so who's the in-house person talking? i'm on the fence when it comes to politics.

be careful lest the fence fall under you.

lol @otokx. the LORD is my pillar, therefore NOthing can shake me.

Guys am losing faith in Nigeria fast.

It looks like am the only one that is looking at the future of this great country.

I was having a chat and even was forced to call up friends in Nigeria to see where they stand or who they are going to be supporting 2007.

The result was nothing to write home about.

I have to say what I think and I stand to be correct.

With all the guys I spoke with. They believe that the bad guys will take the stage.

I heard names like IBB, Atiku, Even Kalu who could make anything out of Aba is been rated.

I think they should all run for presidency so that some of the money they stole can get back to the man on the street.

I was warning friends to be wary of who they support and what they say, you can't tell when you become influential. And one more thing, i don't know about you, this is a time for prayers, prayer and more prayers. I think I will start fasting for Nigeria.,

Bottom line.

By my prediction voting the wrong person in or allowing ourselves to be lead by the very wrong guy will take us back to the year 1360.

Now the only thing that makes us feel like we are in the 21st century is GSM. We don't have light, no water, some, no health care system, no social security, no security at all, no intelligence report, if a Governor aspirant could be killed in his house, if a serving minister could be kill in his home town, and no report or a suspect, if Nigerians are being harassed on the road by the every police that is suppose to protect their ass, then it is high time you guys start using your head to think.

some major communities have not been linked by road, eg Brass in Bayelsa state, one of the church in this town was built in 18th century and even the secondary school there, if that is not enough, the whole state is not even connected to the national grade NEPA or problem done change name

I mean IBB managed to take us back from the ice age, after over 12 years of his leadership we are still suffering the effect of his decisions, this time he will take away the little hope that is left.

Why do you guys think you have to be a past military guy to command respect. Pat Utomi, commands the respect of the business community, international business community. He is more credible than anyother man on that list. We need a form of leadership that will make us forget our tribe, a progressive leadership. I can only see one person on that list that offers this quality. [b] PAT UTOMI[/b]

When I think of PAT I think of Hope, I see myself and many Nigerians returning home in less than four years, and the funny thing is that we don't have to be deported, we are giving citizenship in the UK, America and other countries begged to stay or come back as we wish, We will flood Nigeria with our white friend, and Nigerian becomes the emerging power of Africa the new China.

Nigeria is far behind time, we have got what it takes to move this nation forward "manpower, resource, Institutes , we need a leader with a vision,
Not a politician, we need to step up the game, we need to get on track fast, technology is fast advancing and we have to play catch up.

Wrong leader will get us nowhere, and you know what, 20 years from now, this script will still make sense, think of FELA's songs, dated back to 1979 Animal in human skin, does that song make much sense today, sure why because much have not changed, will you still want to hear songs like Nigeria jaga jaga in 10 years from now and it will still make sense, sure you won't. Now is the time.

Think of it this way, any body that is part of this present administration doesn't deserve a position in the next government especially no.1 position, simply because they will just be repeating the same thing they did the last 8 years.

Duke is a handsome Guy, but he will always bow to the elders of PDP, which is at the moment the root of failure of this administration.

They put their party before our country, they are just a group of P[/b]ower [b]D[/b]ruged [b]P[/b]eople.

Word of month, tell a friend and a friend will tell a friend. If you guys manage to vote IBB or the likes in, guys be sure I won't be visiting that country till their tenure is over, I will probably not even waste my time on this site for the next 8 years.

This is the time to correct all that has gone wrong over the pass 46 years. Nigeria is no small boy, this is a grown man that should be in its prime. We shouldn't be talking about this kind of thing in 2015.

Make the right choice, now is the time, we need to preach change on the street, on the net and every where we have a chance, change for the better.

[b]It is time to step up or die trying.

Don't forget that Nigerian Presidency is not about being learned or having dreams or the desire to lead the people, it's about SENSE. If OBj was not a military man, i bet by now,there would have been another coup. Only thieves can detect the footpath of thieves. A novice or a greenhorn who has not ruled a state or a country before cannot rule at present. I'm not clamouring support for anybody, but that's the bottom truth. No JJC.

Where will you put your vote,

Saying that you need to be a politician to rule Nigeria is yarning trash, no offense here.

