over the last two weekends in Nigeria have set us back several years. I live in Delta State and nearly two weeks after the gubernatorial elections and almost a week since the presidential elections, I am yet to find even one person who was able to vote in any of those elections. This type of electoral fraud is unprecedented in Nigerian history. Why do we tend to excel in the negative especially with regards to our politics?

I fear that we may never fulfill our true potential in Nigeria if we are unable to see and tell each other the truth. And the truth is Obasanjo has squandered a rare opportunity to achieve true greatness. To my mind, he is a woeful failure, in the end.

Ironically, after reading the negative and degrading views of Mr Williams's article on the political process in Nigerian, I am actually encouraged.
I am encouraged, because we are getting to the point were there is "rule of Law". As oppose to killing each other, we are letting the Judicial system do what is was invented to do.
My Nigerian brothers and Sisters, "Rome was not built in a day"! Democracy will take time to prevail in Nigeria and the next generation will see and understand the value of a free and fair electoral process.

Mr.Adebayo Williams if you dont have any thing positive to say about Nigeria, you should shot up, I mean shot up real good, because many foreigners are already doing what you are doing. Its easy for you poeple to sit on the sideline and find faults and problems. I am not sure how many articles you have written about Nigeria, I seriously doubt if you see the good that is happening in that Country.
Do you think that every thing was all nice and rosey when US or any country started their own democracy? I will help you answer and the answer is NO!. As long as we are not fighting and killing each other, then we Africans will prevail, the foreign forces have done every thing to destroy Nigeria and Africa but they have failed. Nigerian are so tough, they aint going anywhere, they continue to adjust and out-smart foreign forces and agents. I am happy the election is over, I dont care if the Judicial arm of the government have tons of election contest to deal with, the bottom line is we are not fighting and killing each other like they are in Iraq, We are still sticking together. We need more Nigerian promoting the many good things about Nigeria, we dont need more people talking down Nigeria.

I find Martins Itua's comment rather embarassing and demeaning of the whole Nigerian Nation. What does the fact that Nigeria has practiced "democracy" for less than eight years really have to do with conducting an honest, free and fair election?

The reality is that the Obasanjo administration had no intention of conducting a free and fair election in 2003 and simply perfected the strategies they deployed in 2003, to create an even bigger farce of an election in 2007.

Do not forget that the election conducted under the direction of Professor Nwosu during he Babangida regime was considered a very free and fair election by Nigerians in gerneral and by foriegn observers and governments. The fact that Babangida chose to annul the results of that election does not change the reality of the way the election was conducted. Conducting a free and fair election for an impartial arbiter is possible, even in Nigeria, as Professor Nwosu proved. Unfortunately for Nigeria Dr. Iwu was not cut from the same cloth as Professor Nwosu.

Statements by the president like "this election is a do or die affair for the PDP", during the run-up to the election made clear to all Nigerians what was going to happen with the conduct of the election. The rigging was so brazen this time around that based on reports from independent observers, the "Independent National Election Commision (INEC)" did not even bother to open polling stations at most locations, yet results were compiled and issued for the same locations. Yet we have Mr. Martins Itua trying to defend and justify the indefensible and unjustifiable.

Mr. Martins Itua apparently does not understand that you can not build any lasting structure, institution or system without a solid foundation, thus four years or twenty years from now, when yet another farce of an election is conducted in Nigeria, he will still be making the same excusses. You do not have to be an American or a European to know what a free and fair election should be, and trying to lay the sad burden of the election-without-an-election shoved upon the heads of the long suffering Nigeria Nation any where beyond Mr. Obasanjo and his cohorts is a disservice to NIGERIA.

The problem we have in Nigeria is the classic head in the sand ostrich act and Mr. Obasanjo has finally buried his head in the sand and shown the rest of the world what he truly is, just another megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur.

I find Martins Itua's comment rather embarassing and demeaning of the whole Nigerian Nation. What does the fact that Nigeria has practiced "democracy" for less than eight years really have to do with conducting an honest, free and fair election?

The reality is that the Obasanjo administration had no intention of conducting a free and fair in 2003 and simply perfected the strategies they deployed in 2003, to create an even bigger farce of an election in 2007.

Do not forget that the election conducted under the direction of Professor Nwosu during he Babangida regime was considered a very free and fair election by Nigerians in gerneral and by foriegn observers and governments. The fact that Babangida chose to annul the results of that election does not change the reality of the way the election was conducted. Conducting a free and fair election for an impartial arbiter is possible, even in Nigeria, as Professor Nwosu proved. Unfortunately for Nigeria Dr. Iwu was not cut from the same cloth as Professor Nwosu.

