Nigeria Democracy

RevisitedMarch 15, 2012

Julius Akinyemi at GHS, Greenwich, CT

Historical recap – Nigeria a young democracy handicapped with excessive wealth and political leadership’s self interest nurtured by military in transition government.

NIGERIA POPULATION

YEAR MILLIONS

1971 55.1

1980 71.1

1990 94.5

2000 124.8

2004 138.0

2008

2012

151

160 (est)

Source: Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics

GDP: $414.5 billion (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 31

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.4%industry: 33.6%services: 31% (2011 est.)

Oil - production: 2.458 million bbl/day (2010 est.)country comparison to the world: 11

GDP/CAPTAL: $2,600 (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 174

Labor force: 51.53 million (2011 est.)agriculture: 70%industry: 10%services: 20% (Best est.)Population below poverty line: 70%Oil - exports: 2.102 million bbl/day (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 9

Population below poverty line: 70%

The Wealth of the Nation and its Disparity

Source : NNBS

Source: National Election Coalition

Preliminary parliamentary poll results revealing big losses for the ruling

party show Nigeria "has changed", an analyst has told the BBC.

High-profile PDP casualties include speaker of the lower house Dimeji Bankole and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo's daughter in the senate.

“But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.”

..Montesquieu

The current ruling party has been in power post military regimes, can they be Defeated?

Nigeria election: Buhari party to challenge results

“The runner-up in Nigeria's presidential poll, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, has said there were widespread irregularities in Saturday's election.” -BBC- 4/20/11

“The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles” ..Montesquieu

Source: Mapsofworld.com

The Unwritten Politics of Leadership and National Character

The need for Financial Discipline and Open Government to

eliminate corruption

ExxonMobil = 95,500tonsShell = 5,500tons ===========Total Spills = 101,000tons ===========

US Golf of Mexico = 45tons

Nigeria 2010/2011 Oil spills:

Source: List of oil spills, Wikipedia

Nigeria in A Lawless State?

11 dead, 22 injured in Jos blast

Daily Times 3/11/2012

Nigerian Islamists kill Briton, Italian

Daily Times-3/8/2012

the menace of Boko Haram in the country

must be brought to an end. Sahara Reporter 2/15/2012

Independence Day Bombing

Thisdayonline 10/2/2010

Nigeria is winning the war – Jonathan

MEND Vs

Boko HaramSuspected Boko Haram sect members. (Photo Courtesy Leadership)

Source: YNaija

POLITICS, RELIGION AND/OR ECONOMICS?

"The spirit of inequality arises when citizens no longer identify

their interests with the interests of their country“ -Montesquieu

Appendix

Population155,215,573 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure0-14 years: 40.9% (male 32,476,681/female 31,064,539) 15-64 years: 55.9% (male 44,296,228/female 42,534,542) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,341,228/female 2,502,355) (2011 est.)Median agetotal: 19.2 years male: 19.2 years female: 19.3 years (2011 est.)Birth rate35.51 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)Death rate16.06 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)Urbanizationurban population: 50% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratioat birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.)Infant mortality ratetotal: 91.54 deaths/1,000 live births male: 97.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 85.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 47.56 years male: 46.76 years female: 48.41 years (2011 est.)Total fertility rate4.73 children born/woman (2011 est.)Ethnic groupsNigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

ReligionsMuslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%LanguagesEnglish (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languagesLiteracydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 8 years (2005)

People's Democratic Party (PDP):

PDP is one of the major political parties of Nigeria. It has won all the presidential elections held in the country after the military rule ended in 1999. Olusegun Obasanjo and Late Umaru Yar'Adua were two candidates of this party who won the earlier presidential elections. The party has a market-driven approach for the economy. In terms of social issues, the party maintains a conservative stand on several issues, including homosexuality. PDP adopts a somewhat leftist stand when it comes to welfare and poverty. During its rule, the president launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which is a first in the country. The party's presidential candidate for the 2011 elections is Goodluck Jonathan.

All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP):

This is another major political party in Nigeria. In the 2007 elections, the party had won about 27% of the popular votes and also won 92 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, ANPP won 27 of the total 109 seats. One of the biggest achievements of the party has been wining the governor election in Kano state, where it defeated the ruling PDP candidate. ANPP has a right-wing conservative ideology and has a mass appeal, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN):

This party was formed with the merger of several parties, including Advance Congress of Democrats, Justice Party and Alliance for Democracy. The party has a strong presence in Nigeria's south-west, mid-west and north central regions. From these areas, the party has a total of 4 governors, 3 senators and 2 representatives to the state houses. In the 2007 assembly elections, the party won 32 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives and 6 members in the Senate.

Progressive People's Alliance (PPA):

This is another major political party in Nigeria. During the 2003 and 2007 governor polls, it won in the state of Abia and Imo. After the 2007 elections, the party agreed to join the government run by Late President Umaru Yar'Adua.

Communist Party of Nigeria:

Founded in 1960, this party was inspired by the Communist Party of Great Britain. The party has however, remained isolated from other countries where the communists are in power.

Democratic People's Party:

This party was founded in 2006 by members who were dissatisfied with the All Nigeria People Party. In the 2007 presidential election, the party's candidate, Attahiru Bafarawa, came last. The party also failed to win a single seat in the election for the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Labor Party:

Formed in 2002, this party won one seat in the House of Representatives in the 2007 elections. However, the party does not have a strong political structure and so members like Olusegun Mimiko allied with the Action Congress in the run up to the elections.

End