Nigeria and Voter Apathy [II]
Conrad Omodiagbe
In 2023, Nigeria will have a choice to make. With the exit of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians will head to the polls in a bid to elect a new president, as well as leaders at different levels of government. But as the country prepares for its 7th general elections, more voters are turning away […]
Nigeria and Voter Apathy [I]
Conrad Omodiagbe
Despite earning a spot as the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria still struggles with voter apathy. As the country prepares for its next major elections scheduled to hold in 2023, questions about the problem and its potential solution remain a salient part of the election conversation. While making a case for the expansion of […]
Democracy Watch: What Is Happening In Georgia?
Conrad Omodiagbe
The government of Georgia has recently come under fire for its decision to storm the headquarters of the country’s main opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), in Tbilisi, in a bid to arrest and detain the party’s leader, Nika Melia. Authorities have accused the opposition leader of organising “mass violence” during the anti-government protests […]
South Africa: The Election Plan For 2022
Conrad Omodiagbe
Ahead of its upcoming polls, the Van Zyl Slabbert Commission on Electoral Reform in South Africa has proposed a new electoral system, as the Constitutional Court found loopholes in the current electoral process. According to a report by City Press, which referenced a report compiled by the commission that recommended major changes to the election […]
What To Know About Niger’s Presidential Run-off
Conrad Omodiagbe
Niger’s ruling party candidate, Mohamed Bazoum, seems to be in the lead in the second round of presidential elections, as the West African nation prepares for a transition of power that would mark its first since independence. According to data released by Niger’s Electoral Commission on Monday, provisional results from 210 out of 266 constituencies […]
Hamas Launches Internal Elections
Farida Adamu
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has begun the process of selecting a new leader. The last internal elections of the Hamas were held in 2017, when Ismail Haniyeh was elected as the movement’s politburo chief, succeeding Khaled Mashal, who had chaired the movement for eight years. The elections hold every four years and are usually not public due to […]
Algeria Dissolves Parliament, Calls Election
Farida Adamu
The President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has announced the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, calling for early legislative elections. “I decided to dissolve the assembly and call elections to build a new institution,” he said, explaining that the dissolution decision was part of reforms after amendments to the constitution in November last year. He also ordered the release of 60 detainees […]
US: Supreme Court Makes Its Decision
Conrad Omodiagbe
Months after its November polls, the US Supreme Court has officially rejected a handful of cases related to the 2020 election, including disputes from Pennsylvania that had deeply divided the justices just before the election. The cases the justices rejected involved election challenges filed by former President Donald Trump and his allies in five states […]
Ugandan Opposition Accuses Supreme Court Of Bias
Conrad Omodiagbe
The Ugandan opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Bobi Wine, has threatened to withdraw an election petition against President Yoweri Museveni, citing “bias” and “frustration” from the Supreme Court. The country’s Supreme Court had, on Tuesday, rejected additional evidence in over 120 affidavits sworn by senior members of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party and […]
Myanmar Military Promises New Civilian Elections
Conrad Omodiagbe
The military junta in Myanmar, which ousted and detained the nation’s civilian leaders earlier this month, has declared that it will hold an election and “hand power to the winning party.” “Our objective is to hold an election and hand power to the winning party,” said the spokesperson for the group, Brigadier General Zaw Min […]
What Happened In The Catalonia Elections?
Farida Adamu
The people of Catalonia voted last Sunday to elect new members of parliament and a new leader for the semi-autonomous region. The vote had a 53% turnout, a record low due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous elections in 2017 had a 79% turnout. Early results show that the Republican left (separatists) could be leading in votes. With more than […]
Nigeria: Zoning May Become A Thing Of The Past
Conrad Omodiagbe
The concept of zoning within political parties plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s democracy. With the 2023 presidential elections marking the end of an era with the exit of President Mohammadu Buhari, zoning has become a major topic leading up to the polls. Will political parties in Nigeria stick to the zoning formula? Or has […]
Nigeria 2023: Polling Units And Voter Population
Conrad Omodiagbe
As conversations surrounding new polling units in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections reach an all-time high, states in the country have begun filing in their demands with a projection of over 100 million voters. Request For 5,747 Additional Polling Units Following its recent announcement to expand on existing polling units across the country, […]
Opposition Party Wins Big In Kosovo Elections
Conrad Omodiagbe
The main opposition party in Kosovo has won a clear victory in an early election held amid the coronavirus pandemic, an economic downturn and stalled negotiations with wartime foe Serbia. With 98% of the votes counted Monday, the left-wing Determination Movement Party, or Vetevendosje, had 48%. That left it far ahead of the centre-right Democratic […]
Palestine Election: Here’s What to Know
Conrad Omodiagbe
As Palestine prepares for its first major election in 15 years, rival factions have agreed on procedures for the upcoming polls as a popular movement announces its decision to boycott the historic elections. Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas alongside 12 other Palestinian factions have agreed on steps aimed at ensuring Palestinian elections are held as […]
US Elections: Fighting Misinformation
Conrad Omodiagbe
An American based election technology company has filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, alleging that the right-wing media house perpetuated false claims against the recently concluded US elections and by extension, the company itself. The company, Smartmatic, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday, also lists Fox on air personalities Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo […]
Kosovo Votes: Here’s What To Know
Conrad Omodiagbe
Citizens of Kosovo will take to the polls on February 14 to vote in a high-stakes general election that will see voters take another shot at choosing its leaders after a polarized political era in 2020. Like most countries, 2020 was a difficult year for Kosovo. With just 1.8 million people, the ongoing covid-19 global […]
Catalonia To Vote Despite 3rd Wave Of COVID-19
Conrad Omodiagbe
More than three years after a failed bid to break away from Spain, Catalonia goes to the polls Sunday for an election that Madrid hopes will unseat the region’s ruling separatists. Despite anticipation trailing the upcoming polls, Sunday’s vote could see a high level of abstentions as Spain battles a third wave of the pandemic, […]
Democracy Watch: What Is Going On In Chad?
Farida Adamu
Protests erupted in Chad after the Chadian president and head of the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement, Idriss Deby, announced his intention to run for office for a sixth term in the forthcoming April elections. Several arrests have been made including that of Mahamat Nour Ibedou, a prominent Chadian human rights activist. Issues to Consider Deby has been in power since […]