When the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, announced the sack of chief executives and other top management of five banks on August 14, 2009, the financial sector was shaken to its root. The banks affected were Intercontinental Bank, Union Bank, Afri Bank, Oceanic Bank and Fin Bank.

Mr Uchenna Emelonye, is International Development Law Organisation, IDLO, Manager, Governance, Institutional and Justice Reform Programmes. IDLO is an international inter-governmental organisation with the mandate to pursue the establishment of rule of law as an essential pre-condition for economic and social development and the achievement of human security. Emelonye’s mandate include overseeing IDLO’s rule of law and good governance initiatives in developing countries, countries in economic transition and in those emerging from armed conflict.

In less than 12 years of our return to ‘democratic’ governance, Nigeria has had more than four electoral laws passed. The frequency of this ‘reform’ at each election turn and the geometrical decline in our election fortunes suggests a fundamental lacuna and a philosophical deficiency in our orientation especially as it relates to democratic governance. What is the basic philosophy behind our electoral reforms?

On Friday, October 1, 2010, Nigeria marked her Golden Jubilee or 50 years of Independence. In 1954, Nigeria opted for Federal System of government, which was retained by subsequent constitutions including the constitution of Nigeria 1999.

A five member panel of the Supreme Court is scheduled to take legal arguments and give instant judgment, on October 21, in a four-year old pre-election dispute between Hon Bassey Etim and Hon Emmanuel Obot. The duo had locked horns since late 2006 over who between them was the valid candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the April 2007 election into the Uyo Federal constituency seat at the National Assembly.