Pham back from Nigeria, country plans election
By Mary Frances Czarsty, assistant news editor
Posted on December 7, 2006

J. Peter Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for Political and National Affairs, has returned from a weeklong trip to Nigeria. Pham was appointed as part of a pre-election delegation to examine the West African state’s readiness for the upcoming national election.

According to a statement released by Ambassador Pierre-Richard Propser, head of the delegation, Nigeria is on the right track, but there is much work to be done before the April 21 election.

“While the government has expressed its intention to conduct free and fair elections, the words of commitment can only be judged by actions,” Prosper said. “It is the opinion of this delegation that in many respects the actions, to date, have been deficient.”

But if all goes well, Pham said, the election will mark the first time in nearly half a century that an elected Nigerian head of state peacefully transfers power to his successor.

“It will be a major milestone not only for Africa, but for the world,” Pham said.

Pham left for Nigeria Nov. 25 with Prosper, former U.S. Ambassador at Large, and Harry A. Johnston, former Florida congressman and appointed special envoy to Sudan by former President Bill Clinton.

Pham and the two other Americans were part of a six-person delegation given the task of examining the political environment of the country and assessing its readiness for the election. They did this through multiple meetings with everyone from national assembly leaders and the head of police, to local Christian and Muslim religious leaders and women’s rights groups.

The delegation paid close attention to technical preparations for the election.

“We were asking questions like,  ‘Do people know about the election? How are they being informed? Is there a threat of violence that day?’” Pham said.

Prosper’s statement expressed concern that Nigeria’s history is causing many people to question the legitimacy of elections, as well as to fear disenfranchisement. He specifically cited the inconsistency of voter registration efforts. Although citizens are constantly encouraged to register, there is little information about where and when to do so.

“Our own experience underscores the existence of widespread confusion and skepticism regarding the most fundamental aspect of a democratic process: registering to vote,” he said.

While many feel Africa’s seeming tradition of corrupt governments and military dictatorships make any attempt for a free and fair election futile, Pham said the importance of the election cannot be understated to Americans.

“I can understand why people feel this way,” he said, “but I look at it from the American perspective and I know we can’t ignore it.”
Nigeria is the most populated African nation as well as home to a large Muslim community. On top of this, Pham said Nigeria has 35.9 billion barrels of proven petroleum reserves, making it the largest in Africa and the eighth largest in the world. It is currently America’s fifth-largest supplier of oil.

“Nigeria is unlike any other African nation,” Pham said. “A strong democracy legitimized by this election is not only better for the development of Africa, but our own national interest.”

He added that the full report with the committee’s findings is expected to be released in the next few weeks.