Since the conduct of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, a lot of worrisome issues and ugly landmarks  hitherto unknown to  the political heritage of Nigeria have found their way to reality.
Indeed, the national convention was one political exercise that ambitiously challenged the unity and staying power of the Nigerian state against the background of the debate on zoning that bred so much hate to the extent of distorting the bond of friendship among fellow Nigerians.

The contest featured a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the consensus candidate of the North against the incumbent president, Dr.  Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan, as we all know, is from the oil-rich Niger Delta area, an area that should not have produced the president going by the PDP arrangement on zoning. At the end of the crunchy encounter, Jonathan polled a landslide victory against his opponent. The rest, as they say, is now history.

However, the ripples of that national convention are still interred in the present and overheating polity, especially the Northern parts of the country in a way that is adjudged negative and cancerous and counter-productive. In the North, depending on the voting patterns of the delegates, their leaders and key stakeholders are either being politically devoured or adored by the local communities, who had expected all their delegates to have voted for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Those of them, like the leader of the Kano State delegates, whose delegates voted against the line and mood of the majority of party men and women, have since returned home to a hero’s welcome and have been luxuriating in the applause of a crowd that saw the convention from the eye of a war between the South and the North.

What is not in the public domain, however, is that the delegates from Kano State voted against the Jonathan/Sambo ticket, despite the fact that their leader holds a key position in the Campaign Organization and had assured all who cared to listen of the votes of Kano delegates. And that if not for politics, such an act is nothing but a betrayal.

However, not satisfied by all this, yet another ugly trend has been surfacing in the state. This is a trend whereby PDP supporters participate in defacing the billboards of Jonathan /Sambo. One of such example was the case of the billboard situated at the end of the Eastern bye pass.

In addition, a new slogan has also been invented to replace the controversial and partially obsolete chants of “Kwankwassiya amana”. This slogan goes this way:  “Kano Sai Kwankwaso, Nigeria Sai Buhari”.  And the meaning of this slogan is self explanatory, clearly stating that those who chant it, will engage in anti–party voting, and will no doubt vote in favour of the CPC’s presidential candidate.

On two or more occasions, these party supporters have presented themselves in this dismal light. One of such occasions was at the stakeholders’ briefing with the press, following the purported dropping of the candidate’s name by the party headquarters late last month.

There, at the press center and before the world, the crowd roared and rained abuses on the Jonathan/Sambo’s presidential bidding while their leaders watched them commit the ugly act. Party chieftains, a Senator and a member of the House of Representatives, were present at the event. But none of them bothered to call the crowd to order. Observers were left worrying: have things gone these bad in the PDP?

Another example of this attitude was recorded last week. The crowd that converged to receive party’s gubernatorial candidate still made it a duty to hit at the president. At the various interjections of the reception, the shouts and chants of “Sai Kwankwanso, Sai Buhari” swallowed all the noise in the air to the point that one would mistake his homecoming rally as a CPC event.


Yes! It is typical to excuse some of these inexcusables and callous actions as the actions of thugs and jolly fellows, which should not be taken seriously. But why is the party not stopping them?

What is rather hard to discern for a number of us who are equally members of the ruling party in the state is, why these thugs had reserved this amount of hatred for the President and his Vice and why also, up till this moment, they have carried on as if they are not aware of the universal injury they are inflicting on the party as a whole.

A political party is supposed to be a congregation of men of shared values and vision and not a confluence of ethnic jingoists or certified bigots. It is painful that the only reason they can count on for plotting to ditch their presidential candidate is not clear.

In conclusion, today is still the right time to change this style of politics and be defined by a more progressive and liberal approach to conflict resolution. This is the only way to move the party forward
http://sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6125&catid=7&Itemid=113

That was the lamentation of a PDP member who saw the trend.

Even if Kwankwasso of PDP does well in guber, his supporters are all for Buhari.

Now, anybody who says Buhari cannot get 90% in teh NW, which has the largest voting bloc, should have a rethink.

Even in Kaduna, a very close friend of mine who was in Sambo's ward during registration told me that Sambo cannot even win his ward, given the massive support Buhari enjoys in that area.

Buhari's joker now is winning the SW, or at least doing reasonably well, say 40%.

Jarus you na no dey stop making me laugh. Kano belongs to Shekarau, buhari will place third in the election. Ribadu wins this one. Mu he he

seanet02:

Jarus you na no dey stop making me laugh. Kano belongs to Shekarau, buhari will place third in the election. Ribadu wins this one. Mu he he

It's apparent you don't know the history of Kano at all. Shekarau became Kano state gov in 2003 only due to a singular act from Buhari. Buhari raised his hands up in the ANPP rally in Kano and that was enough for them to vote out the same Kwakwanso they are seemingly now supporting. Shekarau who was a civil servant during Kwakwanso's first time in office, was retired by Kwakwanso because he spoke against the government. Side by side, Buhari will bit Shekarau 10 times over in in Shekarau's ward.

BTW Ribadu is not popular in the north. Infact he cannot win his own ward too in Adamawa.

Jarus:

That was the lamentation of a PDP member who saw the trend.

Even if Kwankwasso of PDP does well in guber, his supporters are all for Buhari.

Now, anybody who says Buhari cannot get 90% in teh NW, which has the largest voting bloc, should have a rethink.

Even in Kaduna, a very close friend of mine who was in Sambo's ward during registration told me that Sambo cannot even win his ward, given the massive support Buhari enjoys in that area.

Buhari's joker now is winning the SW, or at least doing reasonably well, say 40%.

What then happens to Shekarau The man is very popular also in Kano state. Every body knows Buhari will win the North West, but it would have served him much better if Shekarau wasn't in the race. Shekarau would definitely post a good showing in his home state. Even if he gets just 20 % of the votes, thats bad for Buhari because in a race that could be tight, every percent counts!! Borno and Yobe will also be split mainly between ANPP and CPC. States like Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Gombe will have Jonathan recording at least 30% give their large Christian populations and PDPs very strong footing. Kaduna south votes Jonathan all the way. Plateau, Benue and Taraba are flat out Jonathan.

As per the south west giving Buhari 40%, that's impossible! First because Tinubu and his ACN gang will be doomed if that happens(They won't allow it) and secondly because Jonathan has a very large portion of supporters in the south west especially amongst the older folk(40+) and the pentecostals. In my opinion, the south west will be split between  ACN and PDP. I will give Buhari a measly 20- 25% here.

If you do a survey, you will find that the BB tickets popularity outside of the North West and some of the North East is limited to the internet! Talk to people on the street in Ogbomosho or Akure and you'll find there is very little buzz on the ticket!!

People are tired of PDP, but the opposition has failed to put up a hard and worthwhile fight!

I must confess though, that the Buhari/Bakare ticket is temptingly impressive especially with the character and passion displayed by the supporters!! Two radicals on one ticket is no doubt a good sell in a corruption infested nation!
But no, there are some fundamentals that must be shifted in this country and Jonathan's presidency represents some of  that shift!!

Does the PDP even exist any more if they cannot maintain party unity?