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Politics

US Election: What if Nigeria could vote?

GlobalPost

ABUJA, Nigeria — As part of GlobalPost's project to interview 100 people in 20 locations around the world about the 2012 US election, we asked Nigerians:

Who do you want to win the 2012 US election?

Will the election affect your country?

How has your view of the US changed since President Obama took office?

What should the next US president do?

  • Country: Nigeria
  • Name: Blessing Ogoh
  • Occupation: Waitress
  • Age: 25
  • I would vote for: Obama

My vote: “I would vote for Barak Obama because he’s a nice person and at least he’s a man of his word.”

The election's impact: "No I don’t think so."

My view: “It has improved. Through the people that have been in the States, [I’ve heard] the economy there is nice. At least they are trying, truly.”

Top priority: “He should try his best and he should do a good job and not politician speak — where they speak and they don’t do anything. He should be a nice president and make his people proud of him.”

  • Country: Nigeria
  • Name: Hilary Chukwu
  • Occupation: Taxi driver
  • Age: 41
  • I would vote for: Obama

My vote: “I’d like to vote Obama because Obama is a world leader and he is well known and recognized all over the world and he’s a man we can trust."
The election's impact: “Obama, being an African who is contesting as president is proud for Africa and the world entirely.”
My view: “There are changes since he has been president all over the world and all over Africa. Good changes."

Top Priority: "Suggest a way to do it better in terms of security challenges that are going on all over the world and other things.”

  • Country: Nigeria
  • Name: Adamu Entonu
  • Occupation: Member of house of representatives
  • Age: 44
  • I would vote for: Obama

My vote: “Obama. The man has actually affected the lives of the common people in America. He has created a lot of jobs in America.”

The election's impact “Whatever they do in the US trickles down to Nigeria."

My view: “[Obama’s] the first American black president. The majority of people believed he was going to make a difference and he actually made a difference. Obama came to power and fought terrorism with all of his might. Bush was not too committed to fighting terrorists because he was dining and wining with them.”

Top priority: “The next president of America should do everything humanely possible to abolish same-sex marriage.  It is highly detestable and against the principles of God.”

  • Country: Nigeria
  • Name: Godwin Ungwaga
  • Occupation: National youth service volunteer
  • Age: 31
  • I would vote for: Obama

My vote: “I think I would prefer to vote Obama. He’s running for a second term and I think in the first term he did well.”

The election's impact: “Nigerian democracy is picking advise from the US. I think if the election is fair, Nigeria will learn from it and conduct a fair election in 2015.”

My view: “I think it has Improved. I don’t have personal knowledge of Obama, but I think he is running America as planned.”

Top priority: “Next year’s president should make the US so transparent that foreign communities have a share of participating in decision making in the US.”

  • Country: Nigeria
  • Name: Obi Osa-Ukie
  • Occupation: Local restaurant owner
  • Age: 42
  • I would vote for: Romney

My vote: “I would most likely vote Romney. Obama promised a lot and has delivered very little. He seems to pander to all shades of interests. In the last few months he’s come up with these Same sex issues. He’s pandered to the immigrant community, the Latinos. He’s been reticent about coming down hard on rogue regimes in the Middle East. Above all, I would vote against Obama for dumping a long-term ally like Mubarak… this fellow worked for US interests for 30 years and to throw him out is the height of betrayal. There is nothing that is dear to Obama. He has no scruples and he will do anything to win the election.” 

The election's impact: “I don’t think it will affect Nigeria in any way. All the Americans are interested in is getting the oil out of Nigeria, get it sent to the US at a reasonable cost."

My view: "I’ve always been pro-America. America was always the lesser of two evils between them and the Soviets. On the balance America has been a force of good, even though in Africa their record has been mixed. There is always the 30 percent [of the time] when America has failed Africans."

Top priority: “The most important thing is to find a way to revive American manufacturing. That’s obvious. You can’t have unemployment over 6 percent. It’s unsustainable.” 

GlobalPost series: See what the world thinks about election 2012

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