The supreme court has set aside October 23rd for all parties in the ongoing appeal of the Presidential Tribunal Judgement to adopt their respective briefs and thereafter judgment day will be announced.

What do you see or think it will be turn out to be? Very accelerated, you would say!!

As for me, I think the election will be set-aside and this government decalred illegal as a fresh election ordered. It is all a game-plan so that the presidency will not slip away from the north. BY this, Yar-adua will step down from re-contesting and another northern will be fielded with Good luck as running mate. The pressure on Yar-adua to have a deserved rest is much but influential northerners don't want him to do that now as it would amount to transfer of power to the south/south *(Goodluck) which is constitutional. IN other to retain power, a bargain might have been struck to 'plead guilty in the on-going hearing at the apex court as it would amount to a call for fresh elections while the senate president who is from the North-Central steps in under acting capacity.

The lucky man from the north will then be named to succeed Yar-adua as he would not need all the time to attend to his health issues.

See the mathematics  This  is basically my opinion which is not confirmed and lacks authenticity but this is just what i feel and see.

what do you think?? Lets rock and roll while we wait till October 23rd.

Remarks and comments are welcome.


Bode,

Naturally, it is unfair to one region not to finish its term and for such term to be taken over by another region.

This is one of the problem that comes with 'rotational system' official or unofficial:

it is the region and not the quality-of-the-person that matters in mind of the people.

Not sure what will happen in Oct 23 but I am sure we are on the wrong political system.

We are talking about nullification of election, if eventually supreme court nullify yaradua  election, is it not the same PDP  man that will take over after new election conducted. 

We don’t need to Deceive our self in Nigeria, I will appreciated if opposition party can comes together and support one person. and I look around with the political situation in Nigeria today I think Atiku may be the only person they can  support which still have at least 20% support from the northerners any other person is just waste is time.

I hope AC is thinking ahead of the situation now, for ANNP they have nothing to offer Nigeria, only opposition party I can sea in Nigeria now is AC.

That there's a grand scheme afoot goes without saying.
Punchline is power is being schemed never to shift from the North.
Need I say everyone's aware of this.
I doubt if the Niger Delta people will just fold their arms. . .
This is the proverbial "lull before the storm".

I am also skeptical about what will be of the Oct. 23 tribunal sitting.
But i'm not sure the north and PDP will allow the election to be annulled
on the guise of Yaraduas' ill health. Thereby fielding another candidate sure
from thesame political platform.
Or do you think PDP will ever let go of the presidency for regionalism?
I'm not convinced.

Mr Bode,
the constitution is clear and unbendable here if by chance the appeal voids the election,then the President decides to resign due to ill health b4 the re-run bc nothing like fresh election after the general election, then the VP will step in and appoints his running mate,which the Senate President will hold brief as the President pending when the re-run election will be held and it will nt exceed 90 days
Soborh

landis:

Naturally, it is unfair to one region not to finish its term and for such term to be taken over by another region.

This is one of the problem that comes with 'rotational system' official or unofficial:

it is the region and not the quality-of-the-person that matters in mind of the people.

Not sure what will happen in Oct 23 but I am sure we are on the wrong political system.

Now somebody is talking about unfairness!!! The same region that has been ruling Nigeria for like ever?!

Is it unfair to you that a region has not ruled at all?

4get region stuff lets get the rite guy in office and stop he is ibo hausa rubbish stuff pls we av got a long way and it seems 2 me Hausas don't av plans of taking us 4wd they r always drawing us back or stalling us

All i have to contribute here is this, whosoever the crown fits let him wear it. i think we have suffered enough in this country. A country with abundant natural resources has not yet met it's population need. i am not after who leads whether Yoruba, Hausa or igbo anybody who gets there should do what is expected of him/her. All we want is quality not quantity leaders. If yar'adua happens to win again lets just support his government and stop criticizing him here and there. God can decide to bless this country through him with his good plans i.e (The Seven Point Agenda)and lets pray for him too because it is not easy to be a leader. But i want to assure us something in no time to come this country is going to be a place to be, it is just a matter of time.
God bless our country Nigeria. (Amen)

Am coming to Nigeria to become president.

whew, naija sure has a slow judicial system

Should d supreme court nullify d election, it will mark d beginning of d End Of Nigeria cos surely Nigeria will disintegrate and d rate of disintegration will be sporadic before 2011. I will device any kind of chemical/biological weapon which i can, and use it against the Northern Nigerians, until this good for nothing country disintegrate, i won't stop bombarding the north.

u are a fool

@ HUMMY, U RE REALLY A FUNNY GUY.lol

I'm not trying to start anything but how do those google earth pictures explain anything about the topic?