And saying that you need to be a ruler to rule is nonsense yarns men.

Pat did not come from the moon, at the age of 28 he was spot and made a presidential adviser.

Even before most those guys contesting for the presidency, he has been there. We need a man who will put a round peg in a round hole

Nigeria has to change, I don't know where you are based but you need, look out and see where Nigeria stand is the global world, and is the rest of the world waiting for us to catch.

Stop thinking about Coup, for sure it can't happen in Nigeria again, i can bet on that. It can only happen when we don't have a good leader, when the wrong man is voted in.

@ , Abeam, Christin & Debussy @Debussy

all that sounds good. but please what political structure does he have in place to win an election?
is he known outside lagos, abuja, ph and a few other educated/enlightened locales?

we need more than just a 'clean' president. we need a bridge builder, someone who can convince and make people work together.

utomi is good no doubt, but he is too weak on the ground to win or even be a factor in elections in nigeria

hmmn,  Utomi in Nigeria politics? I pray he still be alive before/during/after his been declared,  cos these desperado's will do anything to claim the highest political throne in naija.

So cant vote for any because the politically elected in naija is not determined by democratic voting but by RIG,

Okotie is a good candidate, but it would take divine help from God for such to get to power in Nigeria.

@raldsfield
I tried to juxtapose this

It looks like am the only one that is looking at the future of this great country

with

If you guys manage to vote IBB or the likes in, guys be sure I won't be visiting that country till their tenure is over, I will probably not even waste my time on this site for the next 8 years.

What a contradiction!

It's obvious whose future you are looking at, yours not Nigeria. It won't matter if you decide on a permanent exile. Naija here is like oyingbo market, it doesn't take attendance to know who is absent and as for you not appearing on this site, good riddance!
I believe that no matter how strong you feel about an opinion, being subjective on issues like this just won't help. You opinions may be right but it appears like a cloak-and-dagger opinion that is definitely not required to convince anyone to accept the noble idea of Pat Utomi being the President. In fact it reminds me of Kanu of "Youths Support Abacha"

FemiD:

@raldsfield
I tried to juxtapose this with
What a contradiction!

It's obvious whose future you are looking at, yours not Nigeria. 

My statements I don't think is contradictory, just depends the way you look at it. What do we live for and  If there was no hope, no dream of a better tomorrow then we are better dead. I don't see a future with those  tested guys. I don't believe they have anything to offer, we have to maximize the potential of our country. . Nigeria is bigger than me. It is not about me, if is about the future of this country. Am okay on my own "dual nationality", this is about, family, friends, and Nigerians in general.  And there is a big difference between Abacha and Utomi, therefore their is a big difference between Raldsfield and Kanu.
One is a brand, the other is a name. All am preaching is change, change for the better. Call me the preacher.

the polity still needs stabilization so I don't expect any greenhorn to be our president; infact its probably going to be another ex - military man.

Babangida is the best among the list. All Politician are the same , they always promise to construct bridge in the desert and when they are reminded it is the desert they will tell you that they will channel water there.

Even the so called Pastor among them is the same only God can deliver us in Nigeria not Politician.

`none of the above

none of the above; is that an option?

@otokx

that should be an option for those of us who have still not voted.

Very interesting thread.

In my opinion, IBB is the best candidate.
He is def'ly the most brilliant President we have ever had and i think Nigerians should all embrace him.
The devil i have always known is better than the one i dont even know.

IBB's regime will be loads better than the present regime that has sent an average citizen of Nigeria into the dungeon of poverty.
Few can barely afford to spend $1 a day to go by.
IBB for President. He will bring the smiles back on people's faces.

which party does IBB belong to?

I dont even know.
He should be made the President even if he does not belong to any political party.
IBB is the man to push Nigeria forward.

that is a funny thing to say; if you are not in any political party you cannot enter any political office in Nigeria.

Ebitu Ukiwe should be put on the poll list !!!

what has he done?

Exactly. All Ukiwe did was resign in protest from IBB's government but does that qualify him to be President? Absolutely not! Yes it proved he had principles, but that is not enough and it was 20 years ago i.e. he may no longer have those same principles.