Statements by the president like "this election is a do or die affair for the PDP", during the run-up to the election made clear to all Nigerians what was going to happen with the conduct of the election. The rigging was so brazen this time around that based on reports from independent observers, the "Independent National Election Commision (INEC)" did not even bother to open polling stations at most locations, yet results were compiled and issued for the same locations. Yet we have Mr. Martins Itua trying to defend and justify the indefensible and unjustifiable.

Mr. Martins Itua apparently does not understand that you can not build any lasting structure, institution or system without a solid foundation, thus four years or twenty years from now, when yet another farce of an election is conducted in Nigeria, he will still be making the same excusses. You do not have to be an American or a European to know what a free and fair election should be, and trying to lay the sad burden of the election-without-an-election shoved upon the heads of the long suffering Nigeria Nation any where beyond Mr. Obasanjo and his cohorts is a disservice to NIGERIA.

The problem we have in Nigeria is the classic head in the sand ostrich act and Mr. Obasanjo has finally buried his head in the sand and shown the rest of the world what he truly is, just another megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur.

It is really interesting to read the comments of some of my fellow Nigerians. As I read some of the rosier comments I was dispirited. Are we talking about the same Nigeria? But then I remembered that no matter how bad things get, someone can defend it. Nazi Germany had its defenders. At points some people profit from the system as it is or they are comfortable for one reason or the other. For those of us fotunate to live in the US, or outside the country, we should not forget those in Nigeria struggling against daunting odds to make a living. Many like me go home almost yearly and we see the facts for our selves; we also talk to relatives regularly. With the elections we were hoping for a new beginning on our journey to finally get things right. No cigar there! For those asking us to go home and help, where do you start. I won't quit my job pack up my family to join the ranks of the unemployed in Nigeria. When you send money home regularly to help, it is foolish to go home and try to restart your life in the current climate. While you may be doing well for yourself don't forget the striving and those not as fortuante as you. ...their ranks are definitely swelling.

hello Alaba and John, i am so encourage to read the stuff you guys wrote, sometime i wonder where this 'oyinbo'guys get there fact from,its definitely not as bad as its painted,we have issues, yes but for the first time nigeria moved forward and we are still moving forward,the 'biggies' that thought they should have won, are the ones we don't want. its that simple.

God bless our country Nigeria in Jesus name.

Messrs. Itua, Opeyemi, Aikwu,

My heart bleeds for Nigeria and for Africa in general. But, if we (I am an African of Indian origin, but am also very much both Indian and an International citizen) set our standards low, it will take longer, with many, many setbacks, before we improve the living conditions of our sisters and brethren.

In Uganda in 1984 (I was there), friends were giving similar excuses that I seem to read from you about why conditions in Milton Obote’s country did not meet the standards of the outside world’s expectations – after all they said, things are better than under Idi Amin. Later, we learnt that they were worse. Fortunately, both the Ugandan people and the international community (foremost of which the African Development Bank) signified their determination, about eighteen months ago, that they would be ready to accept much pain and sacrifice to ensure that elections would be really democratic. We, all together, did manage to get Dr Besigye to be a candidate; we had largely fair elections that even Dr Besigye accepted, and today his party is an important asset to political plurality and stability in the country.

What Uganda can do, Nigeria ought to be able to do at least three times better. Nigeria’s children, in side the country or outside, should encourage that by setting high standards, for themselves as well as for their would-be rulers..

I am neither surprised nor shocked by the antics and hysterics of the jungle politics of the last elections in Nigeria. And only those who don't know the mafia of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be startled by the tragedies of the past two weeks.

The "Al Capone" of the ruling party warned that it would be a "do or die affair" and he was not joking as we have all witnessed the worst elections in the history of Nigeria since 1964.

The last elections in Nigeria have left the political class more polarized than ever before as former political allies have suddenly become sworn enemies while others have become strange bedfellows too.

The cross carpeting between members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition parties confused the electorate as many prominent leaders of the PDP left when the Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was expelled and found worthy allies in Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Tom Ikimi and others who have lost confidence in President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cabal. Most of them joined the Abubakar’s Action Congress (AC) party or retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

The ruling party was desperate to win the April elections and at all costs. Therefore, the PDP wielded the power of incumbency to disable formidable political opponents and deliberately manipulated and subverted the electoral process to confuse millions of the supporters of the opposition parties.

Strongholds of the opposition parties either did not receive the required supplies of ballot papers or only received inadequate supplies of voting materials. Then, the ruling party employed thugs to bully hundreds of thousands of voters to cast their votes in favour of the party by peace or by force. The PDP also employed thousands of cheats and riggers for the mass thumb printing of ballot papers. Ballot boxes were hijacked and stuffed with already thumb printed ballot papers. And the rigging of the elections was done without fear or respect for the local and international observers.

The opposition parties have sworn to contest the results and have called for mass protests against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Supporters of the opposition parties took to the streets and even an old woman stripped stark naked to lead a march of half naked women in the oil city of Warri in the Niger Delta region.