@ NIGERIA 1
COULD YOU PLEASE STOP ALL THESE SATELLITE PIC RUBBISH, WHAT HAS IT GOT TO DO WITH THE TOPIC, MUST YOU BRING SATELLITE PIC TO EVERY DISCUSSION?,

lol, Nigeria1 is still on the same routine. I don't even bother reading his rubbish posts, that 10 out of 10 times lack substance.

NIGERIA1@/
COULD YOU PLEASE STOP ALL THESE SATELLITE PIC RUBBISH, WHAT HAS IT GOT TO DO WITH THE TOPIC, MUST YOU BRING SATELLITE PIC TO EVERY DISCUSSION?,

THIS is real funny i didn't stop laughing at his qoutes,

by Nigeria1@/ Look I know what I am doing. I am saving you all. You may not want to believe, but i know. I have lived abroad for so long. I am risking my life for you all. I know the white man secret. His secret is accurate census. Look this is the white man secret. He as accurate profile of everybody and he can track you. All our life out here from health, education, banking, buying a houses, buying a car and others is based on their census figure. They know us by name and we all have a number and without that number . your whole life is useless abroad.

What help are u really rendering as par this topic, the google pictures?? na waoh for u oooo.

A new thread, If you're in 9ja and you have a wap/gprs enabled phone, then post to this thread. We'll run a seminar on "FR33 BROWSING ON PHONE!!"

So go ahead and throw your questions and I'll be here to help out.

Mbeki's Graceful Exit
By Olisemeka Obeche, Reporter, Lagos

Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, the second democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa, did the unbelievable in African politics last week Sunday when he accepted to relinquish his position, in obeisance to his party, with barely one year left to the end of his tenure.

Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela on the platform of the African National Congress (ANC), bowed to his party's decision to axe him following his perceived interference in a corruption case against his greatest rival and the current ANC leader, Jacob Zuma.

Mbeki, who joined the ANC at the age of 14 as a member of its youth wing and rose through the ranks to the leadership of the party, became a victim and victor of his own political plot when he literally threw in the towel after his party asked him to resign.

The decision to evict him from Pretoria was taken at the ANC National Executive Council (NEC) for what it termed the need to sustain stability and peaceful and a prosperous South Africa. ANC, which comprises the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU), the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and the political cadres that waged the country's liberation struggle; throughout Friday and into the wee hours, the 86 NEC members debated the political future of Mbeki and at the end, decided to sacrifice him for the sake of the nation.

The ex-South African leader, whose loyalty to the ANC has spanned over 50 years told his countrymen during his resignation speech that he has taken the decision of the ANC leadership with good faith and will as well remain a member of the party for life.

"It is for this reason that I have taken the decision to resign as president of the Republic, following the decision of the National Executive Committee of the ANC."

Not only that he accepted to cut short his stay in the exalted position, Mbeki, in a rare demonstration of spirit of sportsmanship and selflessness, thanked South Africans and the ANC for the opportunity.

Hear him: "I would like sincerely to thank the nation and the ANC for having given me the opportunity to serve in public office during the last 14 years as the deputy president and president of South Africa," he said in an emotion laden voice.

Despite the pain of defeat in his chest, Mbeki out of sheer patriotism and love for his country, not only offered his support for his successor but gave South Africans a parting shot.

"Among other things," he said, "we need to sustain the vision, principles and values of the ANC teach the cadres of this movement life-long lessons that inform us that wherever we are and whatever we do we should ensure that our actions contribute to the attainment of a free and just society, the upliftment of all our people, and the development of a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.

"Indeed, the work we have done in pursuit of the vision and principles of our liberation movement has at all times been based on the age-old values of Ubuntu, of selflessness, sacrifice and service in a manner that ensures that the interests of the people take precedence over our desires as individuals.