We need sunstance and not airy fairy achievements.

otokx, sorry for being so blunt, but God forbid that your sixth sense

True that was twenty years ago, but I happen to know him personally and his principles are unshaken. He is regarded in high esteem by most world leaders and his character unquestionable. Now what has the other guys like IBB and Buhari done for the country? Just because they remain in the public eyes (negatively for that matter) doesn't qualify them either.

@Revolution: You say principle is not enought. Please what is? Expert Money launderer? Power Obsession?
Check Ebitu's resume, he has demonstrated strong leadership throughout his career and his integrity and principle is what Nigeria needs at this very moment.

If his principles haven't changed then that is great but what are his achievements? Achievements and vision are what we are looking for. IBB, Buhari etc are not qualified either because they did not achieve in Goverment.

In an ideal world all presidential candidates should first serve as Governors because that would give Nigerians an opportunity to assess them. I agree with OBJ that we should adopt the American way of choosing presidents from the State Governors or Congress because that way it would be clear what they have achieved.

Ukiwe has no track record to back up his claim to be suitable for the Presidency.

You might have a point in terms of prior governmental leadership however in the case of Nigeria where almost all the governors are under-achievers or thieves, the selection becomes pretty slim.

Also, let's not believe that Ebitu has nothing to show as far as leadership because he has not made it a point to highlight his achievements and if he does decide to run, I believe he will of course lay out his achievements or sell himself to the people. {sorry I don't have the time to do the research}.

Anyway, Nigeria needs a face the international community recognizes and the people can trust to serve them and serve them WELL.  Achievement does not boil down to building projects, Roads etc. It's like saying you achieved something because you took a shower.  We applaud governors that are doing things that they ought to be doing.   No governor has made any extra-ordinary achievement in Nigeria and yet they are scrambling to get elected to the Highest Seat of Government.

If Ukiwe had any achievements they would speak for themselves. He wouldn't need to highlight them to us and you won't need to research them. Remember only talking about relevant achievements, not just any achievement. Of course rising to the rank of Commodore in the Navy is an achievement but it is not very relevant to what he would do as President.

I believe Donald Duke's achievements stand out and even more so because Cross Rivers State has the 6th lowest allocation from the federal government. In a few years time Cross Rivers will be the place to be and one of the most well known and most developed places in Nigeria. If Duke is elected President the way the world views Nigeria will be radically changed, foreign investments will flow in and many Nigerian living abroad will return home.

I overlooked Duke in my last write-up.  He has done a lot of good in CR and I hope he lives up to expectation if he is voted into office.  I still can't judge how he will handle a volatile nation such as Nigeria as a whole but he does have the trust of the people which counts a lot. 

I still believe that Ukiwe taking leadership of the country will have a positive effect.  I am certain his achievement is not limited to rising to ranks of a Commodore but that in itself is a sign of good leadership.  YOu should know he is not regular military guy that kissed his way up to the top, he earned it.  Read a bit about him online and you will find a highly educated and disciplined man.  His international appeal and trust counts a lot too and I don't doubt his ability to surround himself with the right team to stabilize and move the country forward.

Duke/Ukiwe either way sounds good to me. But Ukiwe remains to me a top choice.

I disagree with u.

Marwa and IBB should be voted in.
A lot of people criticise IBB but i am yet to see any of the ex-Presidents that has done better than him.
Technically, IBB surrounded his government with the most brilliant people in Nigeria.
Brilliant self-reliant programmes were set-up but moaning Nigerians frustrated his efforts and they all condemned his government and ideas.

Marwa is anutha young gun who i believe will deliver the goods.
The way he was able to transform Lagos State into a safe haven with his popular Operation Sweep squad was awesome.
Other states started copying the idea which i believe was an achievement.

OBJ is the worst President to have ever ruled Nigeria.
He is one sonofabitch that should be probed immediately he leaves his office.
The fat slob really contributed in making loads of Nigerians poor with his stupid policies and eye-service.
He was boasting in an interview that he set up EFCC.
How does EFCC affect the common man on the street.
How has EFCC brought food to the table of the suffering masses.
I read it somewhere his annual salary stands at 1.5 million naira
It will sound more real if that was quoted as his daily income.

What, IBB? That is the Joke of the year. Jackal, are you being paid by IBB or are you one of those who benefited corruptly during his regime?

