Elsewhere in this edition, I report on upcoming elections in Africa, drawing attention to continental observers’ concern that outcomes that increase political risk could dampen both domestic and foreign investor sentiment.

In that piece, I highlight misgivings about the contest in South Sudan – slated for December – which is going ahead without a census and a permanent Constitution, making it hard to fault opposition politicians and civil society activists who are crying foul.

If you thought nothing more untoward around those elections could happen, think again. In an extraordinary administrative blunder that went viral on social media and was also reported extensively in traditional media last week, President Salva Kiir issued a decree dated January 30 appointing a dead man to a high-level panel tasked with leading preparations for the long-delayed polls.

The appointee, Stewart Sorobo Budia, a veteran opposition figure from the United Democratic Party, passed away five years ago.

When State media splashed his name across the decree, social media erupted. Memes, jokes and outright ridicule followed. All questioned not only officials’ failure to perform a simple check, but what the blunder said about the readiness of South Sudan’s government to manage a credible electoral process.

Government, embarrassed, quickly withdrew Budia’s name and fired two senior officials blamed for the oversight.

But beyond the laughs, there is a deeper unease about the gaffe. In a nation that frequently experiences ethnic tensions and humanitarian crises, it becomes a symbol of far more than a clerical error. Instead, it’s indicative of a government still wrestling with the basics of governance – from security to institutional competence – even as it promises citizens their long-awaited chance to vote.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest republic, which came into existence upon its secession from Sudan in 2011, hasn’t held national elections, owing to cycles of civil war, fragile peace deals and endless transitional extensions.

Now for another electoral titbit. It may be old hat somewhat – having taken place in November – but it is definitely “news” on these shores. Back then, a long-serving councillor from northern Namibia who shares names with one of history’s most infamous characters was re-elected for the fifth time in a row.

His birth certificate identifies him as Adolf Hitler Uunona. According to one media report, he explained that his father chose that name without grasping its historical baggage.

But to his constituents his name is not an issue, a fact attested to by his huge-margin wins, including about 85% of the vote in previous elections. What matters to them is that he is a hardworking community activist who was a staunch anti-apartheid campaigner during the dark days of Namibia’s occupation by pre-democracy South Africa, and not a twentieth-century dictator reincarnated.

That said, the name did become a headache for Uunona. He formally removed ‘Hitler’ from his official documents in 2025, choosing to go simply by Adolf Uunona, to avoid the unwanted global headlines and awkward conversations that followed election cycles.

In local media interviews, he is quick to distance himself from any suggestion of extremist nostalgia. “The fact that I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana,” he told an interviewer, referring to the region he represents.

Over in Portugal, the surreal streak in the current election season did not involve a phantom appointee or a man sharing names with an infamous dictator. Manuel João Vieira, a contestant in Presidential elections held on January 18, promised Ferraris for all and wine on tap.

The musician and satirist, who has participated in multiple previous elections, made no secret that his run was in satirical spirit, a kind of performance aimed at poking fun at political excesses and voter disillusionment.

While no one expected his promises to be fulfilled, his name’s appearance on the ballot injected a dose of humour into an otherwise tense election season. He earned a measurable slice of the vote in the first round – 51 417 ballots nationally – but that wasn’t enough for him to proceed to a February 8 runoff.

Yet, while serious contenders battled it out, the idea that a campaign could promise luxury sports cars and free wine and be treated as part of the democratic process says something about the mood of the electorate.

It shows that, in a time of political frustrations and economic strain, satire becomes a legitimate electoral player, not just commentary.