Teaching Comparative Government

The official date for campaigning by presidential candidates in Nigeria has come. Here's Buhari's opening speech. Buhari Launches Campaign Manual, Says - Let's Not Set Nigeria Ablaze The president spoke yesterday during the launching of his campaign… at the State House Villa, Abuja. "I am not unmindful that the National Assembly and the presidential campaign starts today… I will implore candidates to go about the campaigns peacefully and decently. We have no other country, let us not set it ablaze because of politics," he said. The occasion was attended by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha and other top government officials… Noting that the next four years will be quite significant for the country, Buhari said "Nigeria is faced with a choice to keep building a new Nigeria - making a break from its tainted past which favoured ...

Can an unexpected challenger break into the cycle of "big men" in Nigeria? Oby Ezekwesili to stand for president Nigeria's presidential election was shaping up to be a contest between two veteran male politicians, but the candidacy of Oby Ezekwesili could change that. Ezekwesili Women have run for the presidency before but she is the most prominent Nigerian woman to challenge for the top job… Ms Ezekwesili is well known for leading the #BringBackOurGirls campaign to help free the 276 girls kidnapped from Chibok, northern Nigeria, in 2014. She has also served as the country's education minister and vice-president of the World Bank. But come February's vote it will be a tough challenge to unseat incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, 75, or beat the main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, 72, who both have formidable party machines behind them… At the weekend, President Buhari was nominated by his All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Abubakar beat a field of ...

Could earthquakes affect Nigerian politics? Letter from Africa: The link between earth tremors, God and Nigeria's elections In our series of letters from Africa, Nigerian writer and novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani considers why some earth tremors in Nigeria's capital caused such a stir. Sometime in the early hours of 6 September, I was tucked in bed at home in Abuja when, suddenly, a slight trembling seemed to sway the building from side to side… Later that day, frantic phone calls from friends checking to make sure that I was fine made me realise that what had simply been a mild trembling in my area was more tremulous in certain parts of the city… A few days after the earth tremors, which were felt in different parts of Abuja between 5 September and 8 September, the government released a statement to reassure residents that there was nothing to worry about… The National Space and Research Development Agency (NASRDA) assured Abuja residents that there was no cause for alarm...

A possible election in the UK may be scheduled at the time of an election in the USA. British PM Theresa May 'planning snap election' in November British Prime Minister Theresa May is planning an early general election in November to save her leadership and to prevent the collapse of talks with European leaders over Britain's exit from the bloc, according to a report by the Sunday Times newspaper. The report comes just days after EU leaders rejected the Conservative party leader's preferred plan for leaving the EU, the so-called Chequers agreement. Under that plan, the United Kingdom would enter into a free trade area with the European Union, which would have common rules and standards in several major industries, and maintain customs duties regulations but end freedom of movement between EU member states and the UK. EU leaders dismissed the proposals as unworkable at a meeting they attended with May in Salzburg earlier this week. The Sunday Times spoke to two senior ...

Which action is most unlikely? Counting votes that were not cast or the Communist Party demanding a fair election? (Are my Cold War biases showing?) Russian communist hunger strike over 'rigged' far east vote An opposition candidate has gone on hunger strike in the far east of Russia after suddenly losing a key regional election that he was poised to win. With more than 95% of votes counted in the Primorye region, the communist Andrei Ishchenko had a five-point lead. But during the night his pro-Putin rival Andrei Tarasenko overtook him. Protest in Vladivostok On Facebook Mr Ishchenko urged his supporters to protest in Vladivostok, saying "our votes are being stolen". The communists are taking legal action. Mr Ishchenko said the party's legal service was preparing formal protests over the results in several districts: Artyom, Ussuriysk, Nakhodka, and Sovietskiy, which is in Vladivostok. "We won't go away until we see fair election results!" he said. ...

Not everyone in the All Progressives Congress (APC) agrees that a direct primary is the best way to choose their presidential candidate. Buhari is likely to win such a primary, but not everyone likes that prospect. APC Adopts Direct Primary For Presidential Ticket 31 August 2018 The All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen the modus operandus for the emergence of its presidential candidate following its adoption of direct election for the presidential primary poll. The party, which arrived at this decision during its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting… 5 September 2018 Defection: Six APC Governors, Others to Join Us Soon - PDP Nigeria's main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has concluded discussions with six governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 27 of its members in the National Assembly to defect to the PDP. PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the planned defectors have secured the mandates of their constituents to make the ...

