Obama to hold forum with African youth August 3-5 in Washington DC

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Burundi’s incumbent President wins flawed, one-man presidential election with landslide

Burundi’s incumbent President wins flawed, one-man presidential election with landslide Special to USAfricaonline.com and CLASSmagazine The Burundian National Electoral Commission on Wednesday evening said the country’s current President Pierre Nkurunziza who was the only candidate in the race won the presidential election with an overwhelming majority of votes accounting for 92.62 percent. Speaking in front [...]

Guinea’s first democratic elections peaceful; yet draw fraud charges

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In the likeness of Obama, Donald Duke’s message of change connects with Nigerians at home, abroad. By Chido Nwangwu

In the likeness of Obama, Donald Duke’s message of change connects with Nigerians at home and abroad. By Chido Nwangwu, USAfricaonline.com http://www.USAfricaonline.com/donaldduke-obama-nigeria-chido USAfrica, March 10, 2010: Donald Duke, the charismatic former Governor of the Cross River State of Nigeria, will speak in the 4th largest city in the U.S., Houston, Texas, on Friday March 12, [...]

Welcome, and Goodbye to Nigeria’s President Yar’Adua. By Chido Nwangwu

Nigerians are moving on, with casual regard for the mysterious presidency of the indisposed Yar’Adua and the man who imposed him and his VP Goodluck Jonathan on Nigeria in 2007, the retired General and former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The truth of the matter is that Nigerians are sick and tired of subjecting our youth and children to compete and struggle for the same political positions with their grand-fathers…. the demands of Nigerians for a responsible and responsive government will not quieten with the return from Saudi Arabia (after 100 days) of the unwilling president of Nigeria ‘Baba Go-Slow’ Umar Yar’Adua. Nigerians say welcome, and goodbye….

With Yar’Adua out of sight and reach since Feb 24 return, confusion continues in the presidency

With Yar’Adua out of sight and reach since Feb 24 return,  confusion continues  in the presidency. Special to USAfricaonline.com and CLASSmagazine Umaru Yar’Adua’s unexpected return to Nigeria while still too ill to resume office has undermined the acting president and sown further confusion in the government, analysts say. “We are just creating a bundle of confusion [...]

Brkn: Nigeria’s ill President Yar’Adua returns to Abuja

Nigeria’s indisposed 58 years-old President Umaru Yar’Adua, apparently, has returned to Abuja a few minutes ago into the wee early hours of Wednesday (Nigeria), after 90+ days in a Saudi Arabian hospital undergoing treatment for a heart condition and other complications….. more info, breaking on www.USAfricaonline.com THE AUTHORITATIVE LINK. wireLess: 832-45-CHIDO (24436)

Yar’Adua’s health and power-play: Amb. Abdullah says president “feeling better now”; doctors are blocking access

“I saw him the day before yesterday … He’s really feeling better now,” Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Aminchi told AFP.
Aminchi confirmed that a delegation of senior legislators were not allowed to see Yar’Adua earlier this month despite coming to Jeddah on a mission to gauge the health of the 58-year-old president, who checked into King Faisal Specialist Hospital on November 23 for an acute heart condition.

Niger’s unpopular President and the military coup makers of 2010. By Chido Nwangwu

Into 2010 in Niger, whether the military coup succeeds or not, Tandja’s age and relevance to Niger’s future and representative democracy are dim and out. In one of his most controversial moves, after more than 10 years in office as commander-in-chief and president, he extended his rule via an unfair referendum in August 2009. The conflicts and rumbles within and outside the military grew….

A few months following the twisted referendum, he dissolved the Nigerien national assembly/parliament and the country’s court for constitutional issues. Soon after, in October 2009, he rail-roaded a parliamentary election which was widely condemned by African countries, the U.S., European countries and donor agencies who for almost 50 years have supported the needs of the poor country which shares borders with Nigeria’s northern region.

Brkn… President seized; Military coup battle in Niger as group of soldiers storm presidential palace

After three coups hit Niger between 1974 and 1999, Tandja twice won votes deemed fair. But in the waning months of his final term, critics say he went down the path of many long-serving African despots, breaking a promise he had frequently made to step down when his term expired in December. Opposition leaders say Tandja morphed from democrat to dictator over the course of several months last year. In May 2009, he dissolved the national assembly because it opposed his plan to hold a referendum removing term limits.

Nigeria’s federal cabinet rejects resolution to declare President Yar’Adua incapacitated; agrees to send team to see ill president

A group of Nigerian lawmakers who tried to visit Yar’Adua (in Saudi Arabia) to determine his state of health returned at the weekend after five days without seeing him.

