Ghana: Five Presidential Candidates Disqualified
Conrad Omodiagbe
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), has announced that 12 presidential aspirants have been given the green light to contest in the country’s upcoming general elections scheduled for December 7, 2020. Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the Chairperson for the Commission, Jean Mensa, made the announcement for the clearance and disqualification of candidates […]
Guinea: Opposition Candidate Claims Victory
Conrad Omodiagbe
The opposition candidate in Guinea, Cellou Dalein Diallo, has declared himself the winner of the recently concluded presidential elections which took place in the West African state on Saturday. This move has now set the stage for a showdown between him and the country’s incumbent, President Alpha Condé. Diallo made the announcement the Monday after […]
What Happened in New Zealand Elections?
Farida Adamu
The incumbent Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, has won a second term in office following elections which held last Saturday. Ms Ardern’s victory at the poll has been widely described as the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in many decades. What The Numbers Say PM Ardern’s Labour Party won by a 49.1% margin while the opposition centre-right National Party won by 26.8% in Saturday’s poll. With […]
Democracy Watch: What is Going on in Nigeria?
Farida Adamu
Protests erupted across major cities in Nigeria over human rights abuses perpetrated by a special unit of the Nigerian Police Force. The movement, with the hashtag #EndSARS which became the number one trending issue globally on 9th October 2020, calls for the complete disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS, a special unit of the Nigeria police which was created […]
Nigeria: Candidates For Another Off-Cycle Election
Conrad Omodiagbe
In another off-cycle election in Nigeria (similar to the recently held Edo State governorship polls), the people of Ondo State are set to visit the polls on Saturday in a hotly contested election that could see the arrival of a new governor in the state. As officially announced in August, the Independent National Electoral Commission […]
Nigeria: Opposition Party Talks 2023 Election
Conrad Omodiagbe
The main opposition party in Nigeria, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has shown its support for former Vice President and its 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, stating that it would be open to fielding him again in 2023 if he shows interest. Making this known after a two-hour party meeting held at Ramat House in […]
Nigeria: Election Candidates Sign Peace Accord
Conrad Omodiagbe
As the people of Ondo State (southwestern region of Nigeria) prepare to march to the polls for the governorship election scheduled for October 10, 2020, candidates participating in the election have signed a peace pact as part of efforts to ensure that the poll remains credible and violence-free. At the ceremony which was organised as […]
US: Surge in Early Voting with 4 Million So Far
Conrad Omodiagbe
Early voting numbers ahead of the November 3 US Presidential Elections seem to indicate a high interest in the polls. Over 4 million Americans have voted in what is set to be a tight race between incumbent President Donald Trump and his opponent, Joe Biden. According to figures provided by the United States Elections Project, […]
Uganda’s Removal of Presidential Age Limit
Conrad Omodiagbe
Ahead of Uganda’s 2021 Presidential election, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has dismissed a case against incumbent Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, paving the way for the leader who has been in power for 34 years to contest at the polls. Sitting in Tanzania, the EACJ’s three-judge panel was led by Justice Monica Mugenyi, […]
Why Myanmar’s New Voting App Is Under Fire
Conrad Omodiagbe
A mobile phone app produced ahead of Myanmar’s November 8 elections to provide voters with information about candidates and the electoral process has recently come under fire for its use of a derogatory label for candidates who are Rohingya Muslims. The app, mVoter 2020, which was introduced less than a week ago, is a collaborative […]
Here’s Why Zimbabwe Suspended Elections
Conrad Omodiagbe
In a move that has been described as anti-democratic, Zimbabwe has suspended parliamentary and council by-elections originally scheduled for December, as well as any other election process indefinitely, as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Health Minister of the country, on Friday, amended the 2020 Public […]
Guinea Called Out On Pre-Election Violence
Conrad Omodiagbe
In a report released less than two weeks to the definitive presidential elections in Guinea, Amnesty International has revealed that over 50 people have died over the past year in various crackdowns on protests against a bill that allowed incumbent President Alpha Conde’s run for a third term. The report entitled: “Marching to their Deaths: […]
Tanzania: Opposition Campaign Suspended
Farida Adamu
The main opposition presidential candidate in Tanzania, Tundu Lissu, has been suspended from election campaign activities. Mr Lissu was accused of making seditious statements during one of his rallies. This move comes few weeks before Tanzania’s presidential polls scheduled for 28 October 2020. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) said, in a statement, that it had received […]
What Happened in Kyrgyzstan Elections?
Farida Adamu
The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, otherwise known as the supreme council elections, held on the 4th of October 2020. The elections which were highly contested by opposition groups who had called for a postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic had 16 parties are competing for the 120 seats in the legislature. The current parliament is dominated by a coalition […]
Trump: Could COVID-19 Work Against Him?
Farida Adamu
On October 2, 2020, the world was greeted with the news that the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus disease, exactly a month to the highly-anticipated elections where he will be running for a second term in office. This news comes a few days after the presidential […]
Nigeria at 60: Memorable Election Moments
Conrad Omodiagbe
It was just after midnight on October 1, 1960, in Lagos, when the official green-white-green flag of Nigeria was holstered up for the first time, replacing the British Union Jack. This act signalled a new dawn for the country and its people. Following the handover to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the country’s new prime minister, Nigeria […]
Nigeria: Opposition Candidate Looks To The Law
Conrad Omodiagbe
Almost two weeks after the hotly contested Edo state governorship elections in Nigeria, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu who ran under the former ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) at the polls, has hinted at the possibility that he might challenge the outcome of the election which saw his opponent win a second term in office. Revealing […]
US Announces Changes To Presidential Debate
Conrad Omodiagbe
With just a month left to the US presidential elections scheduled to hold on November 3, 2020, the commission in charge of the presidential debates has announced a decision to change its debate format to ensure order between candidates moving forward. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a non-partisan body that has organised and overseen […]
Nigeria: Party Suspends Sitting Governor
Conrad Omodiagbe
A faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) political party in Nigeria has suspended a state governor, Kayode Fayemi, (governor of Ekiti State) over allegations which include funding the campaign of candidates running under the umbrella of the party’s biggest opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In a statement released by the Ekiti state […]