#NigeriaDecides: Political campaigns everywhere

It's Nigeria's general election season and there are huge billboards and posters advertising candidates everywhere you turn.

The presidential and national assembly elections hold on Febuary 14 while the votes for governors and state assemblies will be held two weeks later on February 28.

Nigeria is at another important moment in its history. Who will win this one?

I have covered elections in Ghana and Togo, but none of them have been this tense even before the votes are cast.

In 2008 when Ghana went to the polls, I remember the deadlock between both candidates pushed the battle to the small town on Tain. Even then, Ghana was peaceful.

While in Lome in 2010, even as the opposition failed to defeat the long-term family heir Gnassingbe Eyadema, there was not much disturbance of the peace.

In Nigeria, the opposition All Progressives Congressive hopes to use its growing popularity to unseat the government of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Africa's most populous country has not seen such a keen contest since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Many say it is now or never for the coalition of opposition parties to defeat the ruling party.

Nigeria is set on edge, February's polls will either make or mar her.

2014 - Nigeria @ 100: Lugard's Residence

Happy New Year 2014!

Glad to be back on the blog this year and my first post is about the building in the background and its relationship with the history of my country.

This year marks a century of the existence of the entity called Nigeria. In 1914, British colonial governor general Lord Frederick Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form one unified Nigeria.

It was this building in Badagry where Lugard's HQ existed and it was here that he signed the declaration of amalgamation. It stands as a monument to our past and could help shed light on our future.

As the Federal Government of Nigeria is set to celebrate the country's Centenary this year, this building will come back into great focus. It has already undergone renovation preparatory to the activities that will hold in and around it.

A hundred years after the amalgamation of Nigeria's many peoples, tribes and races, lots of suspicions, misgivings and animosities are still evident in my country.

Was Lugard right in bringing us all together without our consent?

Perhaps the National Conference being proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan this year will be able to help heal our wounds.

Happy New Year Nigeria!