Presidential voting postponed; Togo’s main opposition quits elections commission, calls it “electoral masquerade”

Presidential voting postponed; Togo’s main opposition quits elections commission, calls it “electoral masquerade” Special to USAfricaonline.com Togo’s main opposition party said Saturday it had quit the commission organising presidential elections next month (March 2010). The Union of Forces for Change said in a statement that it did not want to be associated with an “electoral [...]

Nigeria’s parliament “hands presidential power” to VP Jonathan; some scholars debate constitutionality….

“The events of the recent past have put to the test our collective resolve as a democratic nation…. We have all shown that our unity as a people, our love for this country, and our hope for its great future cannot be shaken”, said VP Jonathan in a tv address to Nigerians,

Nigeria’s ill president Yar’Adua to “hand-over power” to VP, after 74 days of Nigerians pondering constitutional succession

Nigeria’s ill president Yar’Adua to “hand-over power” to VP, after 70 days of Nigerians pondering his whereabouts and constitutional succession questions Special to USAfricaonline.com and Nigeria360 e-group Lagos, Nigeria, Feb. 6 (UPI) — Ailing Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua will hand over power to his vice president, the BBC reported Saturday. The British broadcaster said the president’s [...]

Court rules Yar’Adua remains President, despite 65 days absence; adds VP Jonathan is not “acting President”

Abutu’s ruling is that: “There is no mandatory requirement for the president to make a transmission to the leadership of the National Assembly before proceeding on vacation or on treatment outside Nigeria.. The functions of the office of the president cannot be held in abeyance on account of the omission of the president to transmit a written declaration.”

Thousands flee as refugees in middle belt of Nigeria after violence kills 220; soldiers on streets

Thousands flee as refugees in middle belt of Nigeria after violence kills 220; soldiers on streets Special to USAfricaonline.com By Jon Gambrell (CP): JOS, Nigeria — Soldiers with machine-guns patrolled the streets of Jos and charred bodies lay in the streets Wednesday following days of religious violence between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria that killed [...]

USAfrica Flashback: Haiti’s Igbo ancestry and recognition of Biafra. By President Francois Duvalier (in 1969)

USAfricaonline.com Flashback: Haiti’s Igbo ancestry and recognition of Biafra in 1969. The March 22, 1969 statement by  DR. FRANCOIS ‘Papa Doc’ DUVALIER (April 14, 1907 – April 21, 1971), PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI (from 1957 to 1971), ON THE RECOGNITION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA AS A SOVEREIGN STATE. ——- Special to Houston-based USAfrica multimedia networks, USAfricaonline.com, [...]

Nigeria’s Anambra 2010 election, the key players and INEC’s challenge

USAfrica: The News & Opinion Leader for Africans and Americans. By Dr. Ugorji O. Ugorji Special to USAfrica multimedia networks, Houston. USAfricaonline.com,  CLASSmagazine, The Black Business Journal,  Nigeria360@yahoogroups and IgboEvents e-group. There are several reasons why I think the south eastern Anambra State of Nigeria election for governor scheduled for February 6, 2010, will be exemplary in a [...]

Battling for life and death in Western Sahara. By Stefan Simanowitz

A day that had begun with Haidar’s hospitalisation ended with the 42-year old mother of two being flown home to her family without having made any concessions to the Moroccans. Her homecoming was, in her own words, a victory for ‘international law, for human rights, for international justice” but it was also significant in that it was the first time in the 34 year history of the conflict that the international community had effectively intervened in Western Sahara to persuade Morocco to adhere to its obligations under international law.

Realities of Nigeria’s diminishing relevance to U.S., Africa. By Princeton Lyman

Nigeria is today NOT making a major impact, on its region, or on the African Union or on the big problems of Africa that it was making before. Now, of course, on the negative side, the collapse of Nigeria would be enormous, but is that a point to make Nigeria strategically important?… But I wonder if all this emphasis on Nigeria’s importance creates a tendency to inflate Nigeria’s opinion of its own invulnerability. Among much of the elite today, I have the feeling that there is a belief that Nigeria is too big to fail, too important to be ignored, and that Nigerians can go on ignoring some of the most fundamental challenges they have – many of which we have talked about: disgraceful lack of infrastructure, the growing problems of unemployment, the failure to deal with the underlying problems in the Niger Delta, the failure to consolidate democracy – and somehow will remain important to everybody because of all those reasons that are strategically important.