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The 2023 general elections are weeks away, and we can already tell they’ll differ from previous election years. For one, there’s renewed interest in the election proceedings, and people are ready to vote in a new administration.
Let’s look at some significant differences in numbers between the 2023 and 2019 elections.
Registered voters
In 2019, we had a total of 84 million voters. But, things are looking better this year, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has noted an 11.3% increase in registered voters in 2019, bringing us to a total of 94 million registered voters.
Youth involvement
Another major difference between the 2019 and 2023 elections is youth participation. In 2019, the number of youths registered to vote was 22.3 million. However, youths make up the highest number of registered voters for the upcoming elections at 37 million. This is definitely a welcome improvement that should continue in the future.
However, regardless of the improvement in voter registration, it would be all for nothing if people don’t come out to vote.
In 2019, we recorded the lowest voter turnout for the first time since Nigeria’s democracy, at 34.75 %. According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (I-IDEA), Nigeria’s voter turnout was the lowest of all African elections held between 2017-2019.
Some factors responsible for this low turnout include insecurity, apathy, election postponement and poor planning.
Hopefully, things will change in the forthcoming elections, and people will finally understand the type of power they have in their hands.
Social media is a crazy street where everyone gets to showcase their talent and trigger their imaginations in the best (or worst) way possible while garnering followers. Sometimes this leads to new and useful innovations, other times it gets one asking WTF?
Some of these WTF moments involve slangs and phrases no one understands, we don’t even know where most originated from. Here’s a list of slang we think should die off at the end of the year:
I’m dead:
This is supposed to depict exclamation, shock or laughter but have you ever tried saying this phrase in front of a Nigerian parent? Die you shall, after they’ve beaten negative confessions (that will take you to an early grave) out of you.
O jewa ke eng:
You probably got tired of seeing this South African phrase on Twitter this year. Visiting the app was such a chore when this started trending, especially when it wouldn’t stop!
I wouldn’t even call this a trend, it was a movement and I loved it because it encouraged people to speak their truth and have good mental health by doing so. But truth be told, it got old really fast, especially when Nigerians joined the bandwagon to say what was eating at them. You know we love to do things EXTRA
Unpopular opinion:
Everybody used this as an excuse to spew rubbish on their timeline. Can I just say that nobody asked for your opinion so why are you giving it? Please let this culture die in 2019 abeg.
Scopa tu mana:
This phrase took over on Twitter when o je wa eng went on a midterm break. At a point, it seemed like everyone was clamouring to say what was bothering them.
Stan:
At first, I thought this was a bad spelling of stand until I realized it was a thing. Alas, using this word was a way to pay your respects to anybody/anything you loved on social media.
The word stanning brings to mind Stannis Baratheon, and we all know how mad that man became under the control of the Red Priestess. Enuff said I reserve my comments.
Mad o:
Yet another phrase intended to express respect or amazement, but why couldn’t it have been something more positive like rich o.
Why do we love craziness on this side of the world? Must have been the reason why Kolomental was such a hit years ago.
Okoto meow meow:
This phrase looks like it was inspired by a cat, just think of it for a minute. At the same time though, it seems like it’s pronounced as moi-moi. I’m not even going to address the first word because what the hell is that supposed to mean? Who comes up with these things sef?
Why is this such a thing? I have no idea, everyone is going with the flow. Some people add ‘skrr’ to theirs, which reminds of Cardi’s okuuurr. Meanwhile, some people add more salt and pepper, so it becomes ‘okoto meow kututu meow skrr.’ Meaning? Rubbish talk.
God when?
Okay, I’ve gotten tired of seeing this, can it just die already? This phrase is often used to show dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances, especially when they see something better.
But did y’all notice that most of the ‘god whening’ comments are usually made under posts of couples and cute babies? And new houses, and new offices? Okay, I agree, it’s EVERYWHERE.
Did I leave any social media phrase out? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re Nigerian and currently living in Nigeria (sorry), chances are, you probably rang the new year in church, mouth open, one hand in the air, with the other hopefully not snap chatting the countdown. You, together with a congregation of other faithfuls threw prayers up, hopeful that 2019 comes with better promises than 2018.
To reinforce this sentiment, your pastor probably prophesied prosperity into your lives, promising 2019 breakthroughs, just like they’ve been promised for the last seven years. You left church pumped and ready to take on 2019 with your chest. Yay for you!