"This is the vision of a South Africa that is democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous; a country in which all the people enjoy a better life," he professed.

On the allegation of influencing decision of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which played key role to his rejection by his party, Mbeki did not only deny the charge but affirmed his continued desire to uphold the sanctity of the South African judiciary.

"Since the attainment of our freedom in 1994, we have acted consistently to respect and defend the independence of the judiciary. For this reason our successive governments have honoured all judicial decisions, including those that went against the executive.

"This did not mean that the executive did not at times have strong views which we would have publicly pronounced upon. The central approach we adopted has always been to defend the judiciary rather than act in a manner that would have had a negative impact on its work.

"I would like to state this categorically that we have never done this, and therefore never compromised the right of the National Prosecuting Authority to decide whom it wished to prosecute or not to prosecute. This applies equally to the painful matter relating to the court proceedings against the President of the ANC, Comrade Jacob Zuma.

"More generally, I would like to assure the nation that our successive governments since 1994 have never acted in any manner intended willfully to violate the Constitution and the law. We have always sought to respect the solemn Oath of Office each one of us made in front of the Chief Justice and other judges, and have always been conscious of the fact that the legal order that governs our country was achieved through the sacrifices made by countless numbers of our people, which included death.

However, the story of Mbeki's exit from South Africa's most powerful position after nine years of service is one that every Nigerian political player, both young and old must be acquainted with and derive lesson from.

Through Mbeki's ouster, many have come to terms with the hard fact that the major strength of successful workings of democracy is the consolidation of consensus and natural respect by political players for the rule of law and inviolability of a country's constitution.

Perhaps, the greater realisation that democracy is not always about agreement; but agreeing to resolve all disagreements based on a fundamental body of agreements called a constitution even when they don't agree with personal whims is more glaring now more than any known political theory. This major ingredient of civilised political conduct, which Mbeki demonstrated last weekend is largely absent in the Nigerian politician system.

Nigeria's political system is rather of the 'do-or-die' variety and key players must realise how crude their political philosophy is when placed side by side with that exhibited by their South African counterparts.

It was in South Africa where Nelson Mandela took it upon himself to surrender leadership to younger South Africans after one term despite spending his entire life fighting for the very thing he was giving up. But Nigerian leaders usually refuse to let go, except when they are forced out.

Many Nigerians believe that had the events that culminated in Mbeki's resignation taken place in Nigeria strong worded statements would have been issued through the media from several groups condemning such 'unpatriotic plot to unseat a duly elected president'.

Certain political forces loyal to the embattled president would have overrun the streets in readiness to unleash terror should their political benefactor be toppled.

The clamour for the ANC to axe Mbeki was seen by many watchers as far from the praise the country's leader once enjoyed as the crown prince who became the philosopher king and was hailed as 'Mr. Delivery.'

Mbeki, the son of the revered veteran ANC leader Govan, served under Nelson Mandela as one of two deputy presidents after the 1994 elections and later became the sole deputy president.

He increasingly assumed responsibility for the day-to-day management of government while Mandela focused on reconciliation. The next election saw the ANC just miss a two-thirds majority and marked the start of the Mbeki era. In 2004, Mbeki led the ANC to a clear landslide victory.

As the then new president stepped into Mandela's "big shoes" he was welcomed by many, even outside his informal "kitchen cabinet" circle, as a moderniser, the man who would go beyond "feel good" and do, the engineer who would get the rainbow nation's engine oiled and ticking over in a new millennium.

Under him, the South African economy grew in leaps and bounds. That feat earned him the sobriquet "the hard worker and a task master who gets things done." He was touted as the architect of a modern South Africa, having engineered the reformation of government operation in his country.

Business Day of South Africa editor, Peter Bruce, said thus of Mbeki: "He made policies and he found the people to implement them; and genuinely believes that good governance and fiscal propriety are essential conditions for development."

Aside remodelling governance, Mbeki has also been credited for his emphasis on economic stability and the years of economic growth and even boom. His time in office saw the introduction of black economic empowerment measures.

