On Ebola: We Have Been Lucky

Dr. Onyebuchi, Nigeria's Health Minister. Credits: newsnigeria.com

When the current wave of ebola epidemic began to claim lives by the hour in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia around March 2014, a handful of proactive Nigerians alerted the Federal Government and sought to know what measures were being put in place to ready the nation for any occurrence. In response, the government on April 2nd, 2014 through its Minister of Information informed Nigerians that there was no cause to worry, that Nigeria had put everything necessary in place to ensure that the virus does not get into Nigeria and that, should by a stroke of highly improbable magic, a minuscule of the virus disease stray into anywhere in Nigeria, we had in stock an endless supply of vaccines to make the virus regret its mistaken entry.

APC AND A LITTLE HISTORY OF PRIMARIES IN NIGERIA

APC Stalwarts. Credit: Dada...

The All Progressives Congress recently announced that it will be holding its presidential primaries in October 2014, adopting what it termed a modified direct primary. The nomination method adopted will see presidential aspirants within the party being voted for at a convention of party delegates elected from all states of the federation. The decision of the party aligns with the provisions of section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 which is the extant law governing the conduct of elections and related matters in Nigeria. While we await further announcements as to the specific date of the party’s convention as well as the expression of interests by all the presidential aspirants within the fold, a bit of history on the nomination of presidential candidates by Nigeria’s biggest political parties over the years is considered expedient.

The 1993 presidential elections widely adjudged as the most transparent elections in Nigeria yet, may be the best starting point for the brief recourse.