It’s still too soon to tell. Some news reports suggest that the results will be released today. Others suggest that final results will be announced on Tuesday. In either case, the election was largely peaceful, except for a few instances. In one notable incident, election commission headquarters were torched in the heavily disputed Rivers state. Voting was also extended in some districts by one day after election-technology related glitches were reported. Here are a few #NigeriaDecides resources to follow today and tomorrow.
Overview: Voters unable to cast their ballot because of technical problems in Nigeria’s general election returned to the polls on Sunday, as the main parties traded blows over the use of the technology. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1NseE8Z)
Reports of Violence: Thousands of supporters of Nigeria’s main opposition party on Sunday demonstrated in the oil-rich state of Rivers, calling for the cancellation of elections locally because of alleged irregularities. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1BUvWVA)
Up to the Moment Live Updates (This Day http://bit.ly/19xTNDW)
Australia To Join Asia Infrastructure Dev Bank…The China-led rival to the World Bank gets another western country to join its ranks. The USA is still on the outside looking in. “The Beijing-based bank was launched late last year and is designed to help finance development projects like road, rail and power infrastructure in the rapidly growing Asian region. More than 20 countries have signed on as founding members. In the past month, major Western powers including Britain, France, Germany and Italy have also announced their intention to join. Australia had resisted joining, but a joint statement from Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Treasurer Joe Hockey said the Government would sign the MOU that would allow Australia to participate as a prospective founding member.” (ABC Online http://ab.co/19xSvst)
Is a Ground Invasion of Yemen Near? Arab leaders announced Sunday that they would form a joint military force to intervene in neighboring states grappling with armed insurgencies. It is a dramatic step to quell the unrest that has broken out in the wake of the region’s uprisings, but some analysts warned it could exacerbate the conflicts that have polarized countries and left hundreds of thousands dead. (WaPo http://wapo.st/19xUkFT)
Iran Nuke Talks Down to the Wire: http://bbc.in/19xTTeO
Africa
The West African countries hit hardest by Ebola are ramping up efforts to eradicate the deadly disease using lockdowns, restrictions on burials and a warning to survivors about the potential dangers of unprotected sex. (AP http://yhoo.it/1NseGxC)
Residents of eastern Cameroon killed several suspected fighters from a Central African Republic rebel group who were trying to carry out a large-scale kidnapping, a local official said Sunday. (AP http://yhoo.it/1BUvQxo)
Guinea’s President Alpha Conde has declared a 45-day “health emergency” in five regions in the west and southwest of the Ebola-hit nation in a bid to stem the spread of the deadly disease. (VOA http://bit.ly/1BByjgq)
A bucketload of human excrement flung at a statue has toppled a symbol of British imperialism in South Africa, marking the emergence of a new generation of black protest against white oppression. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1NseEpB)
The head of the UN’s Ebola fighting force on Sunday warned against complacency as the battle against the disease entered its final lap while also hailing Guinea for tightening surveillance. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1EmQltH)
Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi was elected head of the ruling party Frelimo on Sunday, allaying fears his predecessor was planning to cling to power behind the scenes. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1BUvUNq)
A fifth Kenyan minister has temporarily stepped down over a probe by the country’s anti-corruption commission, leaving the cabinet without more than a quarter of its members, the presidency announced Sunday. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1BUvWFb)
Liberian authorities are urging Ebola survivors to refrain from unprotected sex beyond the recommended 90 days, after the country’s first Ebola death in more than a month. (VOA http://bit.ly/1OO3oau)
MENA
Yemeni fighters loyal to the Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi clashed with Iranian-allied Houthi fighters on Sunday in Aden, the absent leader’s last major foothold in the country. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1NseBu4)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees needs around $415 million, of which $250 million would fund its cash program — which provides cash distributions for roughly half a million Palestinian refugees affected by the war in Syria. (AP http://yhoo.it/1EmQiho)
Tunisian forces killed nine militants during a raid in a southern region as part of crackdown following the attack on the Tunis Bardo museum that targeted foreign tourists, an interior ministry official said on Sunday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1OO3sqI)
The Dutch city of Amsterdam on Sunday donated 500 second-hand bicycles for Syrian refugees to use in the huge Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1BUvYwO)
Asia
Over a dozen debt-laden farmers have committed suicide in recent weeks in India, and discontent in many rural areas against government policies is turning into anger against Prime Minister Narendra Modi less than a year after he swept into office. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1G6lSza)
India’s upstart Common Man’s Party was seen by many as a breath of fresh air in the chaotic, corruption-tainted world of Indian politics. Now, however, with its top leaders spending the weekend slugging it out in public, it seems the party that promised to transform India’s political landscape is more likely to bring disappointment to millions of Indians despairing of their politicians. (AP http://yhoo.it/1NseHBQ)
Book publishers and authors are warning that censorship is increasing in Hong Kong. They say bookstores are returning books connected to authors who have been involved in the recent pro-democracy protests. (VOA http://bit.ly/1BBymZv)
The Americas
The indigenous Aymara women in Bolivia have centuries of experience of knitting and weaving distinctive woollen hats, sweaters and blankets. Now, they are applying their expertise to a hi-tech medical product – which is used to seal up a “hole in the heart” which some babies are born with. (BBC http://bbc.in/1F7AY66)
…and the rest
The growing numbers of Britons turning to food banks run by charities to get by has become a key political issue weeks from a May 7 general election. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1G6lVuC)
Opinion/Blogs
Improving the odds for progress in Nigeria (ODI http://bit.ly/1F7AMDJ)
Africa’s political event of the decade? Nigeria goes to the polls (Guardian http://bit.ly/1ESmfJA)
The west is trying to understand China, but don’t expect trust (Guardian http://bit.ly/1ESmGnc)
Can You Live on Less than $1.50 a Day? (Center for Financial Inclusion http://bit.ly/19xNIaE)
1/4 of the world’s people already subject to large annual wealth tax to tackle poverty. Has anyone told Piketty? (From Poverty to Power http://bit.ly/19xNSih)
UK passes bill to honour pledge of 0.7% foreign aid target, and a note on SDGs (An Africanist Perspective http://bit.ly/1xqSAcV)
Nigeria: What is to be done? (Africa is a Country http://bit.ly/1GF9wyA)
politics in everything: trees in Africa (Haba na Haba http://bit.ly/1xqSKB7)
A Note on Trends in Armed Conflict (Dart Throwing Chimp http://bit.ly/1xqSsu0)
“politically robust” experimental design in democracies and a plea for more experience sharing (Heather Lanthorn http://bit.ly/1xqSjH1)