Critically, unemployment, when the statistics were disentangled, remained a massive problem. Development nodes, expanded public works programmes and other pet projects did not do enough to change the terrible poverty sweeping through the country. That was perhaps the negative side of Mbeki's presidency, which was very different from that of the rational technocrat with a taste for economics and poetry.

That was the reason why when he became entangled in power play with his ex-deputy, Jacob Zuma whom he fired in 2005 after his financial adviser was found guilty of soliciting a bribe on his behalf, he knew that his fate was sealed. Of course, the same Zuma whose exit from office he plotted, bounced back to pay him in his own coin and as a good sportsman, he accepted it in good faith.

Certainly, he chose the honourable way out by offering to resign to pave way, not only for impartial investigation but also to avoid heating up the polity. That is the hallmark of selfless, civilised leadership which Nigerian leaders need most.

In response to the contrasting trend between the South African brand of democracy and that of Nigeria, a South Africa-based Nigerian literary icon Professor Kola Omotosho, said the resignation of the South African president was "an example of how matured democracy anywhere in the world should be."

According to him, Mbeki's ouster would have elicited street protests and civil disorder in many countries in Africa, especially Nigeria where loyalists of the two political forces in contention would have overrun each other and let hell loose.

Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba Socio-Cultural Organisation, also described the flawless manner in which the ANC eased out Mbeki as a lesson for the whole of Africa that democracy can work in our continent if we have statesmen in charge rather than political charlatans.

"In a continent where it usually takes a civil war or military coup to remove a sitting president with loss of countless lives, the South African experience with Mbeki is a model worthy of emulation by the rest of Africa."

Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin stated that it was a big lesson for the Robert Mugabes, the Kibakis "and the ones we don't have to mention for fear of being charged with 'treason' to know that any nation is greater than any president and no nation should be held down for personal interests.

"For our country Nigeria, the import of Mbeki's resignation is so great at a time that we are still grappling with whether we should even count our votes or just swear into office whoever is in charge of the do or die machinery," Odumakin said.

Democracy agitators also viewed it as a boost to African democracy and party supremacy, which they noted are lacking in Nigeria's politics.

Pouring encomiums on the ANC, the South Africa's ruling coalition for demonstrating that it is "truly a people-based party, capable of taking independent position, without minding whose ox is gored."

The activists said the event in South Africa has challenged Nigeria's political parties, especially the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known for kowtowing to the whims and caprices of Aso Rock.

"What has happened in South Africa is a wonderful development for democracy in Africa. No nation of Africa can ignore the lesson of his resignation; just the same way coup plotting became popular that is the same way party supremacy and democracy will become popular and spread in Nigeria. Obviously, this would not have happened in Nigeria. It is a lesson for the PDP that prides itself as the biggest party in Africa," according to Emma Ezeazu of the Alliance for Credible Election (ACE-Nigeria).

"In Nigeria, all the structures of the PDP look up to President for contracts, or for accommodations in hotels, or for trips abroad, and all sorts of things. So, they cannot exercise party democracy and autonomy."

For the Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Abiodun Aremu, "Mbeki's resignation is a testimony to the strength of the political forces in the ANC, and that the party is disciplined, ideologically sound and well-focused."

According to him, the lesson is more to the activist community, and not to the Nigerian ruling cabal. It is for us to take a cue from the robust debate and critical engagement in the ANC, in the reactivation of our alternative party here.

The Action Congress, on its part, stated that the developments in South Africa mocked Nigeria's political experience because worse things happened in Nigeria in 2007, but that it rather led to a direct reward of the perpetrators, unlike what is happening in South Africa.

The party's Lagos state spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, argued that what brought down Mbeki's government was a mere rehash of the same elaborate political intrigues former president Olusegun Obasanjo employed against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the process leading to last year's elections.

"It is easy to imagine what would have happened were Mbeki a Nigerian president and the ANC, the PDP. Nigerians would have been snubbed and told to go to hell while some mandarins would have organised solidarity rallies to urge the president on; a typical scenario was what happened÷when Obasanjo, driven by the lust for power, indulged in a desperate political move that made Mbeki's adventure a child's play."

