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I clearly had no idea what to name this entry. If you keep reading, you will understand why.

OPPOSITION PARTIES WANT ELECTION POSTPONED
At least 18 political parties are requesting a delay of tomorrow's presidential election. They filed papers in a Federal High Court on Thursday asking that the election be postponed pending their case and asked that the results from last weekend's elections be thrown out. Specifically, they claimed a case filed by the National Democratic Party (NDP) was not decided because a judge refused to hear the case, citing that time was too short. NDP's original suit pointed out that INEC was in violation of its mandate by failing to "to meet with various pre-conditions for the conduct of the poll including its inability to publish the Voter’s Register within the time limit stipulated by the Electoral Act 2006" among other things.

Last week, I had high hopes about A Unified Opposition but it is a shame that the opposition could not get their act together earlier. Now, it shall be constant and continuous whining about flawed elections, which true or not, could have been addressed and maybe even abated through proper planning and the creation of a political coalition.

AN IMPROMPTU PUBLIC HOLIDAY, AGAIN
The suit filed by the 18 opposition parties should have been filed earlier than Thursday because, today, Friday, April 20th, has been declared another public holiday. (Didn't I just discuss this in Another Public Holiday?) Consequently, courts are closed and any decision made by the Federal High Court will happen after tomorrow's election and could thus be rendered moot.

BALLOTS ARE YET TO ARRIVE FROM SA
Nevertheless, the opposition parties could get their wish. One day before presidential elections, ballots are yet to arrive from South Africa. INEC stated that Nigeria did not have the capacity to print 65 million new ballots within 3 days, thus the need to outsource the work to South Africa. But, please note that the new ballots do not have the names of the candidates on them, only the logos of their political parties.

INEC chairman, Mr. Iwu, declared that polling stations will open 2 hours late to accommodate for the delay.


Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria. Na wa oh!