Going to war: A Reporter’s diary of Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Election vanguardngr.com vanguardnews
As a journalist, one is apprehensive covering Nigeria’s elections for several reasons because rather than being seen as a festival of some sorts, Nigeria’s General Elections are more like battle. So, when we conduct elections, we actually go to war. In short, for Nigerians, nay Africans, it would appear that election is war, not by other means, but in the literal sense of the word.There are other reasons journalists might be apprehensive covering the elections.
The details of these incidents include, the arrest of Nwanosike Onu of The Nation, Geoffrey Anyanwu of Sun, David-Chyddy Eleke of THISDAY, Vincent Ujumadu ofand Tony Okafor of Punch by a team of fully armed police officers close to the residence of Mr. Peter Obi , Anambra where they had gone to cover his activities during the voting exercise.
In another instance, I was travelling and we were stopped at a roadblock and asked to identify ourselves. I did, and one policeman shouted, “impersonation”, while holding my Identification Card. He continued; “Journalist? Okay, where is NTA, where is NTA”? In his own warped reasoning, every Nigerian journalist must be working with the Nigerian Television Authority NTA.
I was only able to enter, when another man came and began to quarrel with the police having been denied entry. So, in their anger, the policemen decided that I could go in, but swore on the graves of their ancestors that the “quarrelsome” man was not going any further. They were in charge and they were intoxicated with their little powers. That was at about 8:30pm. I left the ICC around midnight after collecting my tag.
So, as you small reach so, driver dey carry you for back?” The lady didn’t find that funny, but that is a story for another day. But it was on this day that a Policeman tried to run over me. The navy-blue Police Hilux car, labelled “FCT Police, Abaji” on the side was stationed somewhere at the front of Nixon Luxury Hotel.
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