Top Ten signs the "elections" will not be free and fair

sElection 2007(72 days(state)/79 days(federal) to go)
part of a series of blog entries on the Nigerian elections in April 2007.


1. The INEC chairman - "Prof." Maurice Iwu (according to saharareporters) has a fake degree.
If anything obj has learnt from IBB's june 12 experience just in case the "wrong" candidate wins, by ensuring the head of the electoral commission is someone whose integrity is already compromised.

2. INEC is not an "independent" body. Even the commission's head of legal services agrees and has called for urgent constitutional amendments regarding the electoral laws to ensure credible elections in future
http://allafrica.com/stories/200702010434.html

3. The discovery of six voter registration machines in the Ibadan home of Alhaji Lamidu Adedibu (political Godfather in Oyo state)
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, according to this report
Three officials of the docked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and two others who were caught while allegedly engaged in illegal duties at the home of Dr. Saka Balogun, Chief of Staff to the PDP gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State

4. Frequent reports of misapplication and diversion of INEC registration machines by elements working in concert with crooked INEC officials

5. Voter registration issues. If INEC can't conduct a successful voter registration exercise how is it expected to conduct a 'free and fair' election?

6. The Niger Delta, Oyo state and Anambra State.
I don't envy the INEC resident commissioners in these areas, i'll be extremely surprised if anything close to an election occurs in any of these places.

7. The government has created a larger pool of potential thugs for politicians.
Knowing how volatile the situation could be during elections, rather than employing more policemen (or providing more training and funds to the existing force), the presidency has decided it wants to reduce the police force by 25,000 (now reduced to 10,365 after the IG pleaded that it could affect security for the forthcoming general elections.)
its anyone's guess what the sacked policemen will end up doing..

8. Obj swears in new Chief Justice (Idris Kutigi)
Nothing unusual about this as the existing CJ just retired. But the process was fast tracked and he was actually sworn in before he was confirmed by the senate.

According to reports
The Senate yesterday declined to screen Justice Idris Kutigi for the post of the Chief Justice of Nigeria following the failure of the presidency to present his Code of Conduct form and security report.

But then later on, according to this report
“The senate yesterday decided to fast track action on Kutigi's screening by inviting him before the whole senate committee rather than before a standing committee.
In the senate, President of the Senate Ken Nnamani said there was no need to waste time on the confirmation and suggested that the whole Senate considers the nomination.
This was unanimously approved"

Considering the role the judiciary plays after the elections when the "loser" always goes to court to challenge the election results, you would think that the process of appointing the head of the supreme court would be as transparent as possible.
I suppose Obj wants to ensure all bases are covered...

9. Yar' adua is already moving his stuff into Aso rock.
ok i admit i made this up but considering he now uses obj's spokesman who knows what other "stuff" he uses at Aso rock.

10. The major candidates are not exactly an inspiring bunch and you'll probably have to bribe the average nigerian to vote for any of them.

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The three "Kings" (Yar'Adua, Atiku and Buhari)

Lets start with Yar'Adua
from saharareporters
According to Godwin Daboh, PDP chieftain and a staunch supporter of the Katsina-born presidential candidate, Describes him as a man of integrity and the most prudent governor in Nigeria.
“There is no governor I have visited that has given me less than N1 million. When I visited Yar’Adua in 2004, he gave me N200,000 even though we have been friends since his days as lecturer,”

and for that he gets to be a presidential candidate??? now i understand why Nigerians say "Na God go help us for dis Kuntri"


What about "born again" democrat Atiku?
in a recent interview with saharareporters

Interviewer: If you’re asked to say what are the three major things wrong with Nigeria today, what would you say they are?

Atiku: Pause, pause, three major things?

Interviewer: Yeah?

Atiku: I think I would like to see an end to this pretension with Nigerian leaders; people should be honest with Nigerians particular with the Nigerians.
Secondly I would like to see a more democratically open Nigeria. In other words, I mean openness of the space, democratically.

Interviewer: But you just told me that it was an open society; everyone was free to do whatever it is they like?

Atiku: No! Open up to a level. When I say better open I mean better than it is now? Yeah, better then it is now. And then of course the unity of Nigerians.

It seems he did not understand the question or he just doesn't have a clue. If you think this answer was bad then you haven't read the full interview here:
http://www.saharareporters.com/di001.php?diid=33

The guy is a complete retard....

And finally Buhari,
Yeah we all know he is disciplined, against corruption blah blah blah
But that was military Buhari, Civilian Buhari will end up impeached if he doesn't play ball with the rest of the ANPP gang.
But we all know Buhari will play ball (as in business as usual, in sucking Nigeria PLC dry) ijebuman still remembers the case of the Emir and the 53 suitcases full of naira notes during the naira switch over and of course who can forget the case of Alhaji Alhaji (Perm sec in the finance ministry) who had a large amount of foreign exchange stolen from him in Austria (he also had many foreign accounts). Did Buhari do anything despite promulgating a decree against the keeping of foreign accounts by civil servants???

Buhari may be rigid but he'll definitely play ball when the chips are down