Tag: Democracy

Politics

INEC and the Defenestration of Hope

Jilomes

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Proverbs 13:12a (NKJV)

There is something about broken dreams that impacts the totality of a person. Sometimes the impact is so strong that it transcends a mere emotional sink to lay hold on a person’s physical being as if the broken dream were a virus. The closest analogy that I can think of as being vile enough would be that of a couple who after waiting for two decades to have a baby, finally pool resources for an IVF trial that works, only to lose their baby in the labour room. The hopelessness that such a couple may feel is akin to how INEC has made many Nigerians feel.

Continue reading “INEC and the Defenestration of Hope” →
Politics

In Search of a Benevolent Dictator

Jilomes

“Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise—may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin”

King David (Psalms 35:7-8 NIV)

I must confess that starting a political discourse with these two verses from the Book of Psalms may not seem normal, but then, what is normal in today’s world? This article could have been prefaced with the famous Golden Rule, but David’s outcry came to mind, and I think it suits perfectly.

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Change, Politics

INEC and a Chance for Real Elections

Jilomes

Debbi Stabenow, an American politician, is quoted to have stated that “Democracy is about voting and it’s about a majority vote. And it’s time that we started exercising the Democratic process.” If we accept that democracy is a governance system that is truly reflective of the will of the citizenry, then we must begin to wonder why it seems that many elections in Nigeria reflect the will of a certain subset of society rather than the majority of the populace. Today, we discuss a potential approach for the electoral umpire to remedy this malady. However, we would begin with a discussion of some reasons driving low participation of Nigerians in the democratic process.

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Politics

Nigerian Politics: The Façade of Political Parties

Jilomes

I have a friend who has formed the habit of typing “John 8:7” as a reply whenever we have any discussion that hovers around politics, especially when the context is about the rightness or wrongness of a given view. I would usually argue with him on my fundamental human right to judge others but today I would take his side as I write about an issue for which I have also been guilty.  Continue reading “Nigerian Politics: The Façade of Political Parties” →

Politics

America: Land of the Left and Home of the Right

Jilomes

Want to read this article? Let me first warn you that it is more of a rambling, much of which may or may not be exactly valid. In most of my articles, I try to really understand the concerned issue, but in this one, I seem content with writing from limited knowledge. So, I must warn you that this is a criticism of the US judicial system written by an ignorant non-American engineering grad.  Continue reading “America: Land of the Left and Home of the Right” →

Politics

American Democracy: Are the Mighty Fallen?

Jilomes

This is one of those times when you feel something does not concern you, but closer look discredits that feeling, as you realise you are very much concerned. If America were to be a project, it would be right to say that everyone on earth, American or non-American, is a stakeholder in Project America. As stakeholders, even if we may not have the high impact of American citizens, our interest makes it allowable to speak on issues affecting what is inarguably the greatest nation on earth. Continue reading “American Democracy: Are the Mighty Fallen?” →