Let us break if North retains power in 2023 — Gbadamosi

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party in the 2019 election in Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, speaks with MUDIAGA AFFE on the need to expand roads in the metropolis and other national issues

How can the government tackle the problem of gridlock in Lagos?

The gridlock has always been with us, it is just that it has become far more intensive now. During the 1970s, the military tackled the gridlock the best they could. They expanded the roads from the original two-lane express to the 10 lanes that it was from Jibowu to Ketu, among others, to be more precise. I think that subsequent regime in Lagos, starting with the late Gen Mobolaji Johnson did a sterling job and after him, many other governors did theirs. They did the best they could under the circumstance in terms of road expansion. The military, under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, started the Third Mainland Bridge project but I think for some reason the civilian administration of the late Shehu Shagari was not too enthusiastic about it, and also the regime of Muhammadu Buhari did not also look into it until that of Ibrahim Babangida. In my opinion, a lot of the roads that are still dual carriageways in Lagos today ought to have been expanded to 10-lane expressways just like we have in Abuja- that is what Lagos needs without a shadow of the doubt.

Under the present economic downturn, is the expansion of road networks feasible?

Yes, we must expand our road infrastructure and we must expand it properly. We should start with the proper engineering of the roads. What we have at the moment is bad. We need to go back to the drawing board and re-engineer the roads, we are building for the future and not something that should last us for three or four years. The only way to do that is to do it the same way it is done globally. Give the road a concrete foundation on top of a rock layer to ensure that the coming generations will only need to scrape the surface asphalts and relay it if there are potholes.

Why did you defect from the PDP to the ADP?

I did not defect from the PDP. I resigned from politics when I left the PDP. I was in my house when the ADP came calling and I had left PDP for up to seven months then. When they (ADP) came, I gave them my conditions and they met it and so I joined them.

Do you have plans to go back to the PDP?

My foray into partisan politics started with the PDP. I did the best I could for the PDP; I worked very hard for the party. At this point, the situation in Lagos calls for a bipartisan approach or perhaps a non-partisan approach in solving the problems of Lagos. To that end, I have been giving advice publicly to the APC government on the things that they need to do and how to do them. That does not mean that I want to join the APC, it simply means that I want the best for Lagos. I have good friends and leaders in the PDP whom I have a lot of respect for and at the last election there was some synergy that came very late in the day, but it came. Perhaps if it had come earlier the results might have been extremely different. There may be a continuation of that synergy based on the fact that the monster we are facing in Lagos cannot be conquered unless there is unity amongst the opposition- that much is clear. Anybody that says otherwise is not a realistic politician or not a politician at all. So, there will be some synergy. As to whether I am going to join the PDP, I do not know at this moment. I am a one-way person, I have already joined the ADP and I have not seen what would make me leave the ADP at this point. If I leave the ADP, it is more than likely that I would be leaving politics again.

The polity is already over heated with debate on the 2023 election and where the presidential candidate should come from; don’t you think it is too early for that?

No, it is not too early to start discussing the 2023 presidential election because in my opinion, we made some foolish choices in 2015 that have led us to where we are. When I say, we, I mean members of the PDP, the public and Nigerians in general. We ignored the antecedents of General Buhari. For whatever reason, many Nigerians refused to take account of his (Buhari’s) antecedents when they were going to vote in the 2015 election and more especially the millennials were deceived because they formed the bulk of the electorate. Of course, we also knew there were irregularities, under-age voting in the North. We know that the majority of the votes that came from the North will not ordinarily count in a real democracy. Unfortunately for us, we are where we are today because of those decisions. So, if we are going to be talking about the presidential election in 2023, we had better start so that we can interrogate the past of the people that would want to take us to the ‘extra level’ because we are now in the ‘next level’. We need to bring them into the cold light of the day and examine their antecedents. If any person is presenting himself for public office he needs to be scrutinised and investigated otherwise some of these things impact us as people when they get into office. Look at the disgraceful scenes in the villa where the First Lady is being locked out from some rooms by some people who were not elected to be in government and yet they have an immense amount of power in this administration. How much more lowly do we want to drag the seat of office in Nigeria? We need to know who our leaders are, their family, children, economic lifestyle or extravagant displays of wealth. We need to know if they have done anything in the past that could bring the office to disrepute.

