Overview
- Lesson Title: Nigeria's Electoral Code-This is a report about Nigeria's electoral code.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Economics/Politics
- ILR Level: 1+/2
- ACTFL Proficiency: Advanced-Mid, Advanced-Low, Intermediate-High; This ACTFL rating is an approximation based on the ILR level
- Modality: Listening
- Learning Objective: Maintenance & Improvement
- Subject Area: Language
- Material Type: LLO
- Publication Year: 2009
- ObjectID: T8LHA13
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
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Election Reform in Nigeria A: A yau idan Allah ya yarda ake sa ran fadar Shugaban Nijeriya za ta fitar da matakan da ta amince da su na garanbawur ga tsarin zabe. Ga dai Nasiru Adamu El-Hikaya da karin bayani. B: A yayin da yau din nan ne fadar shugaban kasa ke fidda natakan da ta amince da su na garanbawul ga tsarin zabe a Nijeriyar, ’yan siyasa da masu kada kuri’a na cewa da kaza aka yi ko aka bar kaza. Wadannan matakai dai sun biyo bayan alkawari ne da Shugaba Umar ’Yar’aduwa ya yi na gyara tsarin zaben Nijeriya, ko da yake, tsohon babban jojin Nijeriya, Lawal Uwais ya mika kundin shawarwarin, sai da aka sake kafa wani kwamitin tace bayanai karkashin Ministan Shari’a Aoundouaka don fidda matsayar karshe. Matakan da za su tsallake ko za su sha ruwa cikin wadanda aka ba da, sun hada da haramtawa mai magudi takara tsawon shekara goma, tallata kujerar shugana Hukumar Zabe don kaucewa aza dan amshin-Shata da kammala shari’ar zabe kafin rantsar da wanda ya yi nasara. In ba a yi amfani da shawarwarin da suka bayar ba inji sakataren Jam’iyyar NCP, Yunusa Tanko, to aikin baban giwa kawai za a yi. C: In kun tuna kwanakin baya, mu a {National Concept Party [English]} mun je a kotun koli mun yi nasara da cewar mu sami jam’iyoyi yanda ya kamata kowa ra’ayinsa abin yin shi ce. Ka ga in wadannan abubuwa aka same su, to ina tabbatar muku in Allah ya yarda Nijeriya za ta samu daurewar damakuradiya. Amma in ba a bi wa’yannan shawarwarin ba aka bi son rai, to tabbas za mu koma dari bisa dari baya, ba za mu samu ci gaba ba, Nijeriya tamu ce, mu daina bin son rai.
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Election Reform in Nigeria A: Today, with God’s will, the office of the president of Nigeria is scheduled to release its recommendations for overhauling the electoral code. Here is Nasiru Adamu el-Hikaya with the details. B: As the office of the president prepares to release its recommendations today on the overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral code, politicians and voters alike have been offering their own suggestions. These recommendations follow from President Umar ‘Yar Aduwa’s promise to reform Nigeria's electoral system. However, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Lawal Uwais forwarded his report, and another committee was established under Minister of Justice Aondoakaa to determine the final content of these reforms. The recommendations under consideration include: prohibiting the candidacy of those found to have committed fraud for a period of 10 years, rotating the leadership of the Electoral Commission to avoid undue political influence, and finalizing legal battles in an election before the winner is sworn in. According to National Conscience Party (NCP) Secretary Yunusa Tanko, if the recommendations are not heeded, the efforts will have been in vain. C: As you recall, we at the NCP recently went to the Supreme Court and successfully argued that the officials must take everyone's opinion on this matter into account. You see, if these reforms are enacted, I assure you that, with God’s will, Nigeria will have a more secure democracy. But if these recommendations are not followed, and we instead act based only on self-interest, then we will definitely fall back into the same old problems and give up the possibility for Nigeria to advance. We must not be swayed by self-interest.
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Glossary
| Hausa term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| da kaza aka yi ko aka bar kaza | their own suggestions |
| kwamitin tace bayanai | another committee was established |
| matakan da za su tsallake | (lit: steps that will cross over) the recommendations under consideration |
| za su sha ruwa | if the recommendations are not heeded |
| aikin baban giwa | (lit: work of the father of elephant) the efforts will have been in vain |
| debe tsammani | given up hope |
| tsakani da Allah | (lit: God knows) honestly |
| hali na gwagwarmaya | political turmoil |
Notes
1. Democratic Process in Nigeria
Nigeria, because of the size of its population and relatively strong economy, plays a key role in African politics. Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, along with other African leaders, developed a series of actions and proposals to establish principals of democratic values, good governance, sustainable economics, and peace throughout Africa. The restoration of democracy and good governance in Nigeria started in 1999, when Nigeria held its first fair and violence-free election since its independence.
2. Electoral Reform
In 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua continued the political reform in Nigeria by establishing the Electoral Reform Committee, which conducts public hearings to determine what problems exist in the electoral system; the committee then submits its recommendations to Nigeria’s National Assembly.
3. More Information
To learn more about electoral reform in Nigeria, read Lyman Princeton’s article “Electoral Reform: The Next Milestone in Nigeria’s Democracy” (March 19, 2005), which is available online courtesy of the Council on Foreign Relations at the following URL: