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The Anambra Central
senatorial candidate of Accord Party, Annie Okonkwo, has described
reports that he has stepped down for Chris Ngige of the Action Congress
of Nigeria as “wicked, false and misleading.” Mr. Okonkwo, the
incumbent senator, who defected from the People’s Democratic Party to
re-run for the senate, said he is still in the race saying reports that
he has withdrawn from the senatorial race which was published on
Saturday by some national dailies as false. “I wish to state
categorically and emphatically that the said information is a base lie,
suggestive of the desperation of its beneficiary and sponsors, whose
exposed underbelly clearly marks them out as undeserving of an elevated
senatorial seat.” Mr. Okonkwo said.

News of the
incumbent senator’s withdrawal was spread on Friday morning as part of
the April Fool’s day antics of some politicians. He said the joke went
too far after it was published in some dailies. “I request my
appreciated voting public of Anambra Central to completely ignore this
fever induced midday fantasy and please go all out emasse on Saturday
to stamp the authority of their preference for me with the enormous
power of their votes and patience,” he added.

National sacrifice

Meanwhile, the
Senate President, David Mark, who is also re-running, has asked
Nigerians to come out enmasse to elect members of the 2011 National
Assembly during the rerun election. He pleaded that the set-back
occasioned by the postponement of the exercise on Saturday should be
seen as a national sacrifice, and exhibit high level of patriotism in
this exercise to ensure that the elections of 2011 reflects the wishes
and yearnings of the nation. “This is a temporary set-back,” he said.
“It will test our resilience and perseverance as a people determined to
chart the right course for our generation and those yet unborn. I
believe that if we get it right this time, we would have laid a solid
foundation that would be built upon by successive administrations and
people.” He was optimistic that the Independent National Electoral
Commission, (INEC) would rise up to the occasion after the
short-comings that necessitated the postponement and conduct free, fair
and credible elections that would meet international standard and
satisfy all stakeholders.

The President of the Senate also cautioned political parties and
candidates to guide their utterances. “We must guide our utterances and
actions so that we would not unwittingly inflame anger or provocation.”

While the chairman
of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega,
was announcing the cancellation of the 2011 National Assembly elections
for unavailability of materials, former head of state and presidential
candidate of the CPC, Mohammed Buhari, was casting his vote at his home
town in Daura, Katsina State.

Reacting after
confirming the cancellation of the elections, Mr. Buhari said the
reason advanced by INEC for the cancellation had to be respected. He,
however, called on Nigerians to come out on the new date fixed for the
elections.

“INEC is the
institution saddled with the responsibility of conducting free and fair
elections. So now it has been postponed, we will wait. The bottom line
is the INEC chairman has apologised. I will ask everyone to come out
and still give the support they showed today,” Mr. Buhari said.

Underage voters

But despite the
cancellation of the elections which were relatively peaceful across the
state, voters in several places were still seen voting in many polling
units, some up to one hour after the announcement. Many of the INEC
presiding officials when approached said they were yet to be informed
of the cancellation.

At Yamadawa, in
Dauri local government area, one of the centres still conducting the
elections after the cancellation, NEXT witnessed many underaged
children voting.

This was in
connivance with the youth corper, INEC official, and a police
constable, Mohammed Idris. The corper was initially antagonistic to
answering any questions but later, when the crew of a TV station put
their camera on him, he said Mr. Idris was to blame.

“I believe you see
security is here and I told him I don’t want to see them [children]
here. That is security there,” the youth corper said, while trying to
hide his face from the camera.

In turn, Mr. Idris, in incoherent English, claimed the children are adults, saying they are only small in stature.

When contacted on
the issue, the Katsina State police spokesperson, Abubakar Mohammed,
said the responsibility of ensuring only adults register and vote lies
with INEC, and not the police.

“It is INEC who are
in charge. They are the ones who carry out voters registration, who
have the voters bio-data, and who know who is eligible to vote, not the
police. We are only there to ensure the security of the INEC officials
and that the conduct of the exercise is peaceful,” Mr. Mohammed said.

INEC’s spokesperson
in Katsina, Mohammed Musa, could not comment on the voting by minors,
as he said he was only just assuming duty as the state’s public
relations officer for the first time in the morning of the elections.

He, however, said the commission regrets all inconvenience caused by the annulment and postponement of the elections.

More frustration

But for Becky
Akhirebhu, a youth corp member drafted to Bujawa polling unit in Dutsi
local government, the postponement translates to more frustration,
having spent several hours accrediting 310 people of a total of 462
registered at the unit she was in charge of.

“We had accredited
310 people and 10 people had just cast their votes when we heard. It is
not funny because we have being here since morning. It is difficult
enough having to deal with all these people and now this. It is too
much stress. It is frustrating. And now to come back on Monday. I am
tired,” she said.

In a separate reaction, the Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema,
stated that he knows the situation could frustrate the election
process, but pleaded with the people of the state to come out enmasse
and cast their votes on the new date.