There are also arguments as to where the presidency should go to. While some believe that it should come to the South and specifically the South-East, some proponents in the North believe it should remain in the North, what is your position on this?

I think it is unfair that the Igbo people have been shut out from the office of the President of Nigeria for as long as Nigeria has existed. I think it is grossly unfair and it is deliberate. I think it is also to the detriment of our unity if indeed we want to remain a united country, then we need to give everybody a chance because if we are not ready to do that, we need to break up and everybody should go to their separate ways. We say we are one united country; everybody must be given a chance to steer us in the direction they think would make a place for everybody. The northerners have had their chance from different parts of that region (North-Central, North-East, and North-West).

But those canvassing for the North to continue in 2023 are looking at the situation from the onset of the Fourth Republic, is that a good assessment?

We cannot cut any period out of the history of Nigeria unless we are being foolish because the actions that were taken impacted on us. The constitution was written during the military era, are we going to throw it away? If that is the case we would need to take the opportunity to write a fresh constitution that makes more sense. You say we are a secular state and yet the word Sharia appears in the Constitution uncountable number of times, but our country is not a theocracy. Who are we playing with? Is it some kind of joke of some people playing with our intelligence? We also have a Chief Justice of Nigeria that has made some statements that are triumphal like a conquering invader that they are more in number and can change the laws. So, what kind of justice can the Christians receive from his court? Some issues need to be addressed- let us rewrite the constitution so that the one that was written in 1999 can go out of the window. You cannot apply something that we did not approve of all of us. Even in countries where they have one major religion like the United Arab Emirates, for instance, they are fighting hard to deemphasise religion in matters of the state. These are countries that want to make progress. We need to wake up to decide whether we want to live together or live apart. If they say the Presidency should not come to the South in 2023, then let us end Nigeria and stop deceiving ourselves.

Are you saying it is not feasible for the North to retain power in 2023?

It is not. If they insist then let us break Nigeria. Let each region go their separate ways. It is either that, or we have a loosed confederation with an option to secede, depending on the available option upon the start of the confederation. I disagree with those that say the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable because there is nothing in this world that is created by humans that is not negotiable. It is only the law of God that is not negotiable. Are they saying the unity of Nigeria is some kind of gods that we must worship? If the concept of Nigeria is not serving the people that live in that space then let’s break it and let each person go and paddle their own canoe. Those that are saying if we break up some of us would go hungry let us go hungry because it is the hunger that made Singapore what it is today. Singapore has zero oil and yet they have three of the biggest refineries in the world. We have this problem of being unified with people who have no ambition. If Nigeria is not working, just like the Soviet realised that the USSR was not working and they broke up and allowed each country to go and do their own thing and are making huge technological advances, we should do that. It is not about size for those that keep arguing that we are better when we are bigger.

Source: https://punchng.com/let-us-break-if-north-retains-power-in-2023-gbadamosi/

Who be this one?

You have a point...

No nation can ever progress when Donkeys are well positioned to continously Lord it over other more sophisticated, resourceful, cerebral, successful and intellectually superior beings in the land.
The very set of beings that should have been banned from heading anything governance... but alas, they are still here

