As the supreme court get sets to decide on Yar Adua's legitimacy, I'm beginning to feel that no matter what evidence other parties may have or how independent and radical the judges at the Apex court might claim they are, they would just flaw the petition most probably on technical or procedural grounds.
Or what do you think?

finicky:

As the supreme court get sets to decide on Yar Adua's legitimacy, I'm beginning to feel that no matter what evidence other parties may have or how independent and radical the judges at the Apex court might claim they are, they would just flaw the petition most probably on technical or procedural grounds.
Or what do you think?

@Poster, I am not sure what good this will do the Nigerian people. I understand that problem of legitimacy and what not have to be addressed but I believe we should all pray for the court to pull back and consider the plight of the Nigerian people in making it's decision in this case. This presidency may turn out to be illegitimate but what good will it do the country right now if this man is removed and another is put in his place. Who do we have right now that can stand in the interim and not plunge that country into another free fall into more decay For the first time, I will actually accept the court declaring it of no need to continue this but allow the man serve out his first term and then a decision can be taken during the next election. Like I have said before, I am not a Yar adua fan, I do not have anything against him nor am I for him. I prefer to remain neutral but I think we should right now work with what we have and see where it takes us while we do our part.

I think it is time we get things done in a more legitimate way. How long are we goimg to accept all these rigging. The greatest crime is when a citizen is robbed from his/her vote. How so you expect this country to move forward when every time someone comes out to contest and eventually wasted his money time, reourcefullness, vision and aspiration to impact because some group of politicians have someone on ground. We will not get anywhere unless everyone is gven a fair game in democracy. justice must prevail, dont ever compromise.

Actually, the Number 1, 2, and 3 citizens might all lose their position in the coming week. That is, senate president, vice president and the president. I completely understand people with fears about how this will affect the stability of the nation. I completely get it. But at thesame time, can we really keep taking this rubbish? I have said it before, the greatest insult by the Yaradua government is that Maurice Iwu is still leading INEC. He is still being allowed to carry out re-elections. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Yaradua made so much noise about electoral reforms. What is Maurice Iwu doing differently from last year? Why should we expect anything different? Planting thorns and expecting oranges during harvest. Letting this slide with the excuse of stability to the nation and that most insulting of cliches used by Nigerian politicians "for the common good" would be similar to seeing wrong and turning the other way. Then in the next four years PDP will rig again after Yaradua's term, PDP will get in power and there will be complaints and another illegitimate president will be in power AGAIN. Then will we also use that same arguement 'for the common good' again? The potential threat of nullifying the election is significant, but personally i think the potential gain is worth it. I have nothing against Yaradua but i am for anything that is going to rid Nigeria of PDP before we have four more wasted years. We all know the election was a farce, we all know that, but the real question is are we all willing to ignore it and sweep the whole issue under the carpet for "the common good"? This illegitimate leadership has been going on for a very long time in Nigeria, so when is it going to be enough?

I understand that this needs to be done but do we have the laws in place to help make sure this fate does not befall us the next election?? Are those laws going to be enforced the next time to ensure that this does not happen again?? My problem with the way things happen in Nigeria is we are quick to make some decisions but have not been smart enough to put put in place checks to ensure we do not have to come back to the same place over and over again. Are we were we need to be yet?? Or is this just going to go the way it has in the past?? What is to stop the PDP and other parties from rigging the elections yet again?? Why is it that the same "culprits" are able to do this over and over again?? Are we ready to enforce already made laws that are in place to check these culprits??

We have never been in this position before. I am beginning to think that Yaradua might not be completely clean because i just cannot see why on earth the so called 'professor' Maurice Iwu is still leading INEC. There are laws to curb all this nonsense but they are not being enforced. I strongly believe that thesame people have ruled us for the last 30 to 40 years. This people need to be shown the way out. They need to just leave Nigerian politics alone so that we can move on. Yaradua's government is seriously compromised and the irony is that if the elections were not rigged, with what people thought about him then, he would probably have won anyway. The point i am trying to make is that we can't just let this things continue to happen all for 'national interest' because we will continue to have wasted years and it is not in 'national interest'. Nigerian leaders have taken us for a ride for so long, you know why? Because they know our weakness. They know we just make noise for like 5 minutes then it is business as usual. This has been exploited sooo much, it is just unbelievable. When something happens we all make noise and raise hell for like 5 minutes, then it is business as usual. If things continue with the whole business as usual looting, abuse etc, then do you really think there is hope for Nigeria?

