Needed: Election Observers and Monitors for UK Polls.

by Eze Eluchie

In the buildup to the Nigeria’s just concluded 2015 general elections held on the 28th of March and 11th of April 2015, all manners of organizations and individuals from diverse corners of the globe applied for and were accredited to serve as ‘election observers’ to ‘observe’ the elections in Nigeria.

Some of these ‘international election observers’ came from such diverse countries as Japan, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States and a total of 11 foreign Embassies in Nigeria. International organizations accredited as ‘observers’ to our elections included Africa Students Association of Ireland; Kennesaw State University, Atlanta Georgia, USA; International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya; UN Women; International Republican Institute; National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; UNDP/DGD Project; Centre for Conflict Management and the Commonwealth Observers Mission.

All manners of excuses were given as reason for the ‘foreign interest’ in Nigeria’s elections. Most identified the ‘crucial and volatile nature’ and ‘risk of violence’ as factors which motivated their quest to ‘observe’ the elections. They were all welcome.

Considering the volatile nature the forthcoming general elections in the United Kingdom is attaining, as it represents a critical step to determining so many critical issues (Immigration, European Integration and the Euro, Disintegration of the United Kingdom)  affecting not only the peoples of the UK, but also its international relationship with other countries, international election observers ought to be allowed to monitor the elections to ensure it meets with international standards and that the aspirations of minority communities in the United Kingdom are not obviated.

Incidents of widespread electoral fraud are not alien to British elections. One remembers vividly the gigantean leaps in number of registered voters in the London borough of Tower Hamlets within a space of one month and the use to which ‘postal votes’ has been put across much of the country as a ruse to perpetuate electoral fraud during elections held in 2010.

Why are the African Union (AU), the Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), International CSO’s and other interested parties not being accredited in large numbers as International Observers to Observe and Monitor the forthcoming elections in the United Kingdom? It would have been quite interesting to hear what Election Observer Missions from other climes, such as Zimbabwe, Russia and China, would have to say about the British polls.

It would have also been nice to have the Foreign Ministers of some African countries jointly warn the British Electoral Commission not to tamper with the results of the elections (as the votes are been counted) – just as some Foreign Ministers had warned the Nigerian Government as election results were being collated.

Let’s have Election Observers all over. Or do we need to respect the sovereignty of other States?

Picture: UK Polls.

Required: Zero-Tolerance For Hate Speech

by Eze Eluchie

There ought to be zero-tolerance for 'hate speech' and literature promoting hatred of identifiable peoples.

Episodes of mass atrocities are first conceptualized in devious minds, broadcast either in writing or verbally via hate-speech, before the actual vile acts manifest.

From the negatively enchanting oratorical skills of Adolf Hitler leading to the Holocaust, to the broadcasts of the Rwanda’s Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLMC) leading to the Rwandan genocide, the power of hate-filled spoken words or written texts to stoke up tension amongst peoples and extract the vilest of actions from mankind has never been in doubt.

Of recent, mere hints on the need for African immigrants residing in South Africa to be made to go back to their respective home countries, from the Zulu King in South Africa, Goodwill Zwelithini, as contained in an address calling for ‘all foreigners to carry their bags and go to where they come from’, was sufficient to unleash an orgy of xenophobic violence which led to several deaths, forever scaring the Rainbow Country, creating divides amongst lifelong friends and destroying assets built over decades.

The rise in xenophobic utterances against the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria (the ethnic nationality who had suffered tremendous losses during the Biafran genocide 1967 - 1970) in the course of the past few months is quite worrisome.

From a Dallas, Texas, USA based medical doctor, Dr Adeniran Abraham Ariyo, who called on his Facebook page for the mass slaughter of Igbo's, to the monarch in Lagos (Mr. Rilwan Akiolu) who called for death for Igbo's by drowning if they failed to vote for his preferred candidate in a domestic election (https://youtu.be/TYkS3C4Y1cY), there appears to be a rise in hate speech against the Igbo’s.

When one recollects that similar trends in Nigeria, rise in hate speech, had been instrumental to a vicious pogrom and the accompanying Biafran genocide of the late 1960’s, the need to ensure zero-tolerance for hate speeches or whatever communication that has the potential to breed genocidal dispositions becomes paramount.

As the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari assumes political power by May 29th 2015, considering the paucity of votes the General’s party garnered from the South East region, all eyes will be on the regime to gauge reaction to incitements to commit mass atrocities and whether it deploys a rapid response mechanisms to frontally confront and nip hate speech in the bud. Or, God forbids, condones and encourages same.

The world will be watching. We simply must ensure Never Again, Anywhere!

Picture: Dallas, Texas-based Dr. Abraham Ariyo and his offensive hate-posts against the Igbo race on his Facebook page.

Goodluck Jonathan: A hero, but certainly not of Democracy.

by Eze Eluchie

By 'graciously' conceding defeat, despite unassailable evidence of widespread and systematic electoral fraud contrived and executed from the highest echelons of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and intense pressure from domestic and international (US & UK governments) quarters, it has become clear following from confessions from those with a capacity to effect same (particularly retired General Theophilus Danjuma), that widespread mayhem and mass murders had been averted. President Jonathan is thus in some ways, a 'hero' of sorts - maybe hero of averting civil strife, hero of preventing mass murder, hero of preserving a shambolic contraption, hero of and so on...

But hero of democracy, as some have vainly tried to portray President Jonathan? Certainly not.

A cowardly disposition can never make a hero of such lofty ideals as democracy.

There had always been easier paths which those recognized globally as heroes of democracy could have taken, but they opted for the more thorny paths that leads to lasting change.

President Goodluck Jonathann opted for the easier path, a path that may cost us more further down the tortuous road we are headed.



Picture: Some of the millions of illegal under-aged 'voters' used to rig out the Jonathan administration in Nigeria in the 2015 Presidential elections.