Ibadan NGO leads conversation on US vs Nigeria elections

The United States of America’s presidential election always attracts massive global attention and the Nigerian public is not excluded. A public enlightenment on the elections was organised on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Themed ‘Elections in United States of America and Nigeria: Understanding and Celebrating the Differences’, the event, which had in attendance 65 young people and adults, featured panel discussion, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Debate screening and a scene from one of Nigeria’s presidential debate, amongst other activities.

According to ‘Sola Fagorusi, programmes and media manager of Onelife Initiative for Human Development, the programme was designed to have the Nigerian public abreast of a major political happening in a today’s global village and to also allow public discuss on the subject.

A presentation titled US Presidential Election: The Basics was given by Dayo Ogunbowale; public affairs analyst and convener, Change Nigeria Alliance. The Electoral College and Popular Vote peculiarity of the US elections and fixed election dates were some of the areas he offered illuminations on.

The panelists — Temitayo Olofinlua, freelance writer; Ademola Adesola, public affairs analyst and teacher; Aderonke Ige, head of programmes, Community Service as Alternative to Imprisonment Programme at the JDPC, Ibadan and Gboyega Tokunbo, a peace and humanitarian professional — offered various shades of opinions on the differences between elections and the electoral system in both countries and the role of the electorates in making the system better.

Adesola cited an instance of an electorate in the US who recently took the electoral body to court upon omission of his name in the voter register. Campaign fund transparency, independence of the electoral body and other institutions, the role of security apparatuses and the place of the media were addressed in the discussion’s spectrum.

Put together by Onelife Initiative for Human Development, an Ibadan-based non-governmental organisation with the partnership of the American Corner, Ibadan, and the Nigeria Society for Information, Arts and Culture, the event was described by a participant as “informative and interactive”.  Young people were encouraged to incorporate participatory approach into students’ governance to aid quick adaptation of such lifestyles.

Adejoke Scott-Emuakpor of the American Corner, Ibadan, also encouraged students and staff of Starlite College and St. Catherine’s College, Ibadan, to share with their colleagues the new learning from the event.