For one who was already a practicing physician during the glorious Buhari-Idiagbon era, I felt proud to be a Nigerian during my vacations. I felt safe on Nigerian roads. I felt happy at seeing people queue up for their turns in public places. I felt confident that the police check-point ahead of me on the highway would not turn out to be an extortionist toll gate or even a daylight gang of uniformed official robbers. I felt confident about the sincerity of the Nigerian leadership irrespective of their religion or place of origin.
I practiced my profession with happiness and dignity realizing that at least there was a government in existence that would protect me, a government that would hold any misbehaving citizens accountable for their sins against the state or against fellow citizens or other residents of the geographical unit called Nigeria.

But then, Bang! Buhari and his no-nonsense deputy Idiagbon, were booted out. Nigerians had no say in either situation. And the darkness fell. And new anti-people and anti-civilization decrees were churned out. And the incarcerated looters were released from the cells where the unsmiling duo had safely held them; (granted a few relatively innocent politicians were also incarcerated). And hell was let loose on the nation as official corruption and sleaze were raised to unenviable heights. And the word “settlement” got introduced into our political lexicon. And our leadership began to wear corruption and unaccountability as badges of honor. And we have never recovered till this day. (Google the book: “Nation of Dead Patriots”.
Google also the book: “Konganoga Mauling the Polity”).

The results of the Bang occasioned by the overthrow of the Buhari-Idiagbon duo, are what we have, still plaguing the Nigerian political landscape till today.

The argument for a Buhari/Bakare ticket may be quite plausible.
Many of us have our fears about a perpetuation of the ills of our society by a PDP victory which is almost as good as assured in the light of what we know. There is bound to be a recycling of the same political and economic vampires who have for decades brought shame and destruction to the Nigerian polity. We have seen them back on the stage doing the same weird and naked dances that are characteristic of them. (See the book “Comedy of Naked Vampires”.

Much as I greatly respect our President Goodluck Jonathan, I have my doubts as to whether he would have the political and moral will to indiscriminately pick up these same vampires of the Nigerian society and place them where they belong, the same way as Buhari would do, (…perhaps less forcefully without Idiagbon of blessed memory).
When these same vampires are relentlessly campaigning for President Jonathan now, will he have the courage to move against them when he finally ascends ‘the throne’ this time on his own merit? There lies the fear of many people including my humble self.
And without a decisive move against the same fingers of the leprous hand (a.l.a Bola Ige of blessed memory), we will merely be back to the status quo, or even turn out worse!

But again, we must not forget that President Jonathan has not really had the full opportunity to manifest his full potentials considering the circumstances under which he came to the number one position. We all are aware of the stiff opposition that he faced and is still facing from the cabal. He certainly needs a place to stand before he can be expected to move the world. For now he may appear to be fairly slow in moving against the rot in the Nigerian society. But again we must remember the big constraints which he faced and may still be facing considering the circumstances of his ascension to power and the powerful forces that consistently impeded his ascension. If after the first six months of his possible coming to power on his own merit he still manifests the presumed tardiness, then there would have been no good excuses. For now he certainly needs all hands on deck in his party to be able to win the elections. Hence, perhaps he still needs the ‘vampires’, the good the bad and the ugly within the PDP. The free hand given to the INEC so far is a veritable departure of the ‘do or die” policy of the past and the high-handedness that characterized the political cum military juggernauts that we knew.

It may not be very fair to judge President Jonathan fully now for the failure of full scale war against corruption because of his current precarious position, even when we all would have appreciated a more aggressive action against the vampires many of who currently support and campaign for him.

As opposed to President Jonathan’s present position as a President and Head of State in a democratic set up, General Buhari was a military Head of State who ruled by decrees. His word during his era was law. Thus he could peremptorily order the incarceration of any offender or perceived offender. The courts had very little powers under those regimes. A President in a democracy could have his orders ousted by the law courts. There lies the difference.

General Buhari may be a necessary panacea for the battle against corruption in Nigeria but I also have my fears about the effect that his military background in a civilian setting may have on him in a democratic Nigeria after he had ruled by decrees.
We have witnessed the effect that this had on OBJ. Can we afford another of the same?, Military Heads of State coming into civilian governance after they had previously ruled by decrees! Again we saw OBJ and we saw Mubarak of Egypt. Can we therefore take that risk with Buhari?

