Iwuchukwu: The 2011 presidential election

Guardian

25 April 2011

Iwuchukwu: The 2011 presidential election

By Val Iwuchukwu

 “BUHARI would have written his name in gold if he had accepted the result, congratulated Jonathan and joined hands in nation building….GEJ would still win comfortably in South South and South East regions even without malpractices, but not sure of what the result will look like in the North, PDP decided to live up to their reputation of election rigging”--- Chief Victor Umeh, national chairman of APGA was reacting to the violence that erupted in six Northern states following the declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan as President elect.

I do not get Chief Umeh well here for it is like beating a child and forcibly preventing the child from crying. Mohammadu Buhari has disassociated himself from the violence saying that it is unwarranted and condemnable. The US State Department while congratulating the President, INEC and Nigerian people for a successful Presidential election noted that all hands must be on deck to check intimidation, under age voters, violence, ballot stuffing, inordinate and irreconcilable high turn-out, but the US government considers this a substantial improvement from 2007 elections.

The National Emergency Management Agency said about 65,500 persons are displaced of which over 31,000 are displaced in Kaduna State alone. The agency noted that the situation is creating a refugee situation in Anambra and Imo States.