I guess it takes a visit from the UK's PM to get the British press to write about Nigeria. Political intrigue swirls around Buhari as May arrives in Nigeria It is Theresa May’s first visit to Nigeria, but Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian president, has made many trips to the UK over the past two years. However, while May was greeted by drummers and a red carpet, Buhari has kept as low a profile as possible on his UK visits. The septuagenarian president spent three months in London in 2017 on sick leave with an unknown illness thought to be cancer. He was not seen for two months and his aides refused to say what was wrong with him. His deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, ran the country in his absence. Buhari’s health appears to have improved since, though he almost never speaks to the media so it is difficult to judge. Political intrigue is thickening ahead of next year’s presidential election. Buhari has announced he will run again, but there has been a spate of defections from his party, the A...

Politicians in Nigeria are choosing sides in preparation for next year's elections. 15 APC senators dump party Fourteen senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday defected from their party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The senators in a joint letter to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, made their intention known. The letter reads: Dear Senate President, After due consultation, with our constituents and stakeholders in our constituency, in proper recognition section 16 (1G) of the 1999 constitution, and for the fact of our party, The All Progressives Congress… We hereby inform you that we are changing our political affiliation from APC to PDP. We thank you for your exemplary leadership. Congress… In a follow-up announcement, Mr Saraki said another senator, Abdulazaz Nyako, has also announced his defection… 37 House of Reps members dump APC Nigeria House of Representatives A total of 37 members of the House of Representatives have defected from Nigeria’...

Presidential politics in Nigeria still revolve around "big men," the personalities of the wheeler-dealers. New Nigeria PDP-led alliance aims to defeat Buhari Nigeria's main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) has formed an alliance with dozens of other parties in a bid to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in next year's election. The coalition, including a faction of the governing party, plans to field a single candidate. They say they want to "rescue the nation from further decline"… A similar coalition of opposition parties, which backed Mr Buhari, was largely responsible for the defeat of then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections, says the BBC's Ishaq Khalid in the capital Abuja… The 39-party alliance, called the Coalition of United Political Party, says it wants to form a government of national unity… The president's supporters say his agricultural reforms, infrastructure investment and the current rise in global oil p...

Mexico's newly elected president has run for this office twice before. Will this result be a charm or another disappointment? López Obrador, an Atypical Leftist, Wins Mexico Presidency in Landslide Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by rampant corruption and violence, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico on Sunday, in a landslide victory that upended the nation’s political establishment and handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country… AMLO, president of Mexico The outcome represents a clear rejection of the status quo in the nation, which for the last quarter century has been defined by a centrist vision and an embrace of globalization that many Mexicans feel has not served them. The core promises of Mr. López Obrador’s campaign — to end corruption, reduce violence and address Mexico’s endemic poverty — were immensely popular with voters, but they come with questions he and his new government may struggle to answer… He won by captur...

Chinese leaders want people to forget about June 4. Many people in Nigeria want June 12 to be commemorated. Nigerians want June 12 general elections taught in schools Some Nigerians have called for the introduction of June 12, 1993 general election into the nation’s history curriculum for both secondary schools and tertiary institutions… The call is coming on the heels of the 20th anniversary of June 12 presidential election slated for Tuesday, which was presumed to have been won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Abiola. Mr Abdullahi Haruna, a Public affairs Analyst, said that in spite of the long period before the pronouncement, introducing it as part of the country`s historical study would help the youths to understand the history behind the event. He noted that the annulled presidential election and the attendant controversy must be taught in Nigerian schools to draw the needed lesson that would help the country in the future... Mrs Dorcas Joseph, a lawyer also called on ...

Some people in Mexico are serious about exposing online political manipulation. Mexico election: Concerns about election bots, trolls and fakes Political parties in Mexico are using bots and fake accounts in an attempt to influence voter behaviour and in some cases spread false stories ahead of the country's presidential elections on 1 July, according to researchers, journalists and activists… Samantha Bradshaw, a researcher with Oxford University's Computational Propaganda Project, has been tracking automated accounts, or bots, which attempt to manipulate public opinion by boosting the popularity of social media posts. But there are other tricks deployed in aid of politicians. "Troll farms"… are run by actual humans, each of which might control dozens or hundreds of accounts. And often accounts are semi-automated, pumping out messages with a mix of computer power and human know-how… In a paper published in 2017, Bradshaw along with researcher Philip Howard, conclud...

Strict laws about campaign financing don't mean much without enforcement. Mexican campaigns awash with dirty money, pre-election report finds For every peso spent by Mexican parties on campaigning and reported to electoral authorities, another 15 pesos goes unreported, according to a new study showing that the country’s political campaigns are awash in cash from dubious sources. The report, published… by the anti-graft group Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity, comes four week’s before the country’s presidential elections… Mexican political parties are showered with public funding and electoral laws impose strict spending limits in election campaigns. But individual campaigns regularly race past those limits while illegal money can also come from corrupt local governments, businessmen buying future concessions and contracts, and even drug cartels. Until 2000, the outcome of Mexican elections were never in doubt as the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) ruled uninterrupt...