Arthur Mbanefo, Nigeria's former Permanent Representative at the United Nations, said this "can happen in Nigeria if we have the right political party. You can see what is happening to Gordon Brown in England. It is the party that determines and the rules are respected and obeyed.

"If the political setting or structure is there where the people obey the rules to its letter, it is possible. But for now, I doubt because we do not seem to have the right structure."

But Balarabe Musa, Conference of Nigeria's Political Parties (CNPP), chairman, said an (African) president can only bow to party interest only where enabling institutions have been established, as in South Africa. He believes Nigeria is many poles apart from getting it right.

"Obviously, it can't happen in Nigeria, at least not now. This is because there is no semblance of democracy in Nigeria. We have to make sure there is free and fair election to establish a legitimate government as well as the right political party that overrides the individual interest," Musa said.

Even Richard Akinjide, former federal attorney general and justice minister as well as a PDP stalwart, doubts his party is democratic enough to achieve such feat. He said: "It can't happen in Nigeria. President Mbeki's exit from office shows that democracy and the rule of law are working in South Africa. In that respect I will put South Africa on the same level with India, which is the greatest democracy that we have.

"South Africa has shown that it is not on the same league of violators of democratic norms in Africa, South of the Sahara; and I hope that election riggers in Nigeria and those who don't believe in the rule of law will take note."

Fred Agwu, a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), believes the reverse would have been the case in Nigeria.

"Think of Obasanjo forcing Audu Ogbeh, a PDP stalwart, to resign allegedly at gunpoint, just because he wouldn't play ball."

According to him, Nigeria has not got to that level of political maturity.

"If it were in Nigeria the president would have forced the party chairman to resign at gunpoint and would have thereafter sent thugs to beat him up. Even the judge would not have had the audacity to rule against the president.

"In any case, if it were in Nigeria the president would have been the leader of the party and it would be difficult for anybody to move against him. South Africa is demonstrating leadership and unprecedented political maturity that have never been seen in Africa until now," he said.

Though, Nigerians may find it difficult to lift their cap for the South African political leaders, it is easily agreeable that they have stolen the show. Even some European nations and other continents know that there will be a forceful reiteration of principles of democracy in the continent. And that South Africa will likely become a more powerful voice in the promotion of democracy in Africa.

Certainly, Nigerian past, present and future leaders need to imbibe the South African political tenets, especially the rare courage displayed by Mbeki and his party, the ANC to sacrifice their selfish dreams and interests for the sake of the collective dreams of South Africa. Mbeki may have lost his political post in South Africa but purchased himself an exulted seat in the hearts of young South Africans and Africa in general, who have been looking for leaders like him.

Mbeki, a great thinker and mediator, was born in Idutywa, Transkei, on June 18, 1942.

Though people like to identify him as a policy shaper and a gentle leader, Mbeki was born into the struggle.

Both his parents were teachers and activists. Govan Mbeki, his father was a leading figure in ANC activities in the Eastern Cape, who was arrested at Rivonia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Fearing that they would later be arrested, Mbeki's parents sent him and his wards to family and friends for upkeep, where he spent long periods of his childhood away from home.

He joined the Youth League of the ANC at 14 and quickly became active in student politics and passed through various tribulations, transformation and triumphs before moving up the ranks of the party's pecking order.

During the 1980s Mbeki rose to head the Department of Information and Publicity and coordinated diplomatic campaigns to involve more white South Africans in anti-apartheid activities.

From 1989 Mbeki headed the ANC Department of International Affairs, and was a key figure in the ANC negotiations with the former government.

Mbeki was hand-picked by Nelson Mandela after the April 1994 general election to be the first deputy president of the new Government of National Unity. After the National Party withdrew from that government in June 1996, Thabo Mbeki became the sole deputy president.

At the African National Congress 50th National Conference in Mafikeng in December 1997, Mbeki became the new president of the ANC. And on Sunday, September 21, he resigned his position as the president of South Africa.