INEC to distribute materials with helicopters in Borno

Tukur Sa’ad, the
Borno Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said on Sunday that the
commission would use Air Force helicopters to distribute election
materials to difficult terrains in the state.

The News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the commission had on Saturday shifted the
National Assembly election to Monday, due to the late arrival of some
essential materials.

But Mr. Sa’ad told NAN in Maiduguri that the commission had taken all the necessary measures to correct the lapses.

“I am happy to hear
that the Nigeria Air Force has made available some of its helicopters
to carry sensitive voting materials for the elections. I believe that
the gesture has made our job simpler by making sure that the needed
materials got to their destination in time,” he said.

He said the postponement was in good faith, adding that the outcome would have been disastrous if the election had been held.

Meanwhile, the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged Nigerians not to blame the INEC
chairman, Attahiru Jega, alone for the postponement of the National
Assembly elections to April 4.

The group said this
was because INEC had maintained its independence through the new
process and called on Nigerians not to “slay the goose that lays the
golden eggs.”

Mr. Jega had, on
April 2, postponed the NASS election on the grounds of non-availability
of sufficient logistics, including ballot papers and result sheets
nationwide.

Is-haq Akintola,
the director of MURIC, in a statement signed in Sunday in Abuja said
the group “laments over this national tragedy, but we salute the INEC
chairman, Attahiru Jega, for having the courage to face the truth early
in the exercise. The non-arrival of materials can hardly be blamed on
him personally.”

He called on the Federal Government and Nigerians to give Mr. Jega the privilege of concluding the assignment.

‘Era of voting based on religion and sentiments is over’

Ibrahim Gobir,
senatorial candidate of the PDP for Sokoto east senatorial district,
says Nigerians will massively vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in
the presidential election, declaring that the era of voting based on
religion and sentiments is over.

Mr. Gobir told the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Sokoto that the “provision
of petroleum products, drilling of River Niger, establishment of new
universities, and expansion of railway lines were some of the
achievements of the government. “

According to him,
the era of voting for a presidential candidate based on religion and
sentiments is now over, hence the need for Nigerians to vote for
President Jonathan, for transformation and development.

“We are aware of
what Jonathan can do based on his antecedents and we strongly believe
he will take Nigeria out of the woods, if given the mandate,” the
senatorial candidate said, and called on the people to protect their
votes after voting “massively for all the PDP candidates seeking
elective positions across the country.”

He also called on
PDP supporters to cooperate with INEC officials in their resolve to
ensure smooth implementation of the electoral process.

Kebbi INEC takes measures to eliminate obstacles

The INEC in Kebbi
State says it has adopted measures to eliminate obstacles during the
conduct of the National Assembly election re-scheduled for Saturday,
April 16.

The INEC Resident
Electoral Commissioner, Kabir Ahmed, told journalists in Birnin Kebbi
on Saturday that additional electoral officers would be deployed to
polling units, especially those with a large number of voters.

Mr. Ahmed said that the commission would also provide additional vehicles for timely distribution of election materials.

“We realised that
45 per cent of polling units commenced election processes on time. We
will also ensure that experienced officers are posted to the polling
units on Saturday. The deployment of more policemen and security
operatives to units with high population of voters will be effected,
and we appeal to voters to exhibit respect for law and order,” he said.

He said that the commission would rectify the problem of some voters whose names were not found in the voter register.

Mr. Ahmed urged the
media to disseminate information on the measures being taken by INEC to
address the challenges that compelled the suspension of the National
Assembly election.

Nigerians in UK react to postponement

Nigerians resident
in the UK have expressed optimism that the general elections in Nigeria
will be free and fair, in spite of the postponement of the National
Assembly election on Saturday.

Boma Douglas, chairman, UK chapter of Reality 2011 Worldwide, a political support group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in London, on Sunday, that INEC would conduct credible elections.

“I believe INEC
wants to deliver; so Nigerians should support them toward making sure
that the elections are free and fair. The elections will be free and
fair because I have confidence in Attahiru Jega,” Mr. Douglas said.

He also expressed optimism that President Goodluck Jonathan and his vice, Namadi Sambo, would emerge victorious.

“The presence of
PDP has been felt and the duo have explained to the electorate what
their intentions are in terms of governance; so I have no doubt that
Jonathan and Sambo will come out victorious,” Mr. Douglas said.

Also speaking,
Bimbo Folayan, chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the
UK (CANUK), said the decision to postpone the NASS election was timely
and in order.

He said if the electoral body deemed it fit to tell Nigerians there was problem, the electorate should accept it in good faith.

“I will rather
prefer INEC to err on the side of caution than to go ahead for the
process to turn violent. Mr President made it clear that votes will
count this time around, and if INEC realised that votes were not going
to count, then the postponement was timely,” Mr. Folayan said.

He appealed to
Nigerians not to regard the elections as Mr. Jega’s affair alone,
adding that they should support him to ensure that there was a peaceful
election.

The chairman of the
Association of Nigerian Academics in the UK (ANAUK), Adedamola Aminu,
expressed disappointment over the postponement.