Again even with Rev. Bakare by his side, and even in spite of one being very open-minded about the private religious rights of individuals, can we fully take a chance with one who was alleged to have made certain religiously-divisive and inflammatory statements in the past?
Those were allegations and to a good extent General Buhari has doused those fears by choice of a reverend minister as his running mate. It was certainly a very wise move.
Again, from the point of view of moral courage to rout corruption Ribadu would have been another very good candidate, the high profile support that he appeared to have been receiving of late from certain ‘unholy’ quarters notwithstanding.
A ‘clean slate’ in the candidacy of Professor Pat Utomi, unfortunately is reported to have withdrawn from the race.

Finally, from point of view of equity, I believe it is only right that the people of the South-South
Geo-political zone, just like the people of the South-East zone deserve a shot at the presidency. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. We must not forget that the goose that lays the golden egg must be petted, not killed. Again, we should not easily forget that Nigeria started as a tripod at independence: the North, the East and the West with the Mid West at a latter stage. At that time we practiced true federalism. The North thrived on ground-nuts and cotton, the East on Palm oil and the West on cocoa. We had the Commodity Boards. And we essentially thrived on the ‘Principle of Derivation’ as the basis of the Regions’ economic survival.
Today oil that comes mainly from the South-South is the mainstay of our economic survival. Then suddenly the groundnut pyramids disappeared. The palm trees and palm plantations have been allowed to go wild. And Cocoa-House has been dwarfed with hardly any more appreciable cocoa within its precincts. And so it has suited us to create many more states in one of the former three regions enough to dwarf the other former original two regions combined. And we know now that the ‘Principle of Derivation’ and ‘Resource Control’ have suddenly become taboos and anybody who preaches them until recently could face the Saro Wiwa experience.
Would a Buhari/Bakare presidency have the moral will to correct these military-induced aberrations which suddenly became rubber-stamped Acts of Parliament?

With time the oil reserves will dwindle or even run out. And the solid mineral reserves and agricultural potentials of other regions will soar. And it may once again suit us to revert to the principle of Resource Control and Derivation.

The above are some of the issues which people should remember and think about as they make their decision on this April’s presidential elections and the candidates that they will vote for as President whether it be the incumbent, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, or General Buhari, or Rev. Chris Okotie, or Mr. Ribadu or any of the other presidential candidates in no particular order of prominence.
This is assuming that the old foxes will not once again ‘fix’ the elections.

Nigeria is a thoroughly blessed country. Her attaining true greatness and remaining strong and therefore progressive is almost entirely dependent on the ability of her citizens to hoist a credible and impeccable leadership; a leadership that will care more for the legacy that it will bequeath rather than the weight of the fleeting local and offshore bank accounts which he or she will have to his or her name. We can make it if we really try.

May the same good God who has seen us this far continue to guide our people and give Nigeria the selfless leadership that will place the country well above self.

Dr Oliver Akamnonu
(Physician and Author. New York, USA. E-mail: ooakams@yahoo.com )

Buhari- No

Jonathan -Yes!!!

Buhari- No

Jonathan -Yes!!!

Good Talk Doc.

Unfortunately, I was born a year after Buhari left power and cannot give firsthand witness to the uniqueness of their leadership. But from historical facts from people like you who have expressed that Nigeria was at its best during that short period, I remain a avid admirer of Buhari. I believe that despite his age, he would be able to give Nigeria the institutions we require to grow as a country, else this democracy would continue to remain a facade that would work only for 10% of the population. As for me, I see Buhari as Nigeria's only hope, else we head to nowhere. Lets vote him in next week.

Buhari - No
Jonathan - Yes

@Blazing, Buhari can get admiration and respect but that is where it ends. He doesn't need power.
There is no hope in the past, hope lies in the future not in the past.

[size=28pt]YES!!![/size]

efisher:

@Blazing, Buhari can get admiration and respect but that is where it ends. He doesn't need power.
There is no hope in the past, hope lies in the future not in the past.

And corrupt Jonathan, surrounded by corrupt supporters, sponsored by corrupt stalwarts is the future? If Nigeria in the future becomes unbearable for you, please dont complain. You voted for it.