valentineuwakwe:
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party in the 2019 election in Lagos State , Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi , speaks with MUDIAGA AFFE on the need to expand roads in the metropolis and other national issues
How can the government tackle the problem of gridlock in Lagos?
The gridlock has always been with us, it is just that it has become far more intensive now. During the 1970s , the military tackled the gridlock the best they could. They expanded the roads from the original two -lane express to the 10 lanes that it was from Jibowu to Ketu , among others, to be more precise . I think that subsequent regime in Lagos, starting with the late Gen Mobolaji Johnson did a sterling job and after him , many other governors did theirs . They did the best they could under the circumstance in terms of road expansion . The military, under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration , started the Third Mainland Bridge project but I think for some reason the civilian administration of the late Shehu Shagari was not too enthusiastic about it, and also the regime of Muhammadu Buhari did not also look into it until that of Ibrahim Babangida. In my opinion , a lot of the roads that are still dual carriageways in Lagos today ought to have been expanded to 10 -lane expressways just like we have in Abuja - that is what Lagos needs without a shadow of the doubt .
Under the present economic downturn, is the expansion of road networks feasible?
Yes, we must expand our road infrastructure and we must expand it properly. We should start with the proper engineering of the roads. What we have at the moment is bad. We need to go back to the drawing board and re- engineer the roads, we are building for the future and not something that should last us for three or four years. The only way to do that is to do it the same way it is done globally. Give the road a concrete foundation on top of a rock layer to ensure that the coming generations will only need to scrape the surface asphalts and relay it if there are potholes.
Why did you defect from the PDP to the ADP?
I did not defect from the PDP . I resigned from politics when I left the PDP . I was in my house when the ADP came calling and I had left PDP for up to seven months then . When they ( ADP) came, I gave them my conditions and they met it and so I joined them.
Do you have plans to go back to the PDP?
My foray into partisan politics started with the PDP . I did the best I could for the PDP ; I worked very hard for the party. At this point, the situation in Lagos calls for a bipartisan approach or perhaps a non -partisan approach in solving the problems of Lagos . To that end, I have been giving advice publicly to the APC government on the things that they need to do and how to do them. That does not mean that I want to join the APC , it simply means that I want the best for Lagos . I have good friends and leaders in the PDP whom I have a lot of respect for and at the last election there was some synergy that came very late in the day , but it came. Perhaps if it had come earlier the results might have been extremely different . There may be a continuation of that synergy based on the fact that the monster we are facing in Lagos cannot be conquered unless there is unity amongst the opposition - that much is clear. Anybody that says otherwise is not a realistic politician or not a politician at all. So, there will be some synergy . As to whether I am going to join the PDP , I do not know at this moment. I am a one-way person , I have already joined the ADP and I have not seen what would make me leave the ADP at this point. If I leave the ADP, it is more than likely that I would be leaving politics again .
The polity is already over heated with debate on the 2023 election and where the presidential candidate should come from; don’ t you think it is too early for that?
No , it is not too early to start discussing the 2023 presidential election because in my opinion, we made some foolish choices in 2015 that have led us to where we are. When I say, we , I mean members of the PDP , the public and Nigerians in general . We ignored the antecedents of General Buhari. For whatever reason , many Nigerians refused to take account of his (Buhari ’ s ) antecedents when they were going to vote in the 2015 election and more especially the millennials were deceived because they formed the bulk of the electorate. Of course , we also knew there were irregularities , under -age voting in the North. We know that the majority of the votes that came from the North will not ordinarily count in a real democracy. Unfortunately for us, we are where we are today because of those decisions . So , if we are going to be talking about the presidential election in 2023, we had better start so that we can interrogate the past of the people that would want to take us to the ‘ extra level’ because we are now in the ‘ next level ’. We need to bring them into the cold light of the day and examine their antecedents . If any person is presenting himself for public office he needs to be scrutinised and investigated otherwise some of these things impact us as people when they get into office . Look at the disgraceful scenes in the villa where the First Lady is being locked out from some rooms by some people who were not elected to be in government and yet they have an immense amount of power in this administration. How much more lowly do we want to drag the seat of office in Nigeria? We need to know who our leaders are, their family, children, economic lifestyle or extravagant displays of wealth . We need to know if they have done anything in the past that could bring the office to disrepute.