“INEC should have a plan B; I am really disappointed at the news
because of the time and money devoted to this election. I am surprised
that INEC did not put plan B in place to forestall this embarrassing
situation. It is very disappointing, knowing our position in Africa and
the expectations from the international community,” Mr. Aminu said.

The Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo state, has renewed its call for the
redeployment of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ayo Adakeja,
insisting that his presence as the eye of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) would rubbish the resolve to have a free,
fair and credible election.

Former Oyo state
governor and leader of the party, Lam Adesina, made the call for an
umpteenth time in Ibadan on Sunday while addressing newsmen during a
protest over the National Assembly elections that was suspended midway
last Saturday. The protest, which was planned to be staged at the INEC
office on Sunday, was held at the party’s state secretariat at Yemetu,
Ibadan.

Wasiu Olatunbosun,
Oyo ACN secretary, said the change in venue was informed by the
decision of party elders and consideration of its security implications.

Appraising the
botched poll, Mr.Adesina also noted that if the nation really desires
to have a crisis-free polls, it must prevail on the chairman of the
INEC, Attahiru Jega, to use manual register to complement the shortfall
of names of eligible voters left out in the digital register presented
at the polling booths for the election.

According to him,
besides late arrival of materials and non-appearance in some polling
stations, there were huge inadequate security provision in many areas
of the state. He said the state’s REC has compromised his office and
cannot be trusted to be an unbiased umpire for elections in Oyo state.

The former governor
was worried that many eligible voters whose names were confirmed to be
on the register during the commission’s voters’ register display could
not find their names again when they came for accreditation and voting
on Saturday, fearing that it could be a ploy by the ruling party to
reduce the number of voters in areas where they are not popular. To
prevent rowdy situations at the polling booths, he advised that the
manual register be brought to allow the registered voters exercise
their rights unhindered.

Party infiltration

Lamenting the
logistical lapses that led to the suspension of the election, Mr.
Adesina alleged that some of the INEC officials used are card-carrying
members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking, “where is equity
, where is fair play?”. “What we are witnessing today is a
reincarnation of what happened in 1965. But, we are not going to allow
any election result to be announced .We are ready to pay the supreme
price to save democracy and Oyo State,” he said. “This Akala man has
done nothing for our people. From the result of the votes counted
yesterday (Saturday), it is obvious the people want a change. They are
for ACN. And the people need to be liberated. We don’t need the police
or the military, we are battle ready to protect our votes. It is like
we are in a war situation now”.

Mr. Adesina said
although in spite of the party’s protest to the INEC chairman, Mr
Adakeja still remains in Oyo, if equity and fair play would be ensured
in the state, the REC must be redeployed immediately. Apart from the
huge crowd of party members and supporters, the rally had in attendance
ACN leaders including Iyiola Oladikun, former deputy governor of the
state; Abiola Ajimobi, ACN governorship candidate and Akin Oke, state
party chairman of the party.

Like archeologists
with an exciting discovery, or clerics considering a new commandment,
some Americans spent this week analysing what they called ‘The Obama
Doctrine,’ closely enough to annoy President Barack Obama himself.

“I think it’s
important not to take this particular situation and then try to project
some sort of Obama Doctrine,” he told an interviewer on NBC TV.

This ‘particular
situation’ is Libya, where the president has committed American
airpower to protect civilians in the rebellion against Moammar Gadhafi.

Under pressure to
explain his apparently sudden decision, Obama gave a nationally
televised address, arguing that the international effort to protect
innocent people from slaughter was a moral imperative, even without
narrowly defined U.S. interests or security at stake.

American scholars
and pundits have long adorned presidents’ biggest decisions and
broadest instincts about the use of force with the title of ‘doctrine,’
as if they were articles of faith.

Whatever you want
to call them, presidential doctrines do tend to have an enduring impact
on American policy and, as a result, on the entire world.

The first one many
historians cite was the Monroe Doctrine, President James Monroe’s 19th
century decision to establish and ensure Washington’s unrivalled
influence in the entire western hemisphere.

The most recent was
President George Bush’s determination after the 9/11 attacks of 2001 to
fight all terrorism worldwide, famous as the “Bush Doctrine.”

So has Libya
revealed an Obama Doctrine? Some observers say that the decision to
intervene militarily in a country that poses no direct danger to the
U.S. or its interests, suggests it has.

The president’s own
speech said he would not attempt unilateral regime change, but is
willing to contemplate quick military action, with limited means and
goals, in cooperation with America’s allies, for purely humanitarian
reasons.

“There will be
times,” he said, “when our safety is not directly threatened, but our
interests and our values are. Sometimes, the course of history poses
challenges that threaten our common humanity and our common security –
responding to natural disasters, for example; or preventing genocide
and keeping the peace.”

Obama says that
Libya isn’t an example of his plans for other places. But we may have
heard the clear expression of the Obama Doctrine from the president
himself. Historians are no doubt taking note.

Jonathan Mann
presents Political Mann on CNN International each Friday at 18:30
(CAT), Saturday at 3pm and 9pm (CAT), and Sunday at 10am (CAT).