Nigeria's Opposition Party APC Edges Towards Victory In The Presidential Elections

Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan May Become The First Nigerian President In Office To Lose An Election.

Political Analysis and Comments
by Tom Okure, Ph.D
March 31, 2015

Former military ruler of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, who is 72 years old and says he is a born-again democrat is winning with a very clear margin according to INEC reported poll results.  Buhari pledges to clean up the corrupt politics that has engulfed Africa’s largest economy and its most populous country. 

On Monday March 30, 2015, Nigeria's independent electoral commission {INEC) released the polling results of eight states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as it began the collation and announcement of the presidential election's results.

Early poll results early today Tuesday March 31, 2015 indicated that Muhammadu Buhari is still leading with 8,520,436 in 10 states and Jonathan gathered 6,488,210 in 8 states and FCT.

Before we published this blog post, new confirmed polling results now reported from 30 of Nigeria’s states, plus the Federal Capital territory of Abuja, who have declared results, still indicate that Buhari is still leading incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, by 13,314,482 votes to 10,536,986.

If President Goodluck Jonathan loses to Buhari, he would be the first incumbent Nigerian president to lose an election

A Very Big Win For Nigeria's Young Democracy

Nigerian voters all over the country waited patiently on March 28 and 29, 2015 to exercise their civil right to vote. In some instances voters were forced to wait more than eight hours and endure harsh weather conditions including heavy tropical rain storms and the scorching sun.

They arrived in droves to the polling stations and included all kinds and types of voters, the young, the elderly, men, women, and mothers with children and some with babies strapped to their backs. It was Nigeria’s biggest and most exciting election held since the country gained independence. There were moments of high drama, technical glitches with voting equipment, shortage of ballot papers was reported in many parts of the country and some violence and tensions were also reported.

Notwithstanding who ends up as the declared winner in the presidential elections, one thing is clear, Nigerian democracy is the real winner of the exciting political campaign and voting season.

The video below (Attribution: Channels Television) shows INEC presentation of the results of eight states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

 


More Election Results

Source: Nigerian Tribune
Date: March 31, 2015


As of 11.20 p.m., the results from 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had been presented by collation officers made up of vice chancellors in Nigerian universities.


The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, from the results released, won in 10 states, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Kwara, Oyo and Osun.

Buhari garnered massive votes from Katsina, his home state, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states.
The total figure for the 10 states is 8,520,436. Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, won in eight states of Abia, Anambra, Ekiti, Enugu, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Plateau and Imo, including the FCT.

The total figure for the PDP winning states is 6,488,210. President Jonathan was able to garner more votes from Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Anambra, Abia and Imo states.

Signing out on Monday night, Professor Jega said the presentation of the results would continue today by 10.00 a.m.

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Nigerian Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on March 28, 2015

Nigerian Democracy and the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Scheduled for March 28, 2015

Comments by Tom Okure, Ph.D

The upcoming presidential elections on March 28, 2015 is one of the most rigorously campaigned and analyzed elections in the history of modern Nigerian democracy. Both pundits and partisans have expressed their views and positions on the pros and cons associated with the election of the two main front runners on -- the incumbent president Godluck Jonathan of the PDP political party and his main opposition ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of the APC party.

As we approach the end of the long drawn campaign season, the frontline party candidates are making every effort to make their presence and message heard all over the country, and have campaigned alongside with their spouses and supporters, making impressive and lofty promises to the Nigerian masses, some of which are dubious at best and one is very doubtful can be fulfilled under the current economic climate that the country is facing due to the sharp drop in oil revenue. Nevertheless, the Nigerian voting public is highly energized and appears prepaid to cast their vote no matter the circumstance that the country is in because there is a lot at stack on the outcome of the elections for the security and the overall economic wellbeing of the country.

The eyes of the world is on Nigeria this weekend, and the way and conduct of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is being closely watched and monitored from inside and outside of Nigeria. Even more important and of concern to everyone who loves Nigeria is the atmosphere that should prevail in the country after the elections among supporters of the winning and losing party. A transparent election and peaceful atmosphere after the election will indicate that our democracy is gaining root in the country. Conversely, the eruption of violence and any unwillingness to concede defeat assuming a fair election is achieved would indicate that our democracy has failed to deepen and properly root and it will indicate that the political campaigns and promises that we are witnessing was just a charade and a façade used by our political elite to gain political power to continue the exploitation of the suffering masses.

