Steem4Nigeria Engagement Challenge Season 5, Week 1 - Elections In My Country
To understand elections in Nigeria one needs to dig a little into the history of this beautiful country .Nigeria is a diverse country of about 200 million people ,comprizing 250 ethnic groups spread across 36 states and the FCT (923,768 km2 of land), and located in western Africa. NIGERIA was formerly a colony of the British Empire and gained her independence on the 1st of October 1960 transitioning her into a brief phase of democratic rule before a successive period of military rule from 1967 to 1979 when the first election was conducted by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo.
This election produced President Shehu Shagari and was deemed as fair but military rule came back shortly after. Another election was conducted on the 12th of June, 1993 , by the then military president , Gen. Murtala Mohammed which was deemed as the fairest election In Nigeria’s history but the election was annulled amid widespread public unrest.
Power soon went democratic as elections were conducted in 1999 by Gen. Abubakar Salami which produced Olusegun Obasanjo as the President and elections have been conducted periodically ever since in accordance with one of the core tenets of democracy.
GOVERNMENT TYPE
The current Nigeria is a U.S style federal republic with the president as the executive head , it has a legislative head(senate president) and the head of the judiciary(Chief justice). With 360 members of the house of representatives and 109 senators , elected by the people , this system of government is supposed to be very effective except that it isn’t.
The system is characterized by wide spread corruption and skewed to favor the rich and affluent whereas the poor continue to suffer. For instance the court that is supposed to be the hope oF the common man , hardly goes against the powerful and connected, and the constituted authorities have proven to just be toys used for election manipulation and oppression.
ELECTION METHODS IN NIGERIA
Nigeria operates a secret ballot system whereby eligible adults, 18 years and above, go to their registered polling units with their permanent voters card and vote for the political party or candidates of their choice. The elections are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC ,and the winner of the polls are announced once all the votes have been collated and counted .
In this method , only the voter knows the candidate they vote for and each voter is entitled to just one vote. This method has its cons as thuggery has become a major feature of recent elections in Nigeria , vote buying and voter intimidation has made Nigerian election a spectacle of shame.
There has been recent innovations like the use of electronic card readers and electronic transmission of results , the former ends up getting dumped due to malfunctioning by the electoral officers and the later is still facing slow implementation due to political barriers .
All in all the electoral system has not been effective in my opinion because political parties have so much influence that elations can be rigged even in the higher levels, not just on the fields.
MY VOTING EXPERIENCE
I participated in the last round or elections in 2019 and my experience was BAD and chocking , I am grateful for being alive today to tell the tale , because dead men tell no tales, my polling unit at Ganaja , not far from Lokoja , was attacked by thugs who shot sporadically , we had to run for cover . I literally saw our votes scattered on the floor and that experience has got me thinking if I will vote in any election any time soon.
MY ELECTION SUGGESTION
The method of election here is not the problem for me, it is the attitude of the people. No election is 100% credible but then it is up to the people to ensure that their will stands. If the youths refuse to take up arms and be used as political thugs , who will these politicians use? If officials refuse to do the bidding of their political godfathers , and everyone realizes that ultimately we all bear the brunt of our actions , then and only then , will our electoral shackles be broken.
MY PREFERED GOVERNMENT SYSTEM FOR NIGERIA
Nigeria is wide and diverse , so a CONFEDERATION style of governance will be the solution to many of the socio-economic solution of Nigeria. Let me expatiate on this, some major ethnic groups has been trying to pull out of Nigeria and create a breakaway republic due to historic differences and ”marginalization” so allowing the three main regions to be an autonomous region under within the same country will be excellent , something similar to Hong Kung and mainland China , although regional system difference wouldn’t be as much.
CONCLUSION
There are no problems without solutions albeit some problems just require more time and bravery to solve. Also every country has got its own unique problems like the issue of elections in Nigeria . I think it is a matter of time , Nigeria will get it right , it may take decades and a lot of needless blood being spilled but one thing is sure, Nigeria will be great !
2019 election was really bad and far from been tagged a free and fare election. I strongly believe this coming 2023 election will be better
Hola amigo, que triste que hayas pasado por ese tipo de situaciones para poder ejercer tu derecho al voto en las ultimas elecciones, su finalidad en atemorizar para que los ciudadanos tengan miedo de ejercer su derecho al sufragio.
Aunque en mi país Venezuela no se llega a la muerte si usan estrategias de persuación para comprar los votos por dinero o bolsas de comida y realmente es muy penoso pasar por esa situación en donde juegan con las necesidades de la gente.
Me gusta tu pensamiento optimisma, esperemos que asi sea y que todo mejore.
Saludos
Yes, Nigeria is known for her democratic system of governance where everyone from the age of 18 and above is entitled to participate in election.
You also made mention of a confederation style of leadership for your country in other to keep the various ethnic groups together. You have done well to have participated, goodluck.
Nigeria has a democratic system which I likes very much. Also the age of vote of above 18 which is most of the countries including my country.
Tal como usted lo ha indicado el problema no es el sistema electoral, sino la forma en la que los políticos lo manejan, intimidando y sobornando a los electores para que le elijan.
Es increíble la experiencia que nos cuenta durante las elecciones del 2019; espero que esto pueda ser mejorado y haya mayor seguridad a la hora de los ciudadanos ir a votar.
Éxitos en el concurso.
You mentioned that Nigeria is a Federal Republic, as such i'd like to think of the governance system as being a democratic kind just like mine. I personally have never cast a vote since our presidential elections take places every 7 years and to be eligible, you must be at least 18years. I qualified for the most recent electoral process in 2018, however there was massive insecurity in my region, as such i stayed indoors as expected. I am glad to hear that you weren't hurt during your experience. African countries are faced with electoral crimes each passing election proceeding. We can only hope for the best my friend.