ADEKEYE ADEBAJO: Nigerian election shambles no surprise
Poll appears to have passed peaceably on Saturday but an earlier postponement by the Independent National Electoral Commission was a national embarrassment
Nigeria’s presidential and legislative elections appear to have passed largely peaceably on Saturday, though final results are still being awaited, and state elections are due in two weeks. An uncle of mine often likes to describe Nigeria’s many political intrigues with the words of its most famous magician, Professor Peller: “Abracadabra! The more you look, the less you see!” The recent postponement of the country’s polls by its Independent National Electoral Commission — in the middle of the night, five hours before polls were due to open — conjured up the magical realism that has defined much of the country’s politics. As Nigerians awoke to what seemed like a nightmare a week ago, conspiracy theories and rumours spread like wildfire, even as the two main parties blamed each other for the postponement. Opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar talked darkly of “the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob”, in accusing the government and Independent National Electoral Commission...
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