BBC News reporter Peter Okwoche in the video which follows took a pulse of the voters by speaking to potential voters in the city of Port Harcourt in the oil-producing region of the Niger Delta. Take a Listen to who the voters say the will be voting for on Mach 28, 2015.

#Nigeria goes to the polls on Saturday for long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections. It is a contest mainly between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari. The BBC's Peter Okwoche has been speaking to some prospective voters in the oil-producing region of the Niger Delta.
Posted by BBC Africa on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

A Brazilian bus falls through a massive sink hole in a highway and is immediately swept away by rushing flood water.

The Power of Nature

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

In this amazing video, a Brazilian bus is seen falling through a massive sink hole in a highway and is immediately swept away by the power of rushing flood water. Fortunately passengers in the bus were evacuated and watched helplessly with amazement as the bus was swallowed in the sink hole before their eyes.

US President Obama Says "To Keep Nigeria One Is A Task That Must Be Done."

ICMS, Inc Listen and Learn Series:

President Obama’s Message to the Nigerian People On Democracy and Free and Non Violent Elections

Commentary by Tom Okure, Ph.D
March 23, 2015

US President Barack Obama in a brief speech to Nigerians a few days before the National Elections talks about the importance of Democracy and the Essence of having a Credible and Violent Free Voting in the elections. He concludes his brief speech with what he calls a Nigerian saying: "To Keep Nigeria One Is A Task That Must Be Done".......That statement or saying as Obama puts it is a War Time Slogan and an ECHO and emotional calling relating to Nigeria's tumultuous history and "Civil War Past" which the younger Nigerian generation and even many of the current political elites do not understand or fully appreciate.

Yakubu Gowon

I posit here that unless you lived through Nigeria's civil war within the boundaries of the then breakaway Eastern Nigeria or Biafra as it was called, you cannot fully understand the emotional underpinning of that saying  "To Keep Nigeria One Is A Task That Must Be Done."  It was not just a saying but the Policy Objective of the Nigerian Federal Government and the determination of former military ruler and the administration of Yakubu Gowon who was  the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975 to keep Nigeria united as one country.

Odumegwu Ojukwu

For the historical record and to counter Nigeria's Unity Slogan, breakaway Biafra led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966, the leader of the breakaway Republic of Biafra put forth his own War Time Slogans for the East..."They (meaning Nigeria) Want Your Money, Not Your Prosperity, Biafra be Vigilant"..."The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance, Biafrans be Vigilant." ....These too are also Nigerian sayings.  

I conclude by noting that Nigeria is an Enduring Nation and has withstood many dividing challenges in the past and will overcome the challenge posed by BOKO HARAM.  I am deeply grateful to the President of the United States for reminding Nigerians during this voting season of what is at stack here for Nigeria and that is the necessity for a fair and credible elections through the ballot box ..."To Keep Nigeria One Is A Task That Must Be Done"

Watch the Video of  President Obama’s Message to the Nigerian People




President Obama released a message to the Nigerian people to highlight the opportunity that the upcoming elections present for all Nigerians to stand together in rejecting violence and extremism and instead show their support for a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future.

For a full text of the speech, follow this link President Obama’s Message to the Nigerian People

COMMENTARY: WAKE UP NIGERIA

COMMENTARY: WAKE UP NIGERIA
By Tom Okure, PH.D

 I just love this lady Adeola Fayehun with her Pidgin English satire of Nigerian politicians and ridicule of 9JA economic mismanagement by our so-called political and administrative elites who despite our huge financial resources compared to other African Nations are still unable to deliver the dividends of democracy to the ordinary Nigerian masses. Watch this Video and ask yourself whether the resources of Nigeria are being properly managed? At the end of the video, listen to how Ajasco (Doyin Okupe) makes a complete fool of himself justifying why Nigeria is not America and cannot afford to provide it’s citizenry with a modern light train system.

Video Summary

Look at what other “African Countries” are doing in moving their economies forward with the limited resources at their disposal compared to Africa’s biggest economy ( Nigeria…The so-called Giant of Africa). Compare for yourself Nigeria’s $12 billion dollar, wasted on primitive locomotive trains compared to Ethiopia’s modern looking light rail trains which cost a fraction of Nigeria's expenditure at $475 million … and also watch what the Republic of Congo is achieving with locally grown traffic technology with its Kinshasa’s Robot Traffic Cops keeping tabs on traffic violators and issuing tickets.

