Nigeria is on the verge of being liberated from the PDP mafia.Jonathan's loss at the PDP primaries will be a first step towards that direction.

Yea and i want to win a million dollars!

@ Abagworo,

You have a point, but opposition needs to unite. That is why I see a Pat Utomi / Nuhu Ribadu ticket as a probably the best Nigeria need for now

monkeyleg:

@ Abagworo,

You have a point, but opposition needs to unite. That is why I see a Pat Utomi / Nuhu Ribadu ticket as a probably the best Nigeria need for now

Monkeyleg why not a RIbadu/Fashola ticket. I think Utomi has proved too desperate to be VP or P.

monkeyleg:

@ Abagworo,

You have a point, but opposition needs to unite. That is why I see a Pat Utomi / Nuhu Ribadu ticket as a probably the best Nigeria need for now

In what election? The one in the year 2050? Are they even in the same party?
Anyway, mek I waka, because una no serious. I'm done with this joke section thread.

I cant believe that the so much respected ABAGWORO can belittle himself to the extent that his threads are now categorised as jokes.
Shameful.

It is an interesting idea. It would likely splinter the strength of the PDP into two new components. If Jonathan loses, will he still contest under another party? And will a good portion of the PDPs strength follow him?

I would love to see the above outcome happen, I think it would be wonderful for this country for the PDP to be broken. But I'm not sure it is what would happen if GEJ loses.

Andre Uweh:

I cant believe that the so much respected ABAGWORO can belittle himself to the extent that his threads are now categorised as jokes.
Shameful.

Do you believe that it is possible for the desired change to be achieved with the status quo?

@Ladi02,

No, I dont think Pat Utomi has shown that much desperation, and besides I think he is the only one of the lot that understand what it take to move Nigeria where I think we should be going. Fashola / Ribadu would also be acceptable.

But for anyone to think that the answer to Nigerias problem lies in PDP, I am afriad that person must be smoking paw-paw leaves. And besides, change is good, and Nigeria really does need a change

Here is the rub:

If Atiku wins the PDP primaries, Goodluck Jonathan and his supporters will decamp to another party and run for the presidency on that platform. GEJ will release a statement like “in accordance with the wishes of millions of Nigerians who have pleaded with me to serve in this office, I have decided to contest the presidency on the platform of XYZ party”.

If Jonathan wins the PDP primaries, Atiku and his crew will move to another party and contest on that platform citing reasons such as “Jonathan is a beneficiary of zoning and shouldn’t have contested in the first place”.

At the end of the day, I think Jonathan will win the general elections proper because the north will have at least 2 candidates, namely, Buhari and Atiku and maybe 3 candidates if Ribadu can secure the ticket of his party. This will split the northern votes. To date, an incumbent has never lost an election (or as some critics would say “a rigging contest”) in the history of Nigeria, so this is also in Jonathan’s favour. I also think that Jonathan will capture most of the votes in the south due to the sentiments of many southerners who see this election as North vs South tussle.

^--- If that is true, then I hope Jonathan loses the PDP primary. Then:

a) He takes himself and his strength to a new party, weakening the PDP
b) PDP is viewed as a northern party rather than a national one
c) He likely wins the election anyway, but with far less "mobility" (so to speak) than if he had won on the PDP platform
d) The ACN can make mincemeat of the PDP in the SW, with their energies focused on other things.

Is this not the best of all possible worlds (at least from the perspective of an ACN SWester like myself?)

Crownvilla:

Here is the rub:

If Atiku wins the PDP primaries, Goodluck Jonathan and his supporters will decamp to another party and run for the presidency on that platform. GEJ will release a statement like “in accordance with the wishes of millions of Nigerians who have pleaded with me to serve in this office, I have decided to contest the presidency on the platform of XYZ party”.

Frankly, that is the wishes of most people I have encountered.If that happens, I can bet that people will take to the streets with joy carrying placards and there might even be violence as lots of PDP buildings will be razed.

I have reiterated that Jonathan's candidacy is not so inspiring. So, I am praying that he loses. Yes, Jonathan must lose the elections. But he must not lose to Atiku and his ilks.

pcicero:

I have reiterated that Jonathan's candidacy is not so inspiring. So, I am praying that he loses. Yes, Jonathan must lose the elections. But he must not lose to Atiku and his ilks.