You say OBJ has not impacted the common man on the street, is it IBB who did? IBB introduced SAP and asked the people to adjust their belts while he embezzled billions of dollars. IBB destroyed the Nigeria economy and introduced corruption, crime and lawlessness on a scale never seen. Most of Nigeria's problem today originated from IBB and Abacha's regime. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spare us.

IBB should be in jail for all his crimes. God forbid we ever have a President like that again.

As for Marwa, he put soldiers on the street to fight crime and you praise him for that. Do you see soldiers on the street fighting crime in the developed world? What we need is an effective police force, not soldiers on the street. And where did he get the money to start an Airline?

I will vote for Obasanjo. Not because I like him, but since he has started using EFCC to catch those who stole our money and recked our economy, I will love that to continue for another 4 years or so. I guess by then, we will have more sanity in the society. If there is no hiding place for stolen money, the menace will greatly reduce.

@revolution,

I didnt benefit jack from IBB's regime neither is he paying me whatsoever.
Tell me any of the ex-Presidents that did better than IBB and i will gladly give u my left arm.
IBB's efforts were frustrated because people like u did not appreciate these programmes.
The purpose of SAP and MAMSER were defeated as a result of people's doubts.
I can remember very well that a dollar never got above 22 Naira in IBB's regime.
Can u tell us the exchange rate today?

How can u utter such a blasphemy that IBB introduced corruption, crime and lawlessness in Nigeria?
Crime has always been in Nigeria since her independence. Armed robbery became popular after the 1966 civil war when some miscreants who had possession of arms realised they can actually make money by breaking into houses and threatening the occupants.
Notorious armed robbers like OYENUSI existed even before IBB came into power so don't misinform the public.

Drug-pushing also came into lime-light way back before IBB's regime.
Buhari and Idiagbon made 'caine pushers face firing squad and corruption have always existed late in the 60s.
Election rigging, Political assassinations, ITT embezzlement and so on and forth all happened before IBB came to power.
Its misleading when u say IBB started all these vices when we all know its not so.

U even have the guts to criticise Marwa's approach to fight crime in Lagos when u should have appreciated him or better still, tape it shut.
As long as the job is done i don't really care what method/approach he employed to combat crime in Lagos State.
Marwa had soldiers on the streets because he does not trust the so-called cops to fight crimes and vices.
90% Lagosians don't even RESPECT or have faith in the cops. Are they not the same monsters who kill innocent bus-drivers because of 20 Naira?
U expect a straight-thinking MILAD to use criminals to fight crime? U need to do some critical thinking and serious soul-searching.
Marwa used soldiers and it paid off. I don't care if it conformed to the methods of the developed world or not.
Other States in Nigeria wldn't have copied the "Operation Sweep" outfit if it didn't work in Lagos State.

Buhari/Idiagbon used soldiers in their time to enforce WAI(War Against Indiscipline)
Soldiers and Military Police visited ministries to whip late-comers and teachers in schools and it worked.
The level of indiscipline was so high that many teachers cld not even recite the national anthem and pledge.
U must understand u need sheer force sometimes to instil discipline in the hearts of Nigerians.
It was unacceptable but there were changes. Nigerians queued up at bus-stops and banks and the society was far better than what we have today.
We were also reminded to clean out surroundings every last saturday of the month by the FG-it shows the gross level of the indiscipline.

@scribe,
I won't be deceived by your so-called EFCC.
How has EFCC affected the common man on the street? Has EFCC provided food on the table of the masses?
EFCC is just OBJ's instrument to fight his political enemies and blackmail all and sundry.
I would have supported OBJ for a life president if he had solved the issue of electricity alone in the country in his 8 years tenure.
50% of people's problems would have been solved if the issue of NEPA was the only project OBJ really addressed.
He set up some bunch of idiots to fight and cage his political opponents in the name of fighting fraud.
What a schmuk?
Until EFCC arrest big guns like IBB, Abdusalam and Akhigbe they will continue to be like some bunch of puppets controlled by the notorious PIG(OBJ).
EFCC vermins go on about arresting and terrorising Nigerian youths in the cybercafes like goddang terrorists.
Has OBJ provided employments where these youths can channel their resources positively? Hell Nah.
Why hasn't the same EFCC arrested OBJ's children buying houses everywhere in USA and UK?
EFCC ma ass. I hope they bleeping rot and burn in HELL.