@McKren, Buluti and Mamajama:

Please, display your recommendations

Face is not a huge fan of the US and does not believe that we should swallow everything that the US says, hook, line and sinker. However, I believe that we should view all advice and criticism objectively regardless of whom it is coming from and then sieve the chaff from the grains.

I know it is annoying to receive advice from someone who has his own faults, but we should not discard the advice totally.

If for instance, you are about to swim in a river and a known armed robber or killer tells you that there is a huge killer crocodile in the river, will you dismiss the warning with a wave of hand or will you think twice before you swim?

Don’t shoot the messenger. I have looked at Big B1's comments and line of argument and cannot fault what he is saying. Read his comments again:

I support this new development.

Instead of Federal government spending heavily on trying to stop presidential candidates from contesting, I think they should focus more on educating the voters (citizens of Nigeria) and empowering the voting process in order to boost an accurate election result.

The Issue of trying to stop candidates from contesting reminds me of a man in the MIRROR saga (RatRace) and lack of confidence in the voters and in the voting process.

To me, it is totally a sign of setback; instead of wasting time and energy on short cut resolution process, why not invest more on a long term resolution process (educating voters and improving voting process) that will benefit all?

I truly do not believe that stopping few folks from contesting will solve any of our probelms; it might even create more trouble for us.

Who would dispute that it is necessary to educate voters and improve the voting process in Nigeria?

It is also his view that trying to stop candidates from contesting reeks of lack of confidence in the voters and in the voting process and I dont think he is far from the truth.

I also believe that there should be a level playing field for all and that all disqualifications should be lawful.

But U.S sef, who ask dem for advice ?

my response in another thread

@BigB1

What you simply got to understand is that western model democracy will simply not get us out of the dolldrums, how do you hope to educate the electorate in a country where the same set of people you want to educate the electorate against control at least 60% of the media and what they say. In a country where the same set of people have successfully through media propaganda make it look illegal to implement what the constitution say especially when it is not in their favour?
What electorate do you even want to educate, an electorate that have been so impoverished that they no longer know what they want, give them N1000 they throw all you have taught them to wind because they need to eat for that day. Some of those who will make up this so called electorate you talk about include those who placed priority over inscription of religious signs on naira over its purchasing power.

In a situation like this what do you do leave this people to be exploited forever?? or look for perculiar solution to our perculiar problems.
BigB1 you see, supporting what OBJ does have these days become politically incorrect and I don't wish to engage in that argument but I have no doubts in my mind that 10years down the line we will look back in history and glorify this political dramma and confusion playing out in our country because it is one of those rare situations where the grass tends to benefit from a fight between elephants.

@ McKren

What electorate do you even want to educate, an electorate that have been so impoverished that they no longer know what they want, give them N1000 they throw all you have taught them to wind because they need to eat for that day. Some of those who will make up this so called electorate you talk about include those who placed priority over inscription of religious signs on naira over its purchasing power.

Therefore it is not necessary to educate and improve our electoral system ? With drooped shoulders we should accept the status quo ? The thing pass us no be small. How we go do now ?

Education can be defined as:

"The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life."

Judge for your self if the above definition would do any thing to remedy the defeatist views you hold about our electorate.

That was not my conclusion, I was only saying as much as education of electorate is longterm best practicewe need a short term solution. Otherwise the effects of not getting it right now will nullify the benefits of the education process.

Disqualification of corrupt persons is in order.

I agree with you that disqualification of corrupt persons is very much in order and that the process leading to disqualification must be fair to all and transparent. Educating the electorate would also make them reject corruption at the polls, because a good education will make them realise that the N1000 they enjoy today may cost them N10,000 in the future.

It is always good to have a short term plan while the long term solution is in the offing. But the short term solution should not be a hatchet job. In other words, you should not break your nose just to spite your face.

Educating the voters will help to reject corrupt leaders at the polls.

Empowering voting process will also give voters confidence that their votes will make a different.

Disqualifying candidates represents waste of time, energy and money. It might also add to our problems.

At this point in Nigeria, I truly do not feel that there is anybody in the position to pass corruption judgment.

99% is corrupt.

abeg ooh, we no need the us for our business.we no be Iran or Iraq,make the us no come pour sand for our gari

I can bet it US never said so, it is only an originaton of our mischievious journalists. US is too responsible a nation to make such remarks , even if they dim it as moral, they cannot talk since our own laws is different. It is the constitution not OBj.

