The “International Electoral College” is an election project from The Takeaway, in collaboration with Global Voices Online, that highlights bloggers around the world talking about the U.S. elections.

Adeola Aderounmu blogs from Nigera at Thy Glory O Nigeria…!

U.S. presidential hopeful and Democratic candidate Barack Obama may be popular among Nigerians, but that popularity has been marred by at least one controversial event and other conflicting opinions. I will briefly touch on the controversy and two other points. Still, Obama remains the dominant feature on the minds of Nigerians as I have discussed in a previous post.

On Africans for Obama Group

In July this year a group under the aegis of Africans for Obama met in a Lagos hotel and raised 100 million naira in order to support Obama’s ambition to become the next occupant of the White House after President George W. Bush.

The amount was raised at a very expensive dinner in Nigeria. On July the 18th Mrs. Ndidi Okereke-Onyiuke, the Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and self-appointed Chairman of the Africans for Obama 2008 led a group of money bags and corporate bodies to the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos for the launching party. The least amount of money that an individual could pay for a plate of food at the ceremony was a whopping 275,000 naira ($2,330)!

Nigeria is a country riddled with corruption and severe poverty. It was highly regarded as a ridiculous and a malicious venture for anyone to plan to “ship” 100 million naira from a nation made poor by dirty politics and greedy politicians to the U.S. Besides, many people suspected that the Africans for Obama group was a form of advanced fee fraud (aka a “419″).

Several Nigerians criticized the motive of Ndidi Onyiuke and she was later quizzed by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). The money raised at the extravagant party was confiscated. This woman was known to have undertaken this kind of venture in the past when she raised money for former president Obasanjo’s illegal 3rd term bid. The bid failed woefully! The Obama campaign disowned the African group and did not accept any money or funding from it. Obama campaign wrote that it was not affiliated to the Africans for Obama group.

On Free Trade

Obama’s concept of trade is perhaps a way to remind the rest of us that he is a typical American despite the fact that he spent a significant part of his formative years outside the United States. His ideas centered on protecting American goods and products in a level field of international trade. The problem is that he plans to erect barriers that will prevent the kind of trading that African countries like Nigeria have demanded.

According to the U.S. former secretary of Treasury Mr. Lawrence Summers who spoke in favour of Obama at a recent financial gathering in Nigeria, Mr. Obama does not believe in the kind of free trade Nigerians are demanding because “he believes that global integration must not come at the expense of local (American) disintegration” because, “we cannot allow the idea that we (Americans) should have a more global economy become a reason why we (Americans) have to, for competitive reasons, scale away all the productive regulations that protects our environments or protects our (American) products, all in the name of globalization.”

With comments like this one, some Nigerians do not see Obama as part of us any longer and they do not think that he would be able to help Nigeria or Africans if he emerged as the next president of the United States. Some scholars of economics think that Obama’s stance would severely damage the economic policies of the third world countries.

On the other hand, the founder and publisher of Forbes Magazine Mr. Steve Forbes spoke at the same occasion but in favour of Mr. McCain. He said if Senator McCain becomes the President of the United States, one of the things Nigerians should expect is a robust foreign policy. He said that “McCain is a man who knows the world well. He is well traveled, and he has spent some time on issues of foreign policy. One particular area it will affect Africa is trade. McCain is a firm perfect trader. He is against trade barriers, he is against subsidies. I think it will be good for the world and Africa.”

On Abortion

Obama is also on our minds in Nigeria regarding the issue of abortion. Some people think that it is wrong for Obama to promise hope yet not condemning abortion. More than 1 million children die annually in the U.S. through abortion. From a very religious point of view some Nigerians think that Obama is supporting a “culture of death.” But there are other people who think Obama is right that women should use the freedom of choice to decide whether to have abortion or not. Sometimes abortion is undertaken as an outcome of delicate medical decision or priorities.

Other thoughts on Obama

Some Nigerians have commented on Obama’s lead in the pre-election surveys or opinion polls. They expressed fears that like Tom Bradley, the black American gubernatorial candidate for the state of California in 1982, Obama may still not emerge as the president of the United States. Bradley had a double-digit lead over his non-black opponent. However, he lost the election. Some Nigerians have discussed this and thought that such a history may repeat itself, especially if the white people professing Obama today decide to vote along racial lines on the Election Day. Die-hard supporters of Obama think that he would win against all odds.

Finally, despite the controversy, the anxiety and the uncertainties, Obama remains a very popular figure in Nigeria. His posters adorned several private and public places across Nigeria. Obama may be facing the biggest task of his life and these days just before the actual election will represent the longest days of his life. He is not alone; millions of Nigerians wish the election were held at this moment (right now). Minus the Bradley Effect, of course!