We have been down this road before. The Last Time I remember was back when Babangida annulled Abiola's winning of the 2003 election. Problem was there was no way to know if he was right or wrong. I am sure somewhere in books is a law that actually holds the electoral commission to a higher standard and makes it criminal for them to allow the rigging of an election, let alone allowing it to continue this far, but are those laws being enforced?? Will they be enforced next time?? What will stop the same PDP from rigging the next elections if they did the last?? Yar adua may be the devil we know now but we should work on trying to get things right by making sure laws are being enforced. It seems we have some trigger politicians up there who are always looking for ways to put in new laws and not enough of them worry about actually making sure the already existing laws are being enforced. I believe that country already has enough laws and once we learn to enforce already existing laws instead of putting in news ones at every blink, we will actually find out the solution to most all our problems have always been there waiting for us to implement them.

The only group in Nigeria who currently seem to be enforcing the laws is the Judiciary. The police seem to be easily bought and part of the problem. There are laws there, but those who are meant to be enforcing them are even soiled in the problem. INEC even took part in the rigging last year and yet Maurice Iwu is still going on to conduct more elections, God have mercy. Can't someone sue him for the perjury he commited a few weeks ago? People are not scared of the laws because they know they can get away with breaking them so the laws are not the problem at all. We just need someone with guts and courage in power, a disciplinarian to set the trend and i am sorry but i don't see Yaradua being that person can you? Let me stress some of the importance of a legitimate election. If the election is genuine, then whoever gets in power would hopefully see the fact that he got majority votes as meaning that the people he has to answer to are Nigerians and not a few handful behind the scenes. Then we can start talking of 'national interest'. Wasn't it in the news that yaradua called OBJ his president? We need leaders that are answerable to the people and are hence empowered by the people, and this is made more possible with credible elections. We need solid electoral reforms. Yaradua promised that when he first got in power and 9 months down Iwu is still leading INEC. One of the things that need to be gotten rid of is this whole zoning farce. I don't care were a leader comes from as long as he is the better candidate and develops the nation. The whole zoning farce just goes to show that Nigeria isn't completely united.

As long as the Law is not being enforced, this will continue, chances are the next person will come in by yet another rigged election and we may have to go through the same process over and over until we deal with main issue. Making sure that the law will be enforced before we proceed with booting the one we have in seat and replacing him with another. If Yar adua is removed, I will not be surprised if Babangida or some other old thieve comes in to take the seat. Put checks in place to avoid that happening now unless through fair election, and then we move forward.

This coming week is going to be very interesting and i am looking forward to it. I just hope it won't be an anti climax. All over the country the courts are saturated with election tribunal cases. I am guessing that is why we have not heard any news from EFCC cases (i hope that is the reason, as opposed to EFCC is dead). It is a very strainous process but i believe it is necessary and vital especially if Iwu is removed and fair elections are conducted. I really wanted to believe that Yaradua was genuine but when i look back at all the things he said he would tackle and then realise that he has not even attempted to tackle any of them, (not even the most basic ones that just require a signature) then you just have to wonder what 4 years of him would be like. All in all, i think that this is a necessary evil and it just goes to show how truely bad the elections were. Maurice Iwu must not be allowed to conduct the next elections, if he does it would just be inuslt on injury.

Here is a question for you. Why do you seem stuck on this IWU dude?? I mean I can right off the top of my head name so many other people who are right in seats that they ought not to hold but from the beginning, you have been going on and on about Iwu.

@ Kobojunkie, Lol. Sorry if i sound like a broken record. But i keep on mentioning Iwu because i just still can't believe he is there and i feel like i am the only one mad at the outrage. He is the most obvious person and the fact that he still believes that the elections were ok and keeps defending his performance and the elections in light of obvious failure is just crazy, he is the leader of INEC and he promised free and fair elections before the last year elections. The electoral body is meant to be fair and impartial without having any particular political affiliations. The fact that INEC even took part in the rigging of the elections, and that Maurice Iwu is now guilty of perjury, and that with such disastrous failure in terms of the election of A WHOLE COUNTRY he has not shamefully resigned is something i just can't understand. I just don't get how some people can have no shame. I mean, am i the only one that sees the outrage in the fact that he is still conducting elections? What on earth would be different? If he was removed last year you really won't hear his name from me that much, but i feel like i am seeing a car crash about to happen and the person causing the car crash is still in the drivers seat. So to answer your question, that is why i keep going on about Iwu. He is still a danger to the nation. Must we allow him to unleash another round of his special brand of 'elections' before we raise hell to kick him out? He just cannot be allowed to run more elections because it would just be back to square one.

