In some countries, political debates are often cumbersome to undertake. Nigeria is one of such countries because candidates in a Nigerian election are usually too many to engage in any meaningful debate. For Presidential elections alone, there were five candidates in 1979; six in 1983; 20 in 2003; 23 in 2007 and 19 this year. Nigeria has thus maintained a funny history of Presidential debates deviating from the envisaged format of diametrically-opposed viewpoints being canvassed at a time for meaningful comparison.

Yesterday, Nigerians went to the polls to begin the round of elections that would lead up to the presidential election this Saturday. Starting with the elections into the parliaments, these elections do highlight aspects of an emerging national electoral culture that we will need to think a bit more about in the future.

Dear reader, yes, yesterday, the first of the three-part elections this month was concluded. According to the election time-table released by the partially-dependent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), elections into the two chambers of the National Assembly were slated for yesterday, Saturday April 2, to be followed by the presidential election this Saturday, April 9.

Madam, is everything all right?” I asked a neighbour who I saw standing outside a nearby private hospital with one of her sons. “Hope no-one’s hurt.”

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubukar III, ranked the four leading presidential candidates as being able and qualified to lead the country. His bother, however, would be the post-election.

My last born is now 19 years old. He has just told me he will vote, but wants to know who to vote for. I said I thought Jonathan is a wimp. Buhari is arrogant, aloof and ignorant of his rigid wicked selectivity. Ribadu is a deluded megalomaniac. He basks in the power and privilege of his lineage and former office. Okotie is as pretentious now in his pronouncement as he was as a singer! So, brother, how do we help our son pick a candidate to give his vote? Give him a name please, not a guideline. He needs a voice to follow at this age. You are it! He believes in you!”

I think it is time we put these elections behind us! They are becoming highly distractive, especially to Mr. President. Nothing can be more distractive for a sitting and ‘performing’ President than being asked to tarry awhile so that some routine electoral imperatives of the democratic process are fulfilled. Mandate renewal, they call it. But I call it what it is: ‘waste time’ –and money!

Broad Street, in Lagos, might have been named just for the factual description of its being truly wide. Even by modern standards of an urban roadway, it covered some distance from one side to the other.

He was huge. The jacket he wore complemented his intimidating frame. His voice continuously soared. He was shouting instructions to the Eagles.

ONE chilly December night, 27 years ago, Emmanuel Chagu, former national basketball coach and I were reviewing Nigeria’s basketball over drinks at the Bauchi Sports Club. Chagu, he passed on some years back, charged my anticipation as he kept telling me he had a surprise for me.