He cant dat is 4 sure!!!He's gonna be our next president its been stamped GBAM!!! there is nothing no1 can do

what if he loses?

DapoBear:

^--- If that is true, then I hope Jonathan loses the PDP primary. Then:

a) He takes himself and his strength to a new party, weakening the PDP
b) PDP is viewed as a northern party rather than a national one
c) He likely wins the election anyway, but with far less "mobility" (so to speak) than if he had won on the PDP platform
d) The ACN can make mincemeat of the PDP in the SW, with their energies focused on other things.

Is this not the best of all possible worlds (at least from the perspective of an ACN SWester like myself?)

Aren't you there deluding yourself by believing Jonathan himself has any strength as a candidate outside of the PDP? The man owes his political career to the PDP and in his years there -- this is a man with no merited political achievement to date and you are already predicting he will win if he defects?

Kobojunkie:

Aren't you there deluding yourself by believing Jonathan himself has any strength as a candidate outside of the PDP? The man owes his political career to the PDP and in his years there -- this is a man with no merited political achievement to date and you are already predicting he will win if he defects?

As others have stated, the powers of incumbency are not insignificant. Maybe I'm overestimating GEJ, but he should be able to win if he defects (worst case scenario, he rigs heavily.)

Look, ultimately I don't care who in the PDP wins, I don't much like the party and think it is bad for Nigeria. So to see it implode one way or another is fine by me. Plus, will Atiku even be a strong president with much of the south and middle belt realistically against him, and the party in disarray (say with significant losses of governor seats in the south?)

Or am I underestimating the danger of Atiku somehow winning?

DapoBear:




b) PDP is viewed as a northern party rather than a national one

This is a complete untruth. PDP is not viewed as a northern party. If anything, it is the only national behemoth that has bestroded the Nigerian political space, except for the SDP/NRC interregnum. Please tell me any other party that is more national.

Plus, Jonathan will be eediotic to allow power slip by him since none of those seeking to replace him are saints either. Jonathan must rig himself in by all means. When he gets in he can begin the reforms.

^-- My hope is that it will be viewed as a northern one, if GEJ loses the primaries and is forced to contest using another vehicle. Think you misread me a bit.

DapoBear:

^-- My hope is that it will be viewed as a northern one, if GEJ loses the primaries and is forced to contest using another vehicle. Think you misread me a bit.

And where will he go to? He is doomed to fail if he leaves the PDP. He must stop Atiku by all means including whipping up any corruption sentiments against him.
One brazen strategic mistake Jonathan made was appointing a northerner as INEC chairman. His ability to influence him will be limited; and that is talking of him winning the primaries first.

marcdunu:

Nigeria's Jacob Zuma is on the match again.

Just like we stopped OBJ 3rd term. Jonathan must be stopped. Rules are Rules; they must be respected. Incumbency or no Incumbency.

It is a stupid rule. In what sort of godforsaken country can a man not run for office in some years due to his ethnicity? What type of moronic rule is this? Where else is this practice done? Shouldn't everyone in the land who is of age be able to contest for presidency?

DapoBear:

Quote from: marcdunu on Today at 04:55:47 PM
Nigeria's Jacob Zuma is on the match again.

Just like we stopped OBJ 3rd term. Jonathan must be stopped. Rules are Rules; they must be respected. Incumbency or no Incumbency.

It is a silly rule. In what sort of godforsaken country can a man not run for office in some years due to his ethnicity? What type of moronic rule is this? Where else is this practice done? Shouldn't everyone in the land who is of age be able to contest for presidency?

Don't mind the charlattans. They disregard the real constitution, but that unwritten zoning rule that they made up MUST be respected. I don't know what such people use for brains.

Nothing of this sort is necessary.

The lack of ability by the other parties to convince the populace that they have a better plan than GEJ or any other PDP candidate should not be compensated by taking out a potentially better candidate. What if GEJ loses the PDP primaries and the PDP candidate still wins the presidency? What if the other party wins the presidency, but turns out to be a nightmare?

What we need is for the electorate to make the best decision on election day - that would require adequate information from the candidates on their plans, as well as a free and fair election.