Nigeria what is your obsession with satelite photos. and who ever told you that the judiciary will rule in favour of Buhari or Atiku. For naija which way e no fit happen at all. we are in civil rule in nigeria

I believe the supreme court is going to uphold yar-Adua's presidency for the following reasons
1) to prevent breakdown of law and order
2)to save the country from the cost and problem of re-election
3)To keep the country as one
4)To save Nigeria from international ridicule
5)To allow yar-Adua to plan his own exit himself

Note I support the supreme court if they should uphold yar-adua's presidency

brothers in nigeria, the common saying goes [b][color=Black]"dogs dont eat dogs". OBJ against Buhari has a lottle margin of victory. now Yaradua is much more creater than that. so, how do you expect em to overturn the elecrtion in favour of the opposition?[/color][/b]

brothers in nigeria, the common saying goes [b][color=Black]"dogs dont eat dogs". OBJ against Buhari has a lottle margin of victory. now Yaradua is much more creater than that. so, how do you expect em to overturn the elecrtion in favour of the opposition?[/color][/b]

@ nigeria1,
why wont you listen to reason and stop making a nuisance of yourself here?
must you post irrelevant pictures on every topic here? jeez! so annoying!

my tommy is beginning to hurt, the "Nigeria" guy is hillarious! lol

Nigeria1@

You no dey ok at all. If you need help believe me you wont get it here

its high time someone spoke out about the ills of the Nigerian state as regards to the norths continued domination and intimidation of the rest of the region.can someone reflect back to the first republic and all that happened,when we asked for a unified state nigeria which ahmadu bello and tafawa balewa used every opportunity to voice their resentment for that unity.the southerners absorbed them there in the north,sabon gari was built for the 'unwelcomed aliens'.hear this from tafawa balewa during the inauguration of the sir richard's constitution(the british seed of regionalism that counts as the beginning of our woes) in the year 1947,''we do not want, sir,our southern 'neighbours' to interfere in our development, i should like to make it clear to u that if the british quitted Nigeria at this stage the northern ppl would continue their intterrupted conquest to the sea''.what a passionate disgust!!,again the sharing of allocated seats in the then parliament,military officers courses at sandhurst and other areas, men a lot to say.yet this trend is still left to continue?let us not forget that the death of those innocent citizen of this country in the war is still fresh in the our minds even though we pretend to have forgotten,they must not die in vain!!!!
And so fairness has to be the other of the day from now on or, we may be in for a surprise.this plot has to fail if we are to continue to be a unified country,

don't mind them,this is the problem with nigeria.

When some people are cheating others, they want it to continue.   

If the president said he went to mecca to pray to God. Is been fair to other people not part of the islam law. Is cheating others not part of the Islam law. At least President Yar adua was the one who introduces sharia to katsina state. What does the Koran says about cheating others. Are some of the Yorubas they are cheating muslim. What does the Koran say about cheating others.

Is it written in the koran and is it lawful under sharia to cheat others Now what is the punishment under sharia law if a person cheat other people. And what does sharia says about those who get involve with cheating?? Can a muslim online please tell us. I really want to know.


Is the allah of the southern muslim different from the allah of the northern muslim.  Or the allah of the southern muslim is lower than that of the Northern muslim. I want president Yar adua to uphold his religion or openly declear he is no more a muslim. or do things according to Islam or sharia law. or on the alternative cancel the census and conduct a true census.

all i have to say is that i`m tired of the kind of govt we are running in this country. it is boring, but left for me is better for mr president to go and take care of his body, because being in this seat will worsen his problem, nigeria govt. take a person that have a big heart to handle it.inshort we need a fresh blood to take over.

nigeria1@/ , or what do u call your self, i urge u to shot up and get lost. your type are not meant for this thread. U are simply disgusting readers and knowledgeable giants and ladies in this site. Perhaps u have something to say but u cant compuse it properly. Better wait for your match. obviously, u are not required here because all your contribution is baseless and out of point. just an advice ok, i meant not disdain.

My people, I'm glad that Mbeki could prove to the world that Africa has come of verse in terms of politics and in a more dynamic and democratically reform. Naija at all time claims to be the giant of Africa but has worked out absolutely nothing to show from it. What have we to offer the international community? just check out South Africa of yesterday maintaining stability and order. what a shame to the so called giant of Africa. sooner or later, Benin Republic will be of a higher esteem to be compared with naiga. Whatever that pleases the judiciary, let them decide. but i know that their decision will be of no use to the masses because it has to be of their own interest period.