LET us begin with a comparison by taking a short trip down memory lane. Our comparison makes a strong statement about the democratic credentials of both individuals involved and, to some extent, their relative suitability for the position of president for which they both sought the support of Nigerians recently.

IN an ethnically-alert Nigeria, the people of the Niger-Delta, particularly Bayelsa, must feel proud of the achievement of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was three days ago sworn in as Nigeria’s 13th president.

COMING into office on the crest of populist clamour it was natural for Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State, to respond to public adulation via a populist gesture.

THE Federal Government last week inaugurated a 22-man probe panel that would conduct full scale investigation of the ‘remote and immediate’ causes of the violence that followed the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in parts of the North last month.

FINALLY the 2011 presidential election will end in the same place the last two previous presidential elections ended: At the electoral petition tribunal. With the generally favourable comments from local and foreign observers concerning the elections, one would have thought things would go differently this time around.

THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party went into the last National Assembly elections that had the effect of a hurricane on its house of cards with a sense of hubris.

APPARENTLY exasperated by the shenanigans of the Sani Abacha junta to both extend the life of their regime and, as well, transform the head of the junta into a civilian president, assassinated Attorney General of the Federation and former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, had chosen to sit back and watch or, as he had put it in earthy pidgin, ‘siddon look’ at how things would end with the Abacha political programme and its ‘five fingers of a leprous hand’, a clear reference to the five political parties that were hurriedly clobbered together to smoothen Abacha’s transformation agenda.

THE grand charade called elections into the National Assembly, the first of the series of national elections lined for April, took place last weekend.

IN Nigeria, allegations of corruption have in recent past placed the role of election tribunal in jeopardy. Election petitions, just like the ordinary day-to-day civil cases, are intended to be dealt with by tribunals consistently, fairly without bias or partiality.

THE news last week that Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema and his entourage, were involved in a fatal accident probably didn’t come to many as a surprise. Several of the Governor’s aides, including his police aide-de-camp, Aminu Ibrahim, perished in the accident while at least four others sustained serious injuries.

IT was yet another instance of ‘peculiar mess’ when former PDP chieftain, Olabode George, returned home from two years incarceration for financial crimes.

FOR the Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi pride went before a fall. When in the middle of February Egyptian youths decided to send their long time leader, Hosni Mubarak, packing Ghaddafi, it was, came out to say he felt sorry for Mubarak.

While the rest of the world and those Nigerians with the presence of mind to be romantic in these hard times were waking up to celebrate yet another Valentine’s Day, residents of Santos Estate in Akowonjo area of Lagos State came under the siege of armed robbers who took over their neighbourhood in the early hours of the morning of February 14.

BY the time you’re reading this, it would have been three days since the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, formally announced names of Nigerians cleared to partake in the April polls.

TODAY, the first day of February, marks the golden jubilee birthday of Siyan Oyeweso, Professor of History, Provost College of Humanities and Culture and Chairman Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors of Osun State University, Osogbo.