The political parties have their manifestoes. But, that is where it ends. The manifestoes of the political parties have become no more than pieces of booklets meant to fulfill one of the conditions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Elections in Nigeria have always witnessed a plethora of violent incidents. But, in spite of repeated assurances that this year’s elections would be different, the magnifying spectre of violence in the week before the polls has created a cumulus of fear in the land. This report examines the reasons for this.

Many Nigerians would not readily associate the controversial former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, with a speaking job simply because the man himself has been known to rail at those who “just talk and do nothing.”

On several occasions last Wednesday, tension mounted at the conference hall of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while the meeting between the leadership of the electoral commission and those of 63 political parties in the the country lasted.

Amongst the six geo-political zones in the country, the South-East geo-political zone doesn’t seem to be properly involved in mainstream politicking. The zone is not known to be agitating for any serious electoral position in mainstream political parties and are not running mates to presidential candidates of major parties. Yet, this is one zone that believes that come 2015, it would produce the next Nigerian Presidential.