Help spread the word about the blog through their networks
Post photos to flickr and videos to youtube, using the blog name as a tag so that they can then be
linked to via the blog
The post above by Tobias Eigen (12 March 2007) shows the involvement of non-Nigerians in blogging and canvassing
for blogs. The goal was to equip civil society staff with more efficient ways of carrying out their public enlightenment
work.
Additionally, our data sample suggests that most blogging activities took place before the 14 April polls and they were
mostly for mobilization-related issues at the grassroots.
5.2 BLOGGERS AS ELECTORATES
A good number of bloggers in our data actually voted for one candidate or another. Home-based Nigerians reported that
they did cast their votes thereby practising what they preach but several others claim that they were disenfranchised.
Essentially, most bloggers set out to perform their civic duties by voting.
5.3 BLOGGERS AS WATCHDOGS
One obvious striking motivation in all the blogs sampled is the desire of bloggers to forestall electoral irregularities and
rigging during the electoral process. Bloggers called for vigilance on the part of the electorates as they themselves went
out to observe the conduct of the polls. Some bloggers report that they were enthusiastic about the civic oversight roles
they played. The local bloggers in conjunction with a few diaspora Nigerians who acted as 'foot soldiers' tried their best
to chronicle exactly what happened. Tobias, a non-Nigerian, counselled:
The sharing of insights and experiences on the ground would shed light on abuses and thereby hopefully
prevent them in the future. When credible sources like leading Nigerian civil society organizations or
international organizations such as the World Organization Against Torture, Amnesty International or
Human Rights Watch publish reports on their websites, they could be linked to through the blog. With all
of these things coming together, the blog might then become an important gathering place, and might well
make a real impact on the outcome of the election.
The assessment of the elections indicates that Nigerian politicians have not learnt from past mistakes. Bloggers regard
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Convention