Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Video - Will voters punish Buhari for not tackling Nigeria's oil spills?
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari came to power with a promise to clean up the Niger Delta. But as he seeks re-election, it is still a mess of oil spills, causing sickness in surrounding villages and destroying people's livelihoods.
Video - Media outlets seek to retain objectivity after polls postponement in Nigeria
It's been a hectic week for Nigeria's media. Carefully laid out plans to cover elections in Africa's largest democracy were scuttled at the eleventh hour after polls were postponed by a week. And while some of the coverage has come into sharp focus for its objectivity or lack of it, the media has made huge strides in recent years.
Video - Businesses suffer as voters stay in rural homes for Saturday polls in Nigeria
Still in Nigeria...Businesses in major cities are making steep loses, as most Nigerians retreat to rural areas to vote in the Saturday election. Most businesses closed shop over the weekend. But the few that opened struggled to get customers.
Video - Female candidates seek victory in the re-scheduled elections in Nigeria
In Nigeria, dozens of first-time female candidates are seeking victory in the re-scheduled election. The women have gone as far as creating a Whatsapp group where they are urging and encouraging each other to stay focused. The country's percentage of women in parliament is one of the lowest in the world. But this group of female politicians are eager to prove that they can make equally good leaders.
Citizens of Nigeria lament election delay and the costs
Okiti Erhovwo, a physiologist and relationship coach, planned his wedding for March 9 after considering the scheduled dates of the general elections.
The presidential and legislative elections were to take place on February 16 and the state governorship on March 2.
But the postponement announced on Saturday of the governorship election to March 9 has forced him to cancel his marriage ceremony.
"It's disheartening, to say, the least that after making preparations and putting logistics in a place for our wedding ... elections have been postponed to the same wedding date. It's devastating. So sad," Erhovwo told Al Jazeera.
Besides dealing with the disappointment, he now has to make new arrangements to marry his fiance, Eminence Agbechoma, who took the announcement even harder.
"There's no one that would be excited at such sudden news. She felt sad, the family felt sad. But our hope is that God will do that which he, God, has set out to do and he that started this good work would surely complete it," Erhovwo said.
Economic impact
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the postponement of polls early Saturday following an emergency meeting in the capital, Abuja.
INEC said it needed more time to ensure a free and fair vote.
Many Nigerians who stayed up late to follow proceedings were angered by the decision.
Social media has become a platform to complain about the economic implications of the vote delay by a week.
Voters can only cast their ballots in places where they are registered by INEC, or they must seek a transfer to their preferred voting centres.
Some Nigerians travelled hundreds of kilometres to vote and the postponement - just a few hours prior to the opening of the polls - has left some stranded.
Despite the inconvenience, some Nigerians are willing to pay the travel costs again.
"For us, this election is very crucial and people want to demonstrate their faith in democracy by participating in deciding their future," businessman Pascal Metuh told Al Jazeera.
Some businesses and offices are still shut.
"This is a loss of business to the economy, which is not good news for economic performance," economist Aliyu Audu told Al Jazeera.
"The effects will be felt in the short term by businesses' loss of revenue until the economy picks up after the election," Audu said.
'Grave implications'
Some who had to reschedule their plans are also worried about extra costs incurred by the delay.
"It's certainly going to have a grave economic implication considering the fact that initial logistics that have been made took swell sums of money," lamented Erhovwo, the husband-to-be.
"And due to the sudden election postponement - which coincided with the wedding date - money has to be made available again for those logistics in preparation for a new date."
Nigerians are never quick to demand any form of compensation from the government when policy changes cause them financial losses.
This time is no different.
"I wouldn't consider any form of compensation from INEC because this thing is not just about money. A whole lot has been invested into the planning. Would they also compensate for the mental resources and time that went into the planning? Of course not," Erhovwo said.
The ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party have both criticised the delay.
By Fidelis Mbah
Al Jazeera
The presidential and legislative elections were to take place on February 16 and the state governorship on March 2.
But the postponement announced on Saturday of the governorship election to March 9 has forced him to cancel his marriage ceremony.
"It's disheartening, to say, the least that after making preparations and putting logistics in a place for our wedding ... elections have been postponed to the same wedding date. It's devastating. So sad," Erhovwo told Al Jazeera.
Besides dealing with the disappointment, he now has to make new arrangements to marry his fiance, Eminence Agbechoma, who took the announcement even harder.
"There's no one that would be excited at such sudden news. She felt sad, the family felt sad. But our hope is that God will do that which he, God, has set out to do and he that started this good work would surely complete it," Erhovwo said.
Economic impact
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the postponement of polls early Saturday following an emergency meeting in the capital, Abuja.
INEC said it needed more time to ensure a free and fair vote.
Many Nigerians who stayed up late to follow proceedings were angered by the decision.
Social media has become a platform to complain about the economic implications of the vote delay by a week.
Voters can only cast their ballots in places where they are registered by INEC, or they must seek a transfer to their preferred voting centres.
Some Nigerians travelled hundreds of kilometres to vote and the postponement - just a few hours prior to the opening of the polls - has left some stranded.
Despite the inconvenience, some Nigerians are willing to pay the travel costs again.
"For us, this election is very crucial and people want to demonstrate their faith in democracy by participating in deciding their future," businessman Pascal Metuh told Al Jazeera.
Some businesses and offices are still shut.
"This is a loss of business to the economy, which is not good news for economic performance," economist Aliyu Audu told Al Jazeera.
"The effects will be felt in the short term by businesses' loss of revenue until the economy picks up after the election," Audu said.
'Grave implications'
Some who had to reschedule their plans are also worried about extra costs incurred by the delay.
"It's certainly going to have a grave economic implication considering the fact that initial logistics that have been made took swell sums of money," lamented Erhovwo, the husband-to-be.
"And due to the sudden election postponement - which coincided with the wedding date - money has to be made available again for those logistics in preparation for a new date."
Nigerians are never quick to demand any form of compensation from the government when policy changes cause them financial losses.
This time is no different.
"I wouldn't consider any form of compensation from INEC because this thing is not just about money. A whole lot has been invested into the planning. Would they also compensate for the mental resources and time that went into the planning? Of course not," Erhovwo said.
The ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party have both criticised the delay.
By Fidelis Mbah
Al Jazeera
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