negative ethnicity is the biggest problem in Africa. Ghana was able to have peaceful polls though.

@Djinn, you spoke too soon ma broda!!

and just to clarify, i wrote "relatively calm and transparent elections" - for those keen on using numbers, would you like to offer a formula to show how violent their outcome is?

perhaps deaths per capita? Kenya saw 1000 dead for a population of 40 million....so I suppose if Nigeria saw 3000 dead for a population of 150 million then its still a better election?

Lets not go back to the old way of thinking. I am not alone is asserting that this is Nigeria best election and Jonathan Goodluck IS a GREAT candidate. I have been to Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) about 10 times in the last 12 months and have been gauging the mood on the ground. Goodluck has support both in the North and the South. The only reason we cannot have a 48-52 situation is because he is the only candidate with a very very broad agenda for ALL Nigerians. he is without certain inhibitions if you like...

But not necessarily an undemocratic one....there will always be fire brands who cannot accept defeat and will foment disquiet even if its the gesture of the vanquished.

I am not for violence...but it will happen.

Democracy is not the absence of violence but I believe its the public trust on institutions.

Nigeria violence will obviously be concentrated on the muslim north since they are angry a Christian is winning in an election where a gentleman's agreement[remember our own MOU ] dictates a Muslim be elected a president due to the rotation agreement.

In the US we saw how Al-Gore and Bush had a tussle on florida election the supreme court had to intervene to calm the tension that was brewing.

In africa the problem come when forming our institutions like in Kenya we dont have a credible justice system leave alone the legislature.