Other enraged protesters attacked and killed INEC officials and burnt INEC, PDP and government offices and set several of their vehicles ablaze.

Over 200 people have been killed in violent protests in different states and those who incited them are alive and well today. Because, in most cases, none of the leaders of the opposition parties lost their lives or lost any member of their families in the violence

Why do the poor and powerless always end up being used as political zombies and scapegoats of the rich and powerful rulers and leaders?

The local and foreign media have amplified the political rhetoric of the opposing camps over the disputed polls and the end of their hysterics is still far away as Nigeria continues to swirl in the vicious circle of political crisis.

If the erudite Nigerian scholar and economist, Prof.Pat Utomi and presidential candidate could be so provoked to call for a revolution against the despotic ruling party, then I am afraid that this ill wind will not blow over until the die is cast.

I don't think the vast majority of Nigerians were expecting an American or European level of competence in organising the election. We were however entitled to expect a better election than the 2003, 1999, 1992, 1983 and 1979 election. Nobody can in all honesty say that this election met even the limited standard of transperency and fairness displayed in the 1979 or 2003 election. President Obasanjo and President-elect Yar'Adua have glossed over the monumental fraud of elections as minor hitches. I was suprised to note that the PDP scored 7 digit figures in the same Niger Delta and Igbo states where the party is held in scorn. The industrial scale rigging and falsification of results is a new low for our politicians. Nigerians are striken with hunger, poverty and disease. All we wanted was an opportunity to express our position on the direction of our governmennt. Obasanjo and Iwu failed us and I hope they will be repaid in the same coin.

Our Nigeria will survive, we see the silver lining, we see hope, we see peace, in short, we see greatness. It will make more meaning if most of us beleive in the Nigerian project rather than insinuate destruction and push the negative - how many of so call ed Nigerians in the diaspora ever contribute anything to the development of Nigeria? They sit in the little space which they are in far corners of the world and right about issues from a vry myopic angle. We are not Europe, we are not America, we are Africans, we have our own issues which will be solved not by the way the western world sees it but by our own struggles and efforts that have seen us so far.

The problem with nigeria is that we have so many artculate writers and very articulate critics who knows nothing but to put down thier country rather than offering a way the country can move forward, moreso, comparing and accepting their own country the way the western world sees it and joining hands with them to further push the country down into an absymal depth of undevelopment, which is what these countries what anyway.

A right thinking Nigerian will put articles like these in the dust bin and join hands in building Nigeria, Nigeria of our dream and not Nigeria concurred by the inept minds of a few who which nothing for the country but to continue to see it down the road to perdition.

The election was a farce. We have simply rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic. Unfortunately, there will be little hope for the average Nigerian trying to eek out a living. If this is the best we can do, we are in a lot of trouble in Nigeria. It will be business as usual in Nigeria. No power, no water...and no hope it appears whoever leads the country. How unfortunate. Williams' article is spot-on. No clear thinking person, familiar with Nigeria, can see a silver lining...just another dashed hope in a series of bitter disappointments for the people. God Help us!

I am absolutely at a loss as to how the world, especially the West and America would expect Nigeria to achieve true democracy in only eight years that we have had our democratic experience. What we have had in this election may not be acceptable by European and American standards but Nigeria does not live by those standards. Thanks to them for helping to monitor the elections but saying the elections don’t meet international standards is complete nonsense. Who sets those standards and what are the parameters? In only eight years, it is totally unrealistic to expect Nigeria to build a system that is capable of bringing out the best. Maybe overtime and if people like Buhari do not frustrate the process, we will achieve that but until then, what we have is simply a democratic experimentation.

I believe it is asking for too much if anyone honestly expected truly fair elections in a country where politics is a means of livelihood. We will be able to build systems over time which will encourage and bring out the best for public service. When there are jobs for the masses of people, I believe that politics will become less attractive and hence, not a do – or – die affair. America has been a democracy for almost 250 years and Britain for only God knows how long and it is pure foolishness if anyone tries to compare them to Nigeria who was just set free from the manacles of Military rule eight years ago.

If the Buhari had not overthrown and thwarted our democratic government in 1983, we would most probably have gone further than this today. So really, what goes around comes around and he does not expect to benefit from a system which he actively annihilated and destroyed. In any case, who said the other parties did not rig. The truth is that the PDP out-rigged them and even if it was a fair contest, PDP, in all likelihood would still have the elections.

I strongly believe that the Yar-Adua and Jonathan Presidency will work because we have seen what they have done in their own States and with public funds.

May God bless Nigeria.

The casualties of the Nigerian 2007 election charade are not only the Nigerian people, but includes General Obasanjo who the western world now know for who he is despite all the pretence, and the president elect Yaradua who might have still won if the elections were free and fair!

My prayer as a Nigerian is that no true democratic nation of the world recognizes a product of such fraudulent elections.

Nduche Onyeaso