All comments are welcome both positive and negative…let’s keep the conversation going and let our politicians and leaders know that they better wake up and serve the people. That is why they are called CIVIL SERVANTS in civilized societies.

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All Rights Reserved by ICMS,Inc. 
Dr. Okure is a writer, author, business/management consultant, economic development and public policy advisor, commentator and change advocate. Dr. Okure is the CEO of ICMS,Inc a New York State based management/business consulting firm and Global Master Servicing Agent (MSA) which provides referral, advisory, training, diagnostic and assessment and speaker services

A Chinese Development Company Constructs A 57 Story Skyscraper In 19 Days.

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

A Changsha based Chinese development construction company, Broad Sustainable Building, recently released an incredible time-lapse footage of the construction of a 57 story eco-friendly skyscraper in just 19 days. The skyscraper is part of the Mini Sky City project in Changsha. The Skyscraper in Changsha contains 800 homes and working space for 4,000 people. The original proposal by the company in 2012 was to build a 97-story tower, but construction of the tower was stopped when the building reached 20 stories for one year because of the building's proximity to an airport as officials needed to review the plans further. The building plans was ultimately lowered from 97 stories to 57 stories due to its proximity to the airport.

 Modular skyscraper construction are becoming more common in China these days where pieces of the structure are made and then building it at the location with extreme efficiency. It is estimated that about 250 million people will need to move into Chinese cities within the next decade or so. The pace of urban construction including the building of roads, rail and water infrastructure and cultural institutions in China is fast outstripping any prior era in human history according to the tall-buildings council. China may become the home to six of the world’s 10 tallest skyscrapers by 2020, including Suzhou’s 700-meter (2,297-foot) Zhongnan Center.


Watch this incredible time-lapse footage of the construction of a 57 story eco-friendly skyscraper in just 19 days by a Chinese development company. The skyscraper is part of the Mini Sky City project in Changsh

First Lady, Michelle Obama's speech of encouragement and empowerment to “The Mandela Young African Leaders”

ICMS, Inc Listen and Learn Series… First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama's speech of encouragement and empowerment to “The Mandela Young African Leaders”

In this inspiring speech to “The Mandela Young African Leaders” the first lady talks about the need to invest in our youth especially in our young daughters. In the speech, the first lady attributes who she is today and her own achievement in life to the support and investments that her family put in her including in her education without regard to her gender as a female daughter. The speech focuses on the need for gender equality in Africa.

So What Exactly Is Gender Equality?

Gender equality is a term widely used to refer to strides that a society takes towards providing women and men the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society.  It involves the active effort by policy makers to include the participation of women in all aspects of economic activity and decision-making in society. When fully and properly embedded in government policy, it strives at equally valuing and favoring the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men in society ~ Tom Okure, PH.D

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A Delta MD-88 Jet Aircraft From Atlanta To La Guardia Skids On The Runway Narrowly Missing Contact With Water.

NEWS FLASH ... HAPPENING NOW

A Delta Jet Aircraft Skids On Runway While Landing At LaGuardia Airport And Hits Embankment, Narrowly Missing Contact With Water.

March 5, 2015
By Tom Okure, Ph.D

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Delta Jet narrowly missed contact with water

A Delta Jet (MD-88) aircraft originating from Atlanta and landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport this morning skidded on the runway and narrowly missed making contact with the water. On board the flight was 127 passengers and 5 crew members.

Speaking at a news conference this afternoon on the incident, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey spokesperson indicated that passengers were safely deplaned. Previous planes using the airport are said to have reported good breaking conditions on the particular runway. Minor injuries have been reported with the number of injured reportedly reaching up to 24 passengers depending on the reporting source. According to the Port Authority, 2 passengers have been transported to local hospitals.  

The Delta plane was moving at a rapid speed while landing at the airport, when it hit the embankment. Fuel leaks possibly more than 1,000 gallons, reported from the left side of the plane.

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Quote of the Day - March 4, 2015

Quote of the Day - March 4, 2015

"There is nothing like a new problem in any society.  Any problem that we face today has been faced or experienced and a solution put forth in some nation or culture at some time in the past" ~ Tom Okure, Ph.D.

Today's Policy Insight - March 3, 2015

Did You Know That: … A government policy formula that worked in the past, is not the formula that will work in the future…. Now You Know ~ Tom Okure, Ph.D