Washington Post reporter Erin Cunningham offers this perspective on the race for president in Iran. His nuclear deal and economy are crumbling, but don’t write off Iran’s president yet The Iranian president’s signature achievement, a landmark nuclear deal with world powers, is starting to unravel, and his economy is in distress even before renewed U.S. sanctions begin to bite, with Iran’s currency swooning to record lows against the dollar. His domestic opponents are clamoring for his resignation… Longtime observers say it is far too early to count Rouhani out. They point to his skills as a shrewd political operator, honed over decades as a government insider, as well as his long-standing ties to Iran’s ruling clerics. For now, Iran’s pragmatist president continues to enjoy the support of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who wields the ultimate authority in the country… The mild-mannered Rouhani, a rotund cleric known for his constant smile, put a fresh, moderate face on Iran’s foreign...

There may be a constitutional issue facing the government and the legislature in Nigeria. [ See Nigeria's constitution (search for "electoral" to learn what powers the constitution gives to the Independent National Electoral Commission.)] Why Nigeria’s battle over the order of the 2019 elections matters As politicians start announcing their candidacies and parties begin devising their platforms ahead of Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, a few crucial details remain in the air. Due to a political tug of war in Abuja, it is still unclear when exactly voters will go to the ballot and in what order they will be held. Nigerian polling place In January, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released its election timetable. It announced that the presidential and National Assembly polls would be held on 16 February, with the governorship and state assembly elections to take place on 2 March. But in February, Nigeria’s National Assembly – comprised of the Sen...

A candidate without a party might upset Mexican presidential election. Mexico adds fifth name to presidential ballot despite fake signatures Mexico’s electoral tribunal has included a colourful independent candidate on the ballot for this July’s presidential election, despite the fact 58% of the signatures supporting his nomination were invalidated. Jaime Rodríguez In a midnight ruling on Monday, the tribunal found in favour of Jaime Rodríguez, a cowboy turned state governor better known as “El Bronco”, allowing him to become the fifth candidate in the election. Analysts said that his inclusion in the race, potentially pulls votes from the current frontrunner, Andrés Manuel López Obrador – a leftwing populist who courts the same anti-system voters as Rodríguez… Three candidates achieved the 866,593 signatures – or 1% of the voters’ list – necessary to register. Two of them were disqualified for turning in signatures deemed fake or otherwise inadmissible. Left off the ballot was María...

Politics can be a deadly business in Mexico — especially for local candidates Widespread killings of candidates cast shadow over Mexican elections Authorities have confirmed the slayings of at least 30 candidates, according to Alfonso Navarrete, Mexico's interior secretary. Some reports indicate the toll since last year may be almost twice as high. The killings — mostly of local candidates in provincial areas far from the Mexican capital — form a chilling backdrop to the July 1 elections, which include races for president, Congress and local posts across the country. In all, more than 3,000 offices are up for grabs, the most ever on a single day. The slain candidates represented a range of political affiliations and movements, suggesting that the killings are more about local power grabs and gang rivalries than national conflicts among parties… Most of the killings have garnered little attention from national news outlets, which are heavily focused on the presidential contenders,...

In Nigeria, the presidential election campaign is now underway, even though Buhari is the only announced candidate so far. Since political parties are fluid and non-ideological, what opposition is Buhari likely to face? Nigeria's Buhari to run in 2019 elections Buhari Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will be seeking a second term in office in elections due next year, his office has said. It ends months of speculation about whether the 74-year-old leader plans to run for re-election. His first term has been beset by poor health, which saw him spend months in the UK last year receiving treatment [for an unidentified ailment]. Mr Buhari defeated former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election. He was the first opposition leader to defeat an incumbent in Nigeria… Mr Buhari was on "medical leave" in the UK for three months early last year. He revealed after his return to Nigeria that "I have never been so sick", but did not disclose what he was suffering ...

The presidential election in Mexico will be held July 1, 2018. This year, you'll know something about what the results mean when you read about them during the first week in July. Mexican leftist has 18-point lead as campaign kicks off - poll Mexican left-wing presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has an 18-point lead ahead of the July 1 election, according to a poll published on Monday that showed him with a growing advantage at the start of formal campaigning. Lopez Obrador Lopez Obrador, who launched his campaign on Sunday, holds 38 percent of the vote, according to the poll by Parametria, published by Reuters… A Lopez Obrador victory could usher in a Mexican government less accommodating toward the United States… Neither second-place Ricardo Anaya nor third-place Jose Antonio Meade showed any sign of catching up with former Mexico City mayor Lopez Obrador… Anaya, running for the right-left “For Mexico in Front” coalition, holds 20 percent of vote preferences… ...