By Don Okereke
Preamble:
Similar to a nation gearing up for war, the Nigerian space, political entropy is usually supercharged during elections and the 2019 general election is no exception. There is hysteria in the air as if the country is going to implode. Land and sea borders are shut preparatory to elections. The frenzy takes a toll on businesses, foreign direct investment (FDI) plummets and the Stock exchange bottoms out. To give us an idea, the volume of shares traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in January 2019 dropped by 42.38 per cent. Analysts attributed this to ‘’uncertainties surrounding the forthcoming general elections’’. The latent hostility in Nigeria exacerbated when few hours to the commencement of voting, Nigeria’s federal election umpire - the INEC bandied - ‘’logistics and operational problems’’ – as reason for postponing the 2019 presidential and national assembly/gubernatorial elections by one week. This set the stage for series of shoddy, inconclusive elections unprecedented in the annals of the country.
- DON OKEREKE, SECURITY ANALYST/CONSULTANT
- Nigeria Watch International
- Posted On