Abagworo:

Nigeria is on the verge of being liberated from the PDP mafia.Jonathan's loss at the PDP primaries will be a first step towards that direction.

There is a difference between Nigerian Constitution and PDP constitution.

When you join an organisation you have a duty to subject yourself to the rules of the organisation. If you don't like the organisation then by all means quit.

It is like a tennant disregarding his tenancy agreement not to host noisy parties in his flat and claiming that the Nigerian constitution gives him the right to associate freely.

If you do not like the agreement you entered into then quit.

Jonathan should leave the PDP if he does not like the zoning formula.

Donald duke for president say no to jonathan! he is a quack

Isn't the onus on you to show where the PDP constitution supports your argument? That's one.
Two, when a party's constitution contradicts the national constitution it becomes null and void. Just like a state cannot make laws that contradict the Federal Law, a party cannot make such laws. Such laws are as good as if they were never made. So, if the PDP constitution contains a law that illegally prevents legitimate contestants from seeking any office of the land, then it is null and void.

marcdunu:

There is a difference between Nigerian Constitution and PDP constitution.
When you join an organisation you have a duty to subject yourself to the rules of the organisation. If you don't like the organisation then by all means quit.
It is like a tennant disregarding his tenancy agreement not to host noisy parties in his flat and claiming that the Nigerian constitution gives him the right to associate freely.
If you do not like the agreement you entered into then quit.
Jonathan should leave the PDP if he does not like the zoning formula.

On which platform is Donald Duke going to be contesting - the guy doesn't seem to be serious about contesting for the presidency. He seems to be working towards the VP slot.

L. KRavitz:

Donald duke for president say no to jonathan! he is a quack

DapoBear:

As others have stated, the powers of incumbency are not insignificant. Maybe I'm overestimating GEJ, but he should be able to win if he defects (worst case scenario, he rigs heavily.)

Look, ultimately I don't care who in the PDP wins, I don't much like the party and think it is bad for Nigeria. So to see it implode one way or another is fine by me. Plus, will Atiku even be a strong president with much of the south and middle belt realistically against him, and the party in disarray (say with significant losses of governor seats in the south?)

Or am I underestimating the danger of Atiku somehow winning?

He cannot win if he defects because he lacks the support and power he needs to achieve that outside of the PDP. Essentially his political career has been the making of the PDP. If he had not been associated with the party from the beginning, you would probably never have heard of a Jonathan Goodluck. Goodluck is a PDP product and cannot exist outside of PDP cover. In fact, he would never have been able to declare assets in the upper 200million in assets less than 3 years into his first term as vice Governor of Bayelsa(Lord know how much his wife was worth then and how much they probably are today).

We don't need anyone, not even some imagined messiah from the PDP winning anymore elections. That is the main point here. We need a complete change and in order to do that, all those who have held on to power through one corrupt means/association or another need to be taken down and that includes your dearly beloved Jonathan.

One brazen strategic mistake Jonathan made was appointing a northerner as INEC chairman. His ability to influence him will be limited; and that is talking of him winning the primaries first.

GBAM;   U SPOKE WELL MY BROTHER

Kobojunkie:

He cannot win if he defects because he lacks the support and power he needs to achieve that outside of the PDP.

We don't need anyone, not even some imagined messiah from the PDP winning anymore elections. That is the main point here. We need a complete change and in order to do that, all those who have held on to power through one corrupt means/association or another need to be taken down and that includes your dearly beloved Jonathan.

My dearly beloved Jonathan, now? 

Look, all I care about is seeing the PDP weakened. Anything that achieves these objectives is fine by me. I must admit that for some reason I like him personally, but politically only want him to win if it will weaken the PDP.

DapoBear:

My dearly beloved Jonathan, now? 

Look, all I care about is seeing the PDP weakened. Anything that achieves these objectives is fine by me. I must admit that for some reason I like him personally, but politically only want him to win if it will weaken the PDP.

I have read a lot of people on here say the same things about this man, yar adua, and even Obasanjo, not much else on the particular reasons why. Fine, you say you like him PERSONALLY, I ask you why? Do you know him PERSONALLY? Have you ever met him? What has he done to impress you that no other has before him? Is it his family life? His wife? The policed view that his publicists do a good job trying to sell you of him? Which? I want to know why you like him PERSONALLY.