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Nigeria Betrays Africa 24th April 2003 The opposition in Nigeria has called the result of the general election, which was conducted on 19th April, a "huge joke". Various reports suggest massive electoral fraud carried out by those who wanted to retain Olusegun Obasanjo as the president of Africa's most populous nation. On top of the fraud that has been confirmed by both local and international monitors, there have been at least 25 deaths at the hands of the armed forces that are quite happy about Mr Obasanjo's disputed victory. Nigeria has thus again embarrassed Africa before the international community. This is one country that should ideally be showing the poorer and smaller African nations the way towards democracy and economic development but instead she prefers to wallow in self-destructing behaviour. From the oil rich Rivers State to Kaduna, there was a complete break down in the electoral process. Commonwealth observers are now saying that "the official results collected bore little relation to the evidence gathered" on the ground. The Nigerians will have themselves to blame for the reversal from the hope that came with a return to "civilian" rule in 1999. Nigeria has one of the best brains in Africa and, with more than 100 universities, she easily lays claim to huge numbers of highly educated people. How sad that in such enlightened circumstances, the best Nigeria could come up with for presidential candidates are disgraced generals and other people with very questionable reputations. By allowing soldiers who do not necessarily hold democracy in high esteem to lead the way, the Nigerians inadvertently gave up their right to free and fair self-determination. After the brief optimism that the December 2002 election and peaceful hand over of power in Kenya brought to the continent, the Nigerians have succeeded in re-introducing the gloomy picture that Africa presents to the world community. Ironically, Mr Obasanjo sits on the Commonwealth committee that is working to return some sanity to Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. Where will a man who has himself been accused of stealing an election get the moral authority to lecture good old Mugabe on good governance? Editorial
- The Monitor – Kampala, Uganda |
