Politicians must get it that they can be voted out in polls

Nigeria goes to the polls on February 16th. Already hordes of election tourists, camouflaged as observers, have descended on the country, with more arriving in the week. And another electoral circus begins. We can be fairly certain that all observer reports will start with praise for the Nigerian people for being “peaceful during election day….”

Africans are always praised for lining up calmly even as we know that voting has little meaning, and even though there has rarely been systematic violence—except by security forces—on any polling day in Africa. It is as if Africans are so atavistic that we deserve praise for lining up calmly, something that Americans, British, Swiss or Danes do routinely.