Tag: INEC

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” →
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

Now that the Elections have Ended

Jilomes

A little while has passed since the last time I tapped my keyboard composing a document that was unrelated to my day job. In the intervening time, I got married, and Nigeria held its most expensive elections ever to select office holders for the next four years. Except for my Rivers State, which now operates a different wavelength, other states have concluded their selection processes. Today’s article is more of a potpourri of my thoughts on different issues related to the elections. Although each issue merits a full article in its own rights, let’s accept what will be a summarisation.

Continue reading “Now that the Elections have Ended” →
Change, Politics

Much Ado about PVCs

Jilomes

The 2015 Elections in Nigeria kicked off on Saturday (March 28) with the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives’ polls. The Elections would continue on Sunday for areas where voting could not commence or could not be concluded. In the midst of the massive election dust, one vital item on which INEC hinged increased credibility has failed Nigerians.  Continue reading “Much Ado about PVCs” →

Change, Politics

Voting For Jesus

Jilomes

The 2015 Election is less than 48 hours away. The different candidates have gone through a gruelling and somewhat evocative campaign to imprint their names and party logos in the minds of voters. The umpire, INEC, has most certainly already printed the ballot papers. For some Nigerians however, their candidate’s logo is not on the ballot paper. They are “voting for Jesus”. Continue reading “Voting For Jesus” →

Change, Inspiration, Politics

Yes! We’re Getting There

Jilomes

Yesterday, for the first time in the history of the resource-rich Rivers State, a debate was held for the top contenders for the office of the Governor. Unlike the presidential debate, the three leading candidates took this debate serious enough to be present. The debate marked a watershed moment in the state, hopefully heralding the dawn of a new era. Continue reading “Yes! We’re Getting There” →

Change, Politics

The Wars before the Fight

Jilomes

Today’s article was inspired by a real life e-battle between learned colleagues of mine. These individuals spent six years together, peacefully attending lectures as students of the same department. Suddenly, battle lines have been drawn, and if not for the electronic nature of WhatsApp, some persons would have suffered unwarranted facial redesign. Continue reading “The Wars before the Fight” →