Or perhaps you’re Muslim, prosperity and breakthrough are common themes for a New Year, you probably prayed these for yourself for 2019. Good stuff.
Well, I’m here to tell you one thing that may or may not have been missed. If you’re looking to do the prosperity thing, or have breakthrough this year — then please, for the love of yourself, do it out of the Nigerian land of Zanku.
See, almost anywhere will do, Canada oh, Ghana oh, even Benin Republic might not be bad. They have nice beaches, see. The important thing is now, or in the near future — your bags are packed, or ready to be packed to enable you miss Nigeria from the abroad. Because the way things are looking, Nigeria go hot this 2019.
Okay, maybe we’re being a tad dramatic. But we’re looking at predictions for Nigeria’s 2019 and they are not looking good. Here’s the very first problem:
These 2019 Elections They’ve Been Shouting About
There’s a reason Nigerian hearts do a collective gbim-gbim when we hear elections are coming up, and it’s not because we’re excited for the next round of looters to roll through. Nope, never that.
Ever since we’ve had the privilege of elections, some people (who were once president) have taken it to be a literal do or die affair. About 300 people lost their lives to election violence in the 2003 elections. More worryingly- 800 died in the wake of the 2011 elections. Even in 2015, about 58 people lost their lives to election violence, and this was even before the polls that brought Buhari in took place.
As it stands now, we don’t know how this 2019 elections might turn out. If you’re planning on finding out, do so from a safe distance — that visa agent is just a call away boo.
Dollar Price Is Going Waaay Up.
Remember the good times when $1 went for 140 naira and we were still complaining like the Lord wasn’t doing us a good thing? Well, cherish those memories, and even this 350 we’re currently ‘enjoying’, because 2019 is going to give the dollar more muscle against the naira.
See, it goes back to these politicians. To steal sway votes, they need a lot of money. So their increased demand for dollars to fund this, is reducing the dollars Nigeria should ordinarily have in her back pocket (reserves) and that translates to a weak naira against the dollar.
But that’s not all…
Oil Prices Are Not Smiling
This oil Nigeria always carries on her head, well, it might put us in a sticky dollar situation this 2019.
If you missed it, there is an oversupply of oil the world over, and it is causing a reduction in oil prices everywhere.
What that means for Nigeria is, our primary source of revenue is currently not bringing in money like it used to, with analysts predicting that these low prices might weaken the naira to exchange at ₦380 for $1.
On the plus side, if you remain, you’ll be encouraged to #buyNigeriantogrowthenaira. Ain’t nobody got time for ASOS exchange rates!
Nigeria May Not Have Heard The Last From The Herdsmen
These people scare me so much, I was actually a little scared to write their names out in full. For the better part of last year, the herdsmen or whatever group poses as herdsmen – terrorised farmlands and areas across Nigeria.
Lately, we haven’t heard too much from them, and that’s great. But before you think Nigeria is peaceful and get distracted from your plans to seek gay asylum in Greece or wherever, statements like these have started flying around.
Quadruple that visa hustle friends, don’t say we didn’t tell you.
In less than 100 days, you’ll be making a choice over which people will steer this green-white ship for another four years. I’m talking about the 2019 General elections starting February 16, 2019.
Nigerians around the country will go out to vote new ̶r̶u̶l̶e̶r̶s̶ leaders into office. From the House of Reps all the way up to the Presidency. You know the drill.
You’re probably one of these people:
“Oga, I don’t even know who to vote for, because everything just seems confusing”
“I know who I’m voting for, and I’m super ready!”
“I don’t have a PVC, and that might or might not suck”
“What are you talking about?”
Whichever one you are, we have something to tell you. See these politicians? Most of them want to use our future to play Ludo and Monkey-post. We will not take it!
This is what’s up
Who’s running? What are they doing? What does it all mean in the big scheme of things?
We’ll keep you posted on only the most important stuff from the past week. Once a week. Mondays. 5pm.
No clickbait. No B.S. No heinous threads or epistles.
Just 5 straight-to-the-point absolute need-to-knows. In 3 minutes. All of this, while making sure you don’t get bored to death.
Life is too short for fake news.
If you call this dispatch “politics for people who hate and/or don’t understand politics,” you’ll be goddamned right.
Subscribe to the Game of Votes Weekly Dispatch by clicking here. The first issue will be here before you know it.
