Editorial

From the Editorial Board of WokeNation TV, we bring you all excerpts of all Original News Reporting in real-time and with utmost accuracy.

See – Could Wajackoyah’s Case Be the Same With Peter Obi?

Every Nigerian should ask themselves this question. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party in Nigeria, is immensely popular on social media currently. Although he has won the hearts of young Nigerians, it appears that many individuals only debate on social media without voting. 

The Just Concluded Kenya Election

The people of the Republic of Kenya have elected William Samoei Arap Ruto as their new president. Ruto will succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose constitutional two-term maximum of 10 years has ended, barring any unfavorable circumstances. According to Kenya’s constitution, the successful candidate must collect at least 25 percent of the votes from 24 of the country’s 47 counties and 50 percent of the votes plus one.  

William Ruto, the candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), won 50.5 percent of the vote, or 7.1 million votes, in a hotly contested election that required six days of vote counting, a lot of stress, and apprehension as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) uploaded and collated the results. His main opponent, 77-year-old Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement/Azimio One Kenya Alliance, got 6.9 million votes, or 48.9 percent of the votes.  

There were four major candidates for president in this election, but the third is noticeable: Professor George Wajackoyah of the Roots Party of Kenya, who ran a perhaps unexpected campaign targeting young voters, complete with frenzied, eccentric social media mobilization, reggae dancing, discussions about the benefits of marijuana, and hyena testicles.  

Kenya Election is a Lesson to Every Nigerian

The just-completed elections still have an impact on us in Nigeria as we get ready for our own major elections in 2023. In terms of Social media popularity, Wajackoyah’s social media sensation and populism fetched him 61, 969 votes – just about 0.44% of the total votes cast – a grim reminder of the limits of social media populism in the context of elections.  The fourth candidate, David Waihiga Mwaure of the Agano Party, almost stood no chance, with 31, 987 votes (0.23%) as this was a tight race between Odinga and Ruto. Kenya’s general election 2022 is probably the most competitive so far in the history of the country.