Politics
The Unfinished Arab Spring
In 2011 when the popular uprising began in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria known as the “Arab Spring, most analysts thought it would spread throughout the Arab World but surprisingly it did not.
While it brought about changes in Tunisia and Egypt, that of Syria later snowballed into a civil war which terrorists such as ISIS capitalised on to create mayhem and mass killings.
However, nine years after, other Arab sit-tight dictators in Algeria and Sudan have had a taste of what a popular uprising looks like. Both Presidents, Abdulaziz Bourtoflika and Omar Al-Bashir were removed from office following months of protests without gunshots. All what was required were chants, strike actions and street demonstrations against injustice, corruption and an end to dictatorship. In essence, what the people wanted were changes in their economic situation and the restoration of democracy.
In Algeria, Abdulaziz Bouteflika who had already had a stroke and is wheel-chair bound refused every entreaty to step down due to his ill-health and inability to tackle the high unemployment issue affecting the country. To make matters even worse, despite his health condition and at the age of 82, he still wanted to contest for a fifth term in office after ruling the country for 20 years.
Though he is out of office, the protesters are still unrelenting and are calling for the removal from office, the old guard that has been ruling the country since its independence in 1962.
Likewise in Sudan, the protesters are also calling for the removal of all military presence in the proposed transition process. These calls are not without some merit as the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution has shown them that if proper safeguards are not put in place, Sudan or Algeria will end up in the hands of another military dictator who will hijack the revolution to perpetuate himself in power.
In most revolutions, those who topple and kill their opponents are likely to turn against their allies and people with equal vengeance. That’s why the protesters are saying that though some elements in the military were motivated by them to remove the former presidents from office they should handover the transition process to civilians to manage. Despite pleas so far, the protests are still ongoing.
Although the new political change is exciting, but its long term success depends on consistency and perseverance. This is because once there is any lapse in the coordination of the change made so far, the surviving elements in the status quo will re-strategise not only to survive but think of ways to use the system to either infiltrate the opposition movement and utilize the opportunities thus created to perpetuate themselves in power by removing their military toga and don civilian clothes to contest for the presidency as was done in Egypt.
One unique feature in the Sudanses uprising was that for the first time in the country’s history, Muslims had to invite the Christian minority population to join them and work as a team to fight for the restoration of freedom and true democracy.
Already because of the mounting pressure the military in both countries are in a dilemma. While in Algeria the head of the military Gaed Sala said they are looking for options to end the imbroglio as soon as possible, in Sudan all entreaties by the ruling military council to placate the opposition have been rebuffed.
In essence what this means is that there is high level of suspicion by leaders of the uprising that if they relent in their demands they might end up being fed the Egyptian menu… where those who led the uprising ended up behind bars.
What are the lessons that can be learnt from this second phase of the Arab awakening, especially in Africa as Sit-tight dictatorship seems to be on the wane?
Gadaffi is gone, likewise Robert Mugabe, Yahaya Jammeh is no more in office, the remaining presidents who for the last 20 to 30 years have been in power should start thinking of an exist route as to receive a soft landing. Meanwhile, Omar Albashir is now in a maximum prison in Sudan never to enjoy the trappings of power again. Maybe if he reflects over his mistakes, he will realize that his actions to cling on to power would eventually be fruitless as the momentum of the protest which started in December 2018 had no alternative than for him to relinquish power when the situation would have given him the opportunity to negotiate his exit with honour.
Maybe he thought he was a better politician than Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
One thing every African leader should begin to understand is that they should never take the people they rule for granted and overstay their terms in office. African leaders must as a matter of fact; especially for their own sake avoid being that to be disgraced at their old age, showed respect the constitution of their countries; respect the rule of law and learn to know when to quit office when the ovation is at a high crescendo.
A look at years past saw how presidents who were held in high esteem ended.
Laurent Gbagbo, Blaise compoare, Samuel Doe, Yahaya Jammeh, Mobutu Sese Seko, Idi Amin, Jean Bedel Bakassa, Kwarue Nkrumah, said Barre and Hastings kamuzu Banda. They all ended in disgrace or exile.
Hopeful the level of maturity shown by the protesters in Algeria and Sudan is an indication that popular protests don’t have to be bloody for a change of government as lot does not really, need gunships, civil war or killings. Once a people expresses their feelings as to have a change of government let both the government and the opposition sit down and negotiate on how to move the nation forward. No one individual has the monopoly of wisdom in ruling a country. This is because after being in power for over 20 or 30 years with no tangible development what than can a man in his 80’s offer in a modern society where youth now form the majority of the population.
Though every society has its own unique feature, one common denominator is that people need an infuse of new thoughts, technology and ways of doing things that are in tandem with modern realities. So the days of jackboot democracy are over. The people now have the destiny in their own hands and should not relent in their demand for a true democracy where the freedom to choose who rules is determined by the voters card and not the wishes of a cabal or one man sitting on a throne.
Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted on the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise yesterday (Sunday) despite calls by some opposition political parties and civil society organisations for an extension over concerns that millions of citizens could be excluded from the 2027 general elections.
In a notice issued on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the commission reminded the public that the exercise would end on Sunday, July 26, with designated registration centres open from 9am to 3pm.
“Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026,” the Commission stated.
INEC also reminded prospective voters that they could complete the registration process online through its dedicated CVR portal or visit designated INEC offices and registration centres nationwide for physical assistance.
The new Electoral Act stipulates that INEC is required to stop voter registration, updating and revision of the voters’ register 90 days before an election to allow for data clean-up, the printing of Permanent Voter Cards and other logistical preparations.
The law also requires the Commission to display the voters’ register for claims and objections within the stipulated period to enable eligible Nigerians to challenge omissions and errors and help ensure the credibility of the final register for the polls.
The INEC National Commissioner on Information and Voter Education, Mr Mohammed Haruna, told The Tide source that the Commission would not extend the deadline, stressing that the registration exercise had to close to allow the electoral body to begin cleaning the data already collected.
“By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There won’t be any extension. There are so many things that we need to do at the back end. We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won’t be able to produce a clean copy of what has been posted,” he said.
Mr Haruna explained that the commission’s Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department would begin processing the data immediately after the closure of the registration window.
He said INEC would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and remove multiple registrations before the provisional voters’ register is displayed for public scrutiny.
“We have this automatic biometric system that will check whether somebody has registered more than once. They will publish the register for claims and objections. That is, if anybody thinks a name shouldn’t be on the register, or if he has some claims, for instance, that his name has been omitted or some of his details are incorrect,” he said.
According to him, the final number of newly registered voters would only be known after the biometric verification and the claims and objections process.
“So, it’s after all that has been done that we will have a final figure, which we will now add to the existing 93 million or so. That will then become the voters’ register. We are mandated to give every political party a copy ahead of the election,” Mr Haruna added.
Responding to concerns over the number of Nigerians who may be excluded from the 2027 electoral process by the closure, the national commissioner said INEC could only account for eligible citizens who presented themselves for registration.
He added that the commission had recorded registrations through its online platform, physical registration centres and INEC offices across the 774 local government areas.
According to a public announcement signed by Mr Ariyo Rufus, Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity on behalf of Mr Oluwatoyin Babalola, the INEC Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the said exercise is aimed at assessing its operational readiness and testing the efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the governorship poll.
INEC stated that the exercise would simulate Election Day accreditation procedures but clarified that no voting would take place during the exercise.
The commission explained that “the mock accreditation would be conducted in selected polling units spread across the three senatorial districts of Osun State, covering Osun Central, Osun East and Osun West.
“In Osun Central Senatorial District, the selected local government areas are Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe, with designated polling units identified for the exercise.
“For Osun East Senatorial District, the exercise will take place in selected polling units across Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun local government areas.”
INEC also listed Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo local government areas as the selected councils for the mock accreditation exercise in Osun West Senatorial District.
The commission urged all registered voters whose polling units were selected to participate in the exercise, stressing that only holders of valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be accredited.
“This exercise is designed to test the functionality and efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under conditions similar to Election Day. There shall be no voting during the exercise,” the Commission stated.
INEC reaffirmed its appreciation to residents of Osun State for their continued cooperation and support throughout the electoral process.
INEC also assured political parties, the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders of the Commission’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election in Osun State.
Mr Dare made the remark while criticizing Alhaji Abubakar for hiring a United States of America lobbyist with $1.2 million, in preparation for the 2027 elections.
In a statement he personally signed, Mr Dare said the former vice president can’t take Nigeria down the path of self-destruction.
The statement read in part: “Worse still, for a man who presumes to offer leadership to Africa’s most populous nation, his recent resort to grievance offshoring, outsourcing political warfare to Washington and reportedly paying $1.2 million to an American lobbying firm to peddle petitions against a sitting Nigerian President, stands as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and a vote of no confidence in its democratic institutions.
“It is also a stinging slight, an implicit condescension directed at generations of Nigerian journalists, policy analysts, academics, and public intellectuals who have spent decades analysing, critiquing, and carrying the burden of the nation’s democratic evolution.
“The Atiku Abubakar of today cuts a pitiable figure, a grotesque portrait of what a politician becomes when ambition overwhelms judgment and every political faculty becomes programmed for self-destruction.
“No, Atiku cannot take Nigeria down that path with him. He must travel it alone. But first, Nigerians deserve Atiku Abubakar’s report card. Charity, they say, begins at home, not in Washington.
“Nigerians deserve to know whether the Atiku Abubakar who has long presented himself as a democrat is, in reality, a politician of many colours. He has erected for himself a throne built simultaneously on sand and bayonets. It is time to explode the bayonets.”