I read an article in one of the papers today that said PDP is just like Berti Vogts.Na when dem tire dem go comot.If dem nvr tire,no way.So,some kind of PDP ''miracle'' may happen again,and Umaru may still be our president at the end of tuesday.

Thank$s all for the insights - 1stly i dont the supreme court has enough liver to remove Yaradua, Secondly election petitions are as they are made very technical, it will be easy for the justices to pick on flimsy irregularities and then uphold the elections, and with the open bribe given to the chairman of the panel and other overt moves i believe the supreme court will rule in his favour. If they do this it means we will spend the next four years with a go slow no direction, i was ill advised, and vague seven point agenda government.
If they DARE remove him-then the senate president takes over - this man also has legitimacy issues, technically till he's appeal is heard he still remains the substantive senate president, if he is removed then the chief justice of the federation would be next in line, even if its only in the interim, if another election is to be conducted then Ewu must be removed.
Things are sure bound to happen if he is removed, dont think the judges have the gut to remove him.

i stay at area 2 garki, abuja. since about 7am this morning we've been disturbed by sirens and the sound of fast moving cars along moshood abiola way. guess the stake holders are positioning themselves for the outcome.

nigerian politics sef, why does it take almost a year to right electoral wrongs? . anyways i hope yardy remains and does his thing till 2011 when he should quit; the country's better of that way.

At the end of today, Bankole might be 1st man

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Pendulum of Justice?

Justice delayed is justice denied. Look at the sets of people asking for justice. Buhari and Atiku?

I wonder why "we" Nigerians are so quick to tear down what is already have established. The foundations for Yaradua's presidency were extremely faulty and shaky from day zero, and I can understand all these shake ups on the state level.  But at the federal level?

I wonder if Nigerians think about the implications of their stupid actions[b] ALL [/b] the time.  If Yaradua it out, so are the ALL members of the cabinet--what ever that is.  Next year, we might also be back in court to dispute the next appointed heir to the "Nigerian thrown" by the "Nigerian Mafia!  This nascent democracy Nigeria is so desperately trying to conjure up has witnessed to many "choke holds" to maintain any kind of functioning capacity worthy of note in the future. Why do further damage?

One can only imagine what the outside world is thinking in addition to the image we already have,  especially with foreign investors.

I personally had fervently prayed for the Americans to amend their constitution so that "GW" will remain in office for the next 20 years to clean up the mess he started in Iraq, amongst others.  The is some comfort in continuity given any circumstance. The comfort of hope that things might just work out if given a chance, no matter how bad they look at the moment. Same goes for Nigeria.  As things are now, and always was the case, the existing framework of things have not even been put to test to determine success or failure in a complex society such as Nigeria.  Yaradua may not have become the first Nigerian literate president by God's appointment, but I doubt that removing him would solve Nigeria's problems.  I think they can only get worse--with no definite plan in place to keep the country focussed after all the barack boys raped Nigeria.

The Nigerian situation does not warrant any change in its presidency because the options are catastrophic.  Especially if you stop to consider the fact that we never get anything right the 10th time, and we do not know what those options are. How long are we going to keep groping in the dark? Instead of Nigerians to rally round this man and find solutions to our complex problems as bad as they are--we have a few selfish idiots at their old tricks again.

What the hell are they trying to do? Are they trying to tell us that Nigerians cannot work with what we have now?  Just barely a year after the last so called elections were held?

This is cause for  some serious sleepless nights.  We are truly a spiritually troubled nation. I really wish we had a Fidel Catro!

I voted Yaradulllll during the last election
reason

he is the lesser evil compared to other candidates

I dont think the tribunal will want to throw the nation into anarchy by nullifying this election

Meanwhile all those calling for Iwu removal are not thinking tactifully

How can yar adua remove Iwu when the case is still in tribunal

It's after all the ruling must have taken place then he can remove the man

if Iwu is removed who will come and answer some questions on the election irregularities

I think after today's ruling or after the appeal court ruling (if today's ruling is against the president), then Iwu would have completed his tenure and will then be asked to go HOME

I don't understand all this at all.  I think we should leave what we have in place and just think for a moment how to make things better instead of worse.

If it is not Orji, it is Mark.  If it is not Yaradua, it is Obi.  To make matters worse--we have pending cases against Ibori, Igbinedion and co.

Where does all this madness end, while Nigerians are suffering it all?


Gosh! I really do not understand how God ceated the black skin to just breathe chaos all the time without apologies.