The most ambitious election-with 73 African and a half million registered voters, not end of track. Nigeria yesterday postponed the legislative elections, presidential and governor a week respectively, a decision that responds to "logistical problems" but take a pitcher of cold water on the high expectations created in the Nigerian electoral process scheduled to take place along this month.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, had made good democratic image of your country one of its main goals since coming to power in May 2010 after the death of his predecessor, Umaru Musa Yardua, died from health problems. However, the sudden decision to postpone a week the electoral process that will last for three consecutive weeks, has shattered the hopes and promises in the new Electoral Commission, whose charge is the prestigious academic Attahiru Jega.
"After consultation with stakeholders, the commission has found that the majority sentiment is once again postpone the elections," said last night Jega, who said that "all political parties have fully endorsed the recommendation." The legislative elections, the first batch of election were scheduled on Saturday, day 2, but the same day, when some Nigerians had already exercised their right to vote, the Electoral Commission decided to announce the postponement to Sunday due to the absence of electoral material in some parts of the country.
The next day the same scene was repeated, forcing its postponement until Monday, a decision eventually overturned. The new date for parliamentary election is on 9 April, while the presidential election [scheduled on April 9] will be held on 16 and gubernatorial elections in the 36 Nigerian states will take place on April 26, as announced by the Electoral Commission .
The hasty decision of the manager of the elections brought a wave of complaints and disgust within and outside the country. The grim electoral history of Nigeria since the advent of democracy in 1999, with widespread fraud, has caused widespread apathy among the population, who doubts the value of holding elections, according to testimonies collected by the agencies.
In 2007, the European Union called the Nigerian elections, then the "world's worst, with widespread rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation. "This type of consecutive changes and last minute are reprehensible and do not reflect positively on the preparedness of the Electoral Commission, meanwhile said Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana (one of the most transparent countries in Africa) and chief Observation Mission of the Commonwealth.
In addition, over the weekend has reigned confusion with the theoretical postponement of the elections, while many Nigerians cast their votes Saturday in economic capital Lagos, and Kano in the north, where other election material had reached time. The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, "Jonathan, controls most of the camera, but is expected to lose momentum in the DDA legislative assemblies.
However, Jonathan is the clear favorite to take the victory in the presidential election with 60% of the estimated vote against his main rival, Muhammadu Buhari former soldier, who would be 40% of the vote, mainly Muslim north. 
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, had made good democratic image of your country one of its main goals since coming to power in May 2010 after the death of his predecessor, Umaru Musa Yardua, died from health problems. However, the sudden decision to postpone a week the electoral process that will last for three consecutive weeks, has shattered the hopes and promises in the new Electoral Commission, whose charge is the prestigious academic Attahiru Jega.
"After consultation with stakeholders, the commission has found that the majority sentiment is once again postpone the elections," said last night Jega, who said that "all political parties have fully endorsed the recommendation." The legislative elections, the first batch of election were scheduled on Saturday, day 2, but the same day, when some Nigerians had already exercised their right to vote, the Electoral Commission decided to announce the postponement to Sunday due to the absence of electoral material in some parts of the country.
The next day the same scene was repeated, forcing its postponement until Monday, a decision eventually overturned. The new date for parliamentary election is on 9 April, while the presidential election [scheduled on April 9] will be held on 16 and gubernatorial elections in the 36 Nigerian states will take place on April 26, as announced by the Electoral Commission .
The hasty decision of the manager of the elections brought a wave of complaints and disgust within and outside the country. The grim electoral history of Nigeria since the advent of democracy in 1999, with widespread fraud, has caused widespread apathy among the population, who doubts the value of holding elections, according to testimonies collected by the agencies.
In 2007, the European Union called the Nigerian elections, then the "world's worst, with widespread rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation. "This type of consecutive changes and last minute are reprehensible and do not reflect positively on the preparedness of the Electoral Commission, meanwhile said Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana (one of the most transparent countries in Africa) and chief Observation Mission of the Commonwealth.
In addition, over the weekend has reigned confusion with the theoretical postponement of the elections, while many Nigerians cast their votes Saturday in economic capital Lagos, and Kano in the north, where other election material had reached time. The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, "Jonathan, controls most of the camera, but is expected to lose momentum in the DDA legislative assemblies.
However, Jonathan is the clear favorite to take the victory in the presidential election with 60% of the estimated vote against his main rival, Muhammadu Buhari former soldier, who would be 40% of the vote, mainly Muslim north.
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