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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Absent President



So this is Nigeria's fearless leader.

He is from the Muslim North, and his vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, is from the Christian South. The previous president was a Christian, so northerners are grumbling over attempts to hand over power to the vp, in a fashion similar to the protocol laid out by our 25th amendment. Which brings up an interesting corollary: federal judges are guiding this power transition process, hinting at some sort of "judicial review"-like power. They ruled that Goodluck Jonathan can perform all the presidential duties, but needs a "formal transfer of power to become the official head of state."

Also, the economist comments on the nature of Nigerian government/people:
"In a country that loves bureaucratic procedure, the constitution requires the tireless president to chair ceremonies, sign off documents and swear in officials, if anything is to progress."