NO to buhari

Jonathan all the way!

Blazing99:

Good Talk Doc.

Unfortunately, I was born a year after Buhari left power and cannot give firsthand witness to the uniqueness of their leadership. But from historical facts from people like you who have expressed that Nigeria was at its best during that short period, I remain a avid admirer of Buhari. I believe that despite his age, he would be able to give Nigeria the institutions we require to grow as a country, else this democracy would continue to remain a facade that would work only for 10% of the population. As for me, I see Buhari as Nigeria's only hope, else we head to nowhere. Lets vote him in next week.

I was born long long long before those 20 months . . . I am a witness to the years before, the short 20 months we speak of, and the long bad years after, and I can tell you for a fact that those 20 months( on weighing the conditions, the bad and the good of it all) remain the best I ever spent as a Nigerian in Nigeria. Many people who actually lived those very days would say the same.  We are speaking here of a period where security was no big problem as you have it today -- crime dropped during those years. Yes, there was the global recession to deal with but we were hopeful that we would beat it, since we there were visible signs of development most everywhere you went, even as we curbed our spending. The Government actively worked to curb prices(there was hoarding and artificial price hikes), and as a result the poor among us were sure they did not have to go to bed hungry. There were so many positives, even with all the negatives that those born after are being overwhelmed with today. Yes, some like to fixate on the minor bad, but during those months, there was a hope in Nigeria that all would get better and  better if all continued from there.

It's a big YES! for me.

buhari yes!!!!

Buhari - Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jonathan - Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

capital nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kobojunkie:

I was born long long long before those 20 months . . . I am a witness to the years before, the short 20 months we speak of, and the long bad years after, and I can tell you for a fact that those 20 months( on weighing the conditions, the bad and the good of it all) remain the best I ever spent as a Nigerian in Nigeria. Many people who actually lived those very days would say the same.  We are speaking here of a period where security was no big problem as you have it today -- crime dropped during those years. Yes, there was the global recession to deal with but we were hopeful that we would beat it, since we there were visible signs of development most everywhere you went, even as we curbed our spending. The Government actively worked to curb prices(there was hoarding and artificial price hikes), and as a result the poor among us were sure they did not have to go to bed hungry. There were so many positives, even with all the negatives that those born after are being overwhelmed with today. Yes, some like to fixate on the minor bad, but during those months, there was a hope in Nigeria that all would get better and  better if all continued from there.

Your story almost got tears running out of my eyes. This is just like paradise lost. That was not a democracy but it was a government that served the masses. Here we are in a democracy that doesn't care about the next citizen bitting the dust every hour. A harvard business review magazine I read once said, "democracy works best for civilised and non-corrupt societies". This, I have come to believe is true. Else we shun selfish practices and corruption, we go nowhere. The masses should really be wary of leaders they vote. It's their futureand that of their children that they tangle with.

i remeber those days as well.

i was living in 1004 in vi

i was 8 years old at the time

there was this day i was playing with some kids and some other kids snatched our ball or some such


there was a policeman nearby , and we immediately started squealing mr policeman , help they've taken our ball

what 8 year old today would call policeman for help for anything?

buhari a big NOOOOO
Gej all the way and a big YESSSS

ACN and CPC - Yes

PDP and Goodluck - No

^^^ I can attest to this one ooo. The policemen were respected back then. They did they job well . . . 1000times better than what we get today. You could actually walk up to a policeman then and expect to be treated like a human being and a citizen. They took time to listen and even encouraged you to file your complaints appropriately. During the later months, our neighbour got robbed. The police and detectives, yes, real live detectives showed up and questioned everyone around. A couple of months later, they caught the guys who did it(some teenagers in our community), even gave our neighbor a chance to weigh in -- our neighbor decided to drop the charges in the end since, according to him, the boys were the same age as his own cousin.

nooooo

ACN fashola 2015

Buhari - YES (lets fix Nigeria and make it great for all)

Jonathan and his gang of PDP - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


I will like to be respected as a Nigerian outside and not be seen in the light of PDP.

sbeezy8:

nooooo

ACN fashola 2015

^^^ When we get there we will talk about that. The time is now - so BUHARI all the way, this Saturday.