There are also arguments as to where the presidency should go to. While some believe that it should come to the South and specifically the South - East, some proponents in the North believe it should remain in the North, what is your position on this ?
I think it is unfair that the Igbo people have been shut out from the office of the President of Nigeria for as long as Nigeria has existed . I think it is grossly unfair and it is deliberate . I think it is also to the detriment of our unity if indeed we want to remain a united country, then we need to give everybody a chance because if we are not ready to do that, we need to break up and everybody should go to their separate ways . We say we are one united country; everybody must be given a chance to steer us in the direction they think would make a place for everybody . The northerners have had their chance from different parts of that region ( North- Central, North- East, and North -West ) .
But those canvassing for the North to continue in 2023 are looking at the situation from the onset of the Fourth Republic, is that a good assessment?
We cannot cut any period out of the history of Nigeria unless we are being foolish because the actions that were taken impacted on us. The constitution was written during the military era, are we going to throw it away? If that is the case we would need to take the opportunity to write a fresh constitution that makes more sense. You say we are a secular state and yet the word Sharia appears in the Constitution uncountable number of times, but our country is not a theocracy. Who are we playing with? Is it some kind of joke of some people playing with our intelligence ? We also have a Chief Justice of Nigeria that has made some statements that are triumphal like a conquering invader that they are more in number and can change the laws . So, what kind of justice can the Christians receive from his court ? Some issues need to be addressed - let us rewrite the constitution so that the one that was written in 1999 can go out of the window . You cannot apply something that we did not approve of all of us . Even in countries where they have one major religion like the United Arab Emirates , for instance, they are fighting hard to deemphasise religion in matters of the state. These are countries that want to make progress. We need to wake up to decide whether we want to live together or live apart. If they say the Presidency should not come to the South in 2023 , then let us end Nigeria and stop deceiving ourselves.
Are you saying it is not feasible for the North to retain power in 2023?
It is not . If they insist then let us break Nigeria. Let each region go their separate ways . It is either that , or we have a loosed confederation with an option to secede , depending on the available option upon the start of the confederation . I disagree with those that say the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable because there is nothing in this world that is created by humans that is not negotiable. It is only the law of God that is not negotiable. Are they saying the unity of Nigeria is some kind of gods that we must worship ? If the concept of Nigeria is not serving the people that live in that space then let ’ s break it and let each person go and paddle their own canoe. Those that are saying if we break up some of us would go hungry let us go hungry because it is the hunger that made Singapore what it is today . Singapore has zero oil and yet they have three of the biggest refineries in the world . We have this problem of being unified with people who have no ambition. If Nigeria is not working, just like the Soviet realised that the USSR was not working and they broke up and allowed each country to go and do their own thing and are making huge technological advances , we should do that . It is not about size for those that keep arguing that we are better when we are bigger.

source: https://punchng.com/let-us-break-if-north-retains-power-in-2023-gbadamosi/

This man is no doubt making sense but some of his brothers here will soon come for his head for daring to challenge their fulani masters.

Niger, Kogi, kwara state can successfully and comfortably lead this nation without Nigeria breaking up.

.

Oh u ppl now want to breakaway if power isn't transferred to U but called Igbos all sorts of names wen dey stated agitating for their own freedom.. We no dey break anything , if North retains power dey must continue ruling ooo

Who is now afraid of the fake "One Nigeria" entity? Nigeria remains a contraption created by the British that is long on the precipice of disintegration.

Why are Yoruba people disturbing us with 2023 na

You and who?....maybe with ipob

2023 if it must come South, it must come SE.
Or it stays North.

Modified:

The country will not break if it doesn't go SW, yes, yoruba have had their turn, and if they believe the East should not have it, the East will be ready to join the North in dragging them back to the Nigeria they love so much, if they try any seccesion nonsense because they were not given power.

Yorubas think they can play mind games and blackmail Nigerians with threats of joining the call for seccession if they are not given the ticket. They are wasting their time, they'll be standing alone.

If they believe that the East will agitate with them when the North kick them in the butt in 2023, they are wasting their time. They have never agitated when the East is treated badly, why should the East get agitated when they are kicked in the butt?

It's either the ticket comes East or remains in the North. The SW have done 8 years as president and 8 years VP. They must wait for their turn, they will not be allowed to jump the queue.

LabDNA:
2023 if it must come South, it must come SE.
And yorubas are not supporting SE presidency, so why should the country break up because yorubas are angry they didn't the ticket even after they've taken their turn?

Why is it that when injustice affects the East, it is okay by yoruba but when yoruba feel they are getting the short end of the stick, they expect the East to 'join them to break up the country'.

