Public Affairs Analyst

As the Independent National Electoral Commission winds down on the 2015 general elections which were held on March 28 and April 11 with supplementary polls on April 25 and 28, I join millions of Nigerians and indeed other world leaders to congratulate INEC and Nigerian government on a successful exercise. Local and international observer groups have been lauding the significant improvements we have made as a country in consolidating democracy. Indeed, there were many firsts recorded with the just concluded elections. It is the first time in this Fourth Republic (i.e. 1999 to 2015) that the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would lose power at the center and many of the states (Both executive and legislative arms). It is the first time an opposition political party would defeat the ruling party in states like Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Adamawa, Plateau, and Benue. It is also the first time several peace accords would be signed by political parties and their candidates contestin...

    Jide Ojo “You must listen attentively and enquire appropriately, taking care not to descend into the arena. In addition, it is crucial that you consider all the evidence before you carefully, deliberate conscientiously, and adjudicate swiftly and justly as not only you but the entire judiciary will also be on trial ” —Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, at the inauguration of 242 election tribunal judges on February 3, 20 15 . Do you know that the 2015 general elections are not technically over yet? How do I mean? Yes, the Independent National Electoral Commission may have done its bit by conducting elections into the various political offices ranging from that of the president, governors, Senate, House of Representatives and the state Houses of Assembly, however, both the political parties and their candidates have the locus st andi to challenge the outcome of the polls. The constitution of Nigeria confers the right on them to ventilate...

The 2015 elections have largely been conducted save for the supplementary governorship elections to be conducted this Saturday in Taraba, Imo and Abia states. In spite of the large number of losers who conceded defeats, many of the defeated candidates and political parties are heading for the election petitions tribunals to seek redress. That is a good omen. It is better to ventilate your grievances at the tribunal rather than on the street. After elections, comes governance and as we approach the May 29 handover date, it is important to chip in some words of advice to our newly elected leaders to guide them in their onerous task of administering a complex entity like Nigeria. The incoming administration of the All Progressives Congress campaigned on the slogan of Change! This may be a vacuous battle cry unless we, the citizens, make a concerted demand of our elected representatives for a positive change. Change, as we know, is double-faced. It could be for better or for worse. It c...

Less than seven weeks to the end of the current political dispensation, the legislative and executive arms of the government have continued to engage themselves in buck-passing as to why the 4th amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly has not been ratified. KEHINDE ADEGOKE of Daily Newswatch had a chat with the Executive Director of OJA Development Consult, Abuja Mr. Jide Ojo:   1.        What is your take on this please? I wish to commend President Goodluck Jonathan for acting in accordance with the Constitution by refusing to assent to the 4 th amendment to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with reasons as required of him by section 58 (4) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The section gives the President a 30-day grace period to assent or decline to append his signature on any bill passed to him but he has to offer explanations for such an action. I wish the President had towed this line o...

Welcome to the new Nigeria! Sequel to the general elections held on March 28 and April 11, 2015 in the country, power has finally changed hands from one political party to another at the centre as well as in many states. The routing of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party by the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, which began on March 28 was completed on April 11. During the first leg of the polls, the APC defeated the PDP at the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections. By the results of governorship election thus far released as of Monday, April 13, 2015 by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC has won in 19 states namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. The PDP has only managed to win in seven states. They are Rivers, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Delta states. Unfortunately, elections we...

The March 28 national elections had come and gone but the echoes are still very loud and clear. The behemoth called Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had hitherto promised to rule Nigeria for minimum of 60 years and had been in power at the center since 1999 met its waterloo. The party was roundly defeated by its main challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in both the presidential as well as Senate and House of representatives elections. It is a positive political tsunami which is bound to have salutary effect on our democratic culture. It shows that power belongs to the people and an incumbent government, no matter how powerful or influential, can be voted out. If money is the sole determining factor in the March 28, 2015 polls, APC would not have been able to inflict such incalculable damage on the ruling party. This is because PDP has a sizeable war chest which it puts to use during the electioneering campaigns. It would be recalled that the party on December 20, ...

“Not to be a little superstitious is to lack the generosity of the mind ” —De Qunicey Ahead of the March 28, 2015 elections into the office of the President, Senate and House of Representatives, there were a lot of predictions made by prophets, metaphysicians, and other spiritualists about who would win what. Of particular importance were the forecast made on who would win the presidential election between President Goodluck Jonathan and his main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari. Many of the prophecies gave victory to the incumbent President while only a few gave it to Buhari. One may be tempted to ask, what has God to do with elections? However, Nigeria being a highly religious society, many people seek ‘the face of the Lord’ or gods in order to know the outcome of their ventures or endeavours. It was therefore not totally surprising that President Goodluck Jonathan became a “political evangelist” in the run-up to the March 28 elections as he visited and worshipped in many churches...

The much awaited 2015 elections started with the presidential and National Assembly polls on Saturday, March 28. I am glad, extremely happy, to have voted in the elections. It’s such a big deal for me being part of history as I participated fully in determining my political leaders for the next four years. As of the time of writing this, results are still trickling in. The projection is however that the wind of change has blown on Nigeria and that Aso Rock may actually have a new occupier by May 29, 2015. It is also still hazy whether the opposition will clinch a majority in either of or both chambers of the National Assembly. I have been doing media rounds as an invited panelist on election analysis both on television and radio. As we receive news feed from the field and analyse the political development, I am more tutored on the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of last Saturday’s elections. Starting with the good side, there are quite a few of them. Nigerians showed their patrio...