Why would bloggers (and some non bloggers) react to the Nigerian elections with this statement: “Oh, I’m not surprised.†I have read and heard quite a bit this line and it makes me want to yell: I AM!!!
I have stated several times that “democracy abhors apathyâ€, but I was proven wrong last Saturday – people came out in huge numbers, and despite the logistical mess of INEC and the intimidation from some political miscreants – voted and waited to see their votes collated at their polling stations.
Who expects a stellar performance from INEC? Or a totally violence and fraud-free elections? That will not happen in Nigeria of today, but for once, people came out to do the right thing and vote. I closely followed the voting in Ondo State and spent some quality time and good money making calls to contacts on ground, so my information is not based on what I read on newspapers or the evening news. People came out to vote.
So when the crooks with executive powers have decided that these votes would be rendered irrelevant and people’s mandate wouldn’t matter; it becomes really depressing and painful.
We can’t all fold our arms and watch some rogues make nonsense of these votes. Although the majority of Nigerian bloggers operate from the Diaspora, of the Nigeria-based blogs, very few has substantial posts on the elections.
If 70 year old men and women spent hours in the sun waiting to vote, if foreign observers dodged bullets and confronted teargas fumes to capture the “tone of the elections,†then Nigerian bloggers have no excuse!
For the sake of those men and women that voted, the least Nigerian bloggers can do at this time is do a post on the elections – if you can’t write, link to another blog or a news site that has something relevant on the elections.
More information on the elections:
and why should we?? it will never stop i am tired of the government imposing its candidate against the will of the people!
April 17, 2007 at 1:32 pm
@ Naijasister, evil has its way when ‘good’ people sit down and do nothing. We have to stand up against this robbery.
April 17, 2007 at 2:49 pm
This is a deja vu as I was just going through my list of naija blogs and thinking exactly the same and considering writing a post until i reached G for you and thank you for saying this.
For me it just replicates the overall apathy of Nigerians generally towards government and elections. With all the bloggers out there and so little reports and so little commentary.
I must say though I really expected more than this.
Naijasister@ what a defeatist attitude to take – if everyone thought like that nothing in this world would ever changed or have ever changed! This is just too depressing – we have the opportunity has bloggers to speak out yet there is silence and resignation and well just plain boredom. You reap what you sow – so Nigerian you either stand up and act or remain down trodden and spend your days moaning about nepa etc etc etc
April 18, 2007 at 4:21 am
[...] On the reporting of the elections by Nigerian bloggers Grandiose Parlor has a commented on the lack of posts from Nigerian bloggers. He is firstly annoyed at the statements by various Nigerians and non-Nigerians of ” I am not surprised ” Why would bloggers (and some non bloggers) react to the Nigerian elections with this statement: “Oh, I’m not surprised.†I have read and heard quite a bit this line and it makes me want to yell: I AM!!! [...]
April 18, 2007 at 5:12 am
This weeks Pambazuka Review of African Blogs:
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/blog/40852
April 20, 2007 at 1:04 am
I believe election posts will come soon but only after the results and aftermathoccurs for now we can only watch in awe what the powers that be have decided
April 22, 2007 at 11:43 am