The SW is not a sincere region, and the East will not support their quest to break up because they are now the one at the receiving end of Nigeria's hostility.
Infact we might even become rabid 'patriots' and even join the North to force them to remain in Nigeria in that instance until everybody becomes sincere in this country.

You can continue to support injustice when others are affected and then expect others to join you in crying when you are bereaved.

The yorubas are trying to blackmail the north with 'we will support IPOB and break the country, if you don't give us SW the 2023 ticket'. Mind games!

The north should not bother itself, yorubas will fight alone in that war if they declare it and SW will be dragged back to Nigeria they've always loved so much for killing millions of Easterners.

Looooooool see rants of a delusional ipod man
Gbadamosi is no longer a pdp man he’s now a Yoruba man

Any Yoruba in pdp is a Mumu

Shut up man. Power is not given on the platter of gold. We are already know that power is coming back to southern Nigeria. But let igbo prepare and yoruba prepare too.

2023 is still far and all this noises

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BuhariAdvocate:
Shut up man. Power is not given on the platter of gold. We are already know that power is coming back to southern Nigeria. But let igbo prepare and yoruba prepare too.

keep ur presidency to ur self please as for biafra we are going home GOD BLESS BIAFRA

you are very lazy.

azimo:
keep ur presidency to ur self please as for biafra we are going home GOD BLESS BIAFRA

BuhariAdvocate:
you are very lazy.

what ever GOD BLESS BIAFRA

azimo:
what ever GOD BLESS BIAFRA

a graduate of computer science in University of Bolognese Italy and working with a high tech company here in padova is lazy? Because am a biafran ? I spite on your grave

LabDNA:
2023 if it must come South, it must come SE.

keep dreaming, and to correct you of you ranting.. he said the country would break if power doesnt shift south meaning Southwest are pulling out, feel free to stay with fulani, thats your choice

PS: Yorubas aint Biafra that got conquered due to hunger, we are self sufficient and well vast in the art of diplomacy

If we want all Leeches out of our land we would simply destroy Mokwa - Jebba bridge, Niger Bridge, and Lokoja bridge and just like that we cut you out

..

Snipper007:
Who be this one?

Are U blind, you can not see his name written there.

Hypocrisy is when u don't want north to retain power but want south west to retain power

Power is not given. No more zoning everyone can contest

The greed of south west would deny south president 2023

LabDNA:
2023 if it must come South, it must come SE.

Dreamer

mrvitalis:
Hypocrisy is when u don't want north to retain power but want south west to retain power

Power is not given. No more zoning everyone can contest

The greed of south west would deny south president 2023

Foolish people! Who will vote Igbo? Not even the so-called SS!

LabDNA:
2023 if it must come South, it must come SE.

SE?

[s]

itsme01:


keep dreaming, and to correct you of you ranting.. he said the country would break if power doesnt shift south meaning Southwest are pulling out, feel free to stay with fulani, thats your choice

PS: Yorubas aint Biafra that got conquered due to hunger, we are self sufficient and well vast in the art of diplomacy

[/s]

MusaChukwudi:


Foolish people! Who will vote Igbo? Not even the so-called SS!

Lol you mean so called south south that has been championing Igbo presidency ?
Middle belt Christians would vote for Igbo's
Northern Christians would vote for Igbo's

Who would vote for south west ...name one zone south west can beat their chest n say we got 70% here

Snipper007:
Who be this one?

It would do you a world of good to read the article. If not, don't comment.

[s]

itsme01:


keep dreaming, and to correct you of you ranting.. he said the country would break if power doesnt shift south meaning Southwest are pulling out, feel free to stay with fulani, thats your choice

PS: Yorubas aint Biafra that got conquered due to hunger, we are self sufficient and well vast in the art of diplomacy

[/s] what is the point of having aro when their patients are commenting on Nairaland.

NimrodEndOfDays:
[s][/s] what is the point of having aro when their patients are commenting on Nairaland.

Eyah this one is in sifia pains, kpele oo

His village people are using his mouth

His village people are using his mouth. He will soon come out to say "it wasn't me". Useless miscreant