Nigerian Election Hotline
The Open Society has funded a website on the Nigerian Elections called the “Nigerian Elections Hotline” which is resource for up to the minute reports around the elections with contributions from Nigerian journalists around the country.
Nigeria Election Hotline is moderated by the newsletter Africa Confidential and funded by the Open Society Institute. It is edited by Laolu Akande and written by reporters in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt, among other locations. Although we will generally include a writer’s name with a story, from time to time, in the interests of his or her safety, we may choose to publish a story anonymously
Another election site is “The Network of Mobile Election Monitors of Nigeria” (NMEM) which uses mobile technology by Kiwanja.net. This is an example of using mobile phone technology for monitoring political activity, facilitating social change and activism in general. A really exciting project. I will be attending a conference in Nairobi at the end of may on Pan African mobile technology activism so more on that during the conference.
The Network of Mobile Election Monitors of Nigeria (NMEM) have recently implemented kiwanja’s FrontlineSMS system and will be using the software from Saturday 21st April to monitor the country’s Presidential Elections. Volunteer observers will text their observations into the FrontlineSMS hub where the election process will be monitored. kiwanja has provided free technical support and advice, as well as use of the software, to the Nigerian NGO.
On the reporting of the elections by Nigerian bloggers Grandiose Parlor has a commented on the lack of posts from Nigerian bloggers. He is firstly annoyed at the statements by various Nigerians and non-Nigerians of ” I am not surprised ”
Why would bloggers (and some non bloggers) react to the Nigerian elections with this statement: “Oh, I’m not surprised.” I have read and heard quite a bit this line and it makes me want to yell: I AM!!!
I guess he could include me in that group though I dont use the words “not surprised” I do say “predictable” which just about means the same thing. However its not really the point whether one is surprised or the outcomes are predictable, but the fact that so few Nigerian bloggers are actually writing about the elections and on this “Apathy” I have to agree with him and his comment that at the very least link to those few blogs that have written something ( a list below and apologies if I missed out anyone).
If 70 year old men and women spent hours in the sun waiting to vote, if foreign observers dodged bullets and confronted teargas fumes to capture the “tone of the elections,” then Nigerian bloggers have no excuse!
For the sake of those men and women that voted, the least Nigerian bloggers can do at this time is do a post on the elections – if you can’t write, link to another blog or a news site that has something relevant on the elections.
Here are some Nigerian bloggers who have posted on the elections:
Aba Boy
African Shirts
Ijebuman’s Diary
Musings of a Naijaman
Ore’s Notes,
The World According to Adure
Reality
Omodudu
Life’s a Beach
Chippla’s Weblog
Akin
Chxta
Unilag Faces - a blog by some students of Univeristy of Lagos, has nothing to say about the elections which I find very strange and rather sad.
Sphere: Related Content
This blog covers well the elections in Nigeria. I host a community radio show in Montréal (Canada) and i’ll tell the listeners to take a look at your blog in order to get more info on the elections.
Addax@ great thank you!
what exactly do you want us to report? All the mess going on? What do you report when there is actually no election in most part of the country? People willing to follow the election should visit the websites of major newspapers here. As I for me, I don’t think I want to waste my time on the sham called Election.
Bola@ Did you post this comment just to advertise your money making online ventures part of which is to earn money from Google Ads which appear to dominate your site! Sham indeed!
A NIGERIAN FOR SALE
As Nigerian president opened his glasses case this morning, I new I was in for a change of nationality even before he started reading with his strong Nigerian accent. Strong than mine, of course, for i am an American of Nigeria origin.
Sorry to render my brief biography. It’s an advertisement for a potential bidder. I am for sale, If I were to remain associated with – according to the African Muslim portal http://www.esinislam.com – ‘that sick giant of Africa’. No, to correct those Jihadist Muslims, Nigeria is not a sick giant. It has never been a giant. And with elections like these, there is no way Nigeria would ever become a giant.
This by the African Muslim site esinislam is a self-proclamation. To say it’s sick. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes…..
My country, Nigeria is a sick nation. Therefore, I am here for swap to a healthy one. Not Darfur, by the way. I am not suitable to face apartheid in South Africa either. Mugabe’s home? May be a very Afro wife from Rhodesia.
Notice, I said wife because the African Muslims like the London based African Sheikh of esinislam.com Sheikh Adelabu may condemn me to Hell for otherwise.
May be it’s not Nigeria that’s sick after all. It’s its people. Obasajo, Sheikh Adelabu, Atiku, Gani Fawehinmo, Babangida, Ojukwu, Adedibu… Can anyone tell me who is not a fit citizen of Nigeria?
I hereby seek not to be part of a sick Nigeria.
Hi Sokari –
Thinking alot about Nigeria right now and trawling the blogosphere for discussions about the elections instead of going to bed… here’s wishing and hoping for the best tomorrow.
This post covers alot of ground and I am impressed by what has been happening and what has been covered in blogs over the last few days. You didn’t mention http://www.greenlightnigeria.org above unless I missed it – it’s worth monitoring for some pretty amazing voices from Nigeria.
There are some really interesting audio, video and text blogs being posted there, both through the site and uploaded by people in Nigeria witnessing events there and interviewing people.
I hope you will see Kim in Nairobi – she will be attending an elearning conference there near the time of the mobile advocacy conference you are putting on, and might be able to stay on for it. I think she is in contact with you guys about it.
All the best –
Tobias
Sokari,
I really don’t know when posting a comment on an issue became a cheap advert for my site. You raised an issue and I am giving you my own opinion and all you thought I was doing was advertising my site? Not good a response from you.
I am based in Lagos and I know what is happening, you are FAR away and you think all I have said is NAUGHT? Probably you should have been right here to see all that is going on. Just like Samson said, NIGERIA IS SICK! I am a positive fellow and I still believe things can still get better, but the whole lot of Self Improvement gurus, Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor et al, would have become sick were they to be Nigerians.
I am not for deception Ma’am, the Election is a SHAM! No BETTER word to describe it.
Cheers!
Bola@ Great – best of luck!
Checked out unilag faces blog the site has nothing to do with nigeria so it shouldnt come as a suprise that there’s nothing about the elections there
No election was held should you demand a comment from somebody like me.people were not allowed to vote,harrassed,what else.i said so to STV reporters @ unilag even before the rubbish that the way things are going, there would be no true and fair election,i face a lot of comment from my area politicians that i was being biased.see the outcome every where.