America has said such things and did many devious things in the past
America is far from responsible

*America attacked Libya in the 1980s, without proper investigation of their terrorism allegation
*America dumped toxic milk in the Sahara in the 70s
*American firms and organizations are stealing oil in many locations(Iraq isn't the first or the only victim)
*America endorsed Saddam Hussein's Government, but retaliated when the plan didn't go as planned
*America is so responsible that their government ignored empirical evidence saying that a terrorist attack was planned in 2001

There are hundreds of other things, most of them are backed with evidence.
America is a bully, they are prepared to use force if things don't go their way.
Infact if The middle east becomes stable and the oil producing countries in that region export their oil efficiently, America would probably destabilize the region so they could get free oil

America may be a superpower but it's far from responsible

@dblock,

Very well stated. Responsible ko, reasonable ni.

US responsible my foot!

Folks we have a huge problem here. A rotten and a messy political problem. For sure, a million candidates can contest the presidential election we don't have a problem with that. We can reeducate the
electorate too. The same sentiments actually. The technical aspect
of the process is not the problem but, the individual corrupt elements
who make up the core of our governing body.

The inherent corrupt practices, the cancer that has eaten too deep into
the fabric of our political process is what we should be worried about.

Our nation has been suffering for decades at end ever since we had our
independence. The public has been totally forgotten, abandoned and left to rot. The so called elite politicians have systematically squandered
every shred of the national pride that we once had. Things have fallen
apart.

Like I said, Tom , Dick , and Harry can walk in and contest the elections undeterred but, the results are what we have to worry about. Your vote and my vote might not even count. Why? Because there are dark forces
out there already who are poised to rig the national elections in a tip of the hat. That is the sad thing.

So folks the die is cast. Let us ope our eyes and our minds to what we
are dealing with. It's the sinister double-headed monster that we must have to slay (corruption and corrupt election practices) and only then can we stand up and say for sure, that all is well with our electoral process. You can for sure "wash a pig, clean a pig and all that but, folks a pig will always be a pig"

If the election process is reliable and the voters are well educated, the last thing to worry about will be the candidates; but it is clear that we (including the president) do not have any confidence in our election process or the voters and it is a big shame.

OBJ has 8 years to correct this, but it wasn't important to him till now. I wonder why?

My point: stopping candidates from contesting is only the short cut (what Nigerians love), but educating the voters and improving the election process is the long term solution. And this is what we should all focus on.

A true leader, a dedicated leader and a successful leader doesn't focus on short cut solution (that accommodates his current desire), he focuses on long term solution for the future of his nation.

I wonder how much money we've spent so far on stopping these candidates? Don't you think the same money could have been spent on educating the voters and empowering our election process?

But guess what? Leaders in this country are more involved with their own personal agenda, and Nigerians (dum dums) are too quick to dance around things they truly do not understand.

I wonder when our people will finally wake up?

We should never, repeat never allow America to get involved in our politics. State dept my ass, this bully of a nation will only come and cause problem so it can sell arms to the warring parties. Orji Kalu can go to America and rule them for all i care.

One week Atiku can contest, next week Atiku can not contest, the following week may be Atiku can contest, 3 days later Atiku can contest, 8 days later Atiku will not be allowed to contest, 5 days later Atiku will be on the poll, 7 days later Atiku is not going to run for the presidential election, 2 weeks later Atiku is a perfect condidate and he will contest, 5 days later FG must stop Atiku, 3 days later nobody can stop At1ku, 6 days later OBJ will not allow corrupt leaders to contest, 6 days later it is confirmed that OBJ is also corrupt and has no right to stop anybody, 10 days later Atiku must be stopped by the senate, 7 days later NBA must allow Atiku to contest.

What is this is?

Wake up guys.
They've turned Nigerian constitution into a monopoly game and turned Nigerians into a group of deaf, blind and dumb.
It is sad and unbearable.

Questions:
Why are we even bother to vote?
Do you truly think that our votes count?
Why is the current administration so determined to stop Atiku?
Who will truly benefit from stopping Atiku?
Who is truly clean out of all the candidates?

May God show us the right path and may God bless sweet Nigeria.