Nigeria Failed Democracy And Foreign Observers Preference For Shambolic Election Over High Demand Of Referendum

  Nigeria Failed Democracy And Foreign Observers Preference For Shambolic Election Over High Demand Of Referendum 

So much noise has been made by the Diplomatic Corps and Foreign Observers about the Nigeria election, dubbed Africa’s biggest democracy. Regrettably, not much has improved for decades on how election is conducted after grants upon grants from the European Union(EU) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID). 

The tribal politics started by the Action Group(AG) of Obafemi Awolowo and the Nigerian National Democratic Party(NNDP) of S.L Akintola devolved from a regional catastrophe to a national disaster. Even with all the investment in Bimodal Voters Accreditation System(BVAS) technology, a simple task of uploading results to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)'s server, as mandated by the Electoral Act as amended, has not been obeyed. 

INEC did not obey a simple law of starting the election on time and did not have a good reason for not doing that by law. This election has witnessed ballot box snatching, ballot paper mutilation and destruction, tribal intimidation and disenfranchisement across Nigeria with profound notoriety in Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Kano and Bayelsa states. These election violations or crimes have gone on with law enforcement doing nothing and in most cases aiding and abetting them. This is no election. It is a total sham.

Nigeria is made up of three major Nations yoked as one. Namely Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. The political tension in Nigeria would cease if Nigerians are allowed to make a political decision of nationhood through a democratic process called referendum.

The question is; why are the Germans, French and English separate countries but the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa are forced together? Why do the Europeans and United States of America consider outside meddling in their election a national security risk but waist deep in Africa’s elections? Why is the West funding election in Nigeria while a simple referendum will resolve issues effortlessly? Why is referendum good for Scotland and other western countries but not Nigeria?

Since elections are non-beneficial to the indigenous people of Nigeria, why do the Diplomatic Corps community and the Foreign Observers Prefer it over on high demand referendum?

Written by Chibueze Daniel

Edited by Ogah C S Maduabuchi 

For Family Writers Press International