obj is said to be shopping for a successor. in a democracy, the people should determine who leads them. is it right for nigeria at this stage of our development for the president to decide for us who rules/leads us in 2007?

No way, he wants to decide who to succed because he knows he would be able to have cut in it, but am sure it would be unsuccessful

Democracy as is being practiced in Nigeria is not true democracy, that is why OBJ has the effrontery to disclose that his successor must come from within the ranks of his PDP governors. He is still living in the past, thinking he can relive 1979 when, as Head of State, he greatly influenced the outcome of the elections in favour of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Shagari was considered a political neophyte compared to the likes of Chief Awolowo, Chief Azikiwe and the other 2 contestants who had made a name for themselves in Nigeria politics. And by far the singular reason why he went for Shagari is because as a political neophyte, he reckoned that Shagari was not adept and skillful as the rest and he can easily be remote controlled which was what he did and continue to do till he met his nemesis and waterloo in a no nonsense Abacha.
But come to think of it, have we ever witnessed true democracy in Nigeria. Is it not selection rather than election that is practiced in Nigeria's brand of democracy? Does the vote of the electorate actually matter? Well, the few cabals that controls Nigerian politics, OBJ inclusive, does not think so. Evidence - Apart from the presidential election of June 12, 1993 widely accepted as free and fair in the election history of the country, which other election is not marred by large scale rigging and stuffing of ballot boxes? None.
When Chief Awolowo said in a 1985 interview with Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi of the Guardian Newspapers that a whole generation of Nigerians may not know democracy in their lifetime, he was speaking from the priviledged position as a forthright and visionary leader. In that interview, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi asked him why he had chosen to remain silent, contrary to his disposition after the military junta of Buhari/Idiagbon raided his Park Lane residence and carted away some documents. His response was that he had trained himself to maintain a studied silence on matters that he cannot have a say or that his say would not matter much. We can understand the circumstances that the sage uttered that statement - a military junta had just sacked the regime of Shagari and the people are afraid of the new regime lest the junta would subject them to unjust treatment.
We are now in 2006, 21 years after the Chief made that statement and in a "supposed" democratic setting, yet someone is still talking about foisting his choice candidate on the rest of the country of over 120 million people. Interesting, but not funny. People who knows OBJ says he is arrogant, full of hubris, and above all, is power drunk , which is why he is schemeing to have somebody in the oval office (in case he does not elongate his stay past May 29, 2007) to remotely control so he can remain relevant in the politics of the country. He should not be allowed to carry out his wish.