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Valentine's Day is now back with a vengeance
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Nigerians
who love celebrating Valentine’s Day have the INEC Chairman to thank for saving
the Day!
Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the election would be
delayed last Saturday because of fears that the military would not be able to
provide security. National security adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki had said
redeploying troops currently fighting Boko Haram alongside regional forces in
northeast Nigeria was not feasible. The delay is seen as giving INEC more time
to distribute permanent voter cards to the 68.8 million registered voters.
AFP
in its own report writes:
"No
Elections Till March! So Let's Drink and Dine, This Valentine," screams a
bright red flier decorated with hearts from an upmarket restaurant in Nigeria's
financial capital, Lagos.
Tannaz
Bahnam, who runs the "Lost In Lagos" restaurant and listings website,
said it's hard to underestimate the importance in Nigeria of the annual
festival celebrating love and affection.
"It's
massive! Bigger than Christmas and New Year's! People buy cakes and balloons
and wear red. It's as cheesy as it can get," she told AFP.
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Two women walk holding Valentine cakes bought at a
Lagos supermarket on February 12, 2015 ©Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP)
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Television
presenter Tabia Princewill, who came back to Nigeria after studying abroad,
said she has seen the phenomenon grow in size in the last five years.
Its
popularity has gone hand-in-hand with the development of shopping centres and
fast-food outlets, as well as the opening of a large number of trendy
restaurants and bars.
"People
go to the theatre, to the cinema, to restaurants on Valentine's Day... Offering
gifts to girlfriends on the day has become a custom."
"I
was surprised when I first came here to see that it was so respected
here," added Bahnam, who comes from Iran. But
then I realized that it was quite logical because actually love is quite important
and central in Nigerian culture."
Residents
in Africa's most populous city had thought they would be deprived of one of
their favourite festivals this year because of movement restrictions imposed
for general elections.
But Valentine's Day is now
back with a vengeance after the presidential and parliamentary vote initially
scheduled for this Saturday was pushed back to March 28 because of security
concerns.
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