Now the bells are tolling - a year is dead.
And my heart is slowly beating
the Nunc Dimittis to all my hopes and mute yearnings of a new year.
And ghosts hover round
dream beyond dream
Dream beyond dream
mingling with the brightest gleam.
Bell-sounds fading into memories
like rain drops falling into a river.
And now the bells are chiming - a year is born.
And my heart-bell is ringing
in a dawn.
But it’s shrouded things I see
dimly stride on heart-canopied paths to a riverside. - Gabriel Okara


Fellow Nigerians, please, permit me to welcome you into the New Year with that exceptionally beautiful Poem by Gabriel Imomtimi Gbaingbain Okara. The words of that legendary writer encapsulates my message on this page today. The beginning of a New Year is usually a period of renewed hope for mankind. It is a time when we all bury our unfulfilled dreams and give birth to new fantasies.

I really don’t know what has happened to the old tradition of men of God, especially Pastors, publishing their prophesies and predictions at the beginning of the year. It used to be a hot potato in those good old days and newspapers used to fall over themselves to get copies from famous prophets and then run them almost verbatim most times.


Man is a naturally curious animal. In Africa, most of us practise syncretism, a combination of religions, because we are never too sure about which way would ultimately lead to heaven. This is why the oracle men (Diviners), marabouts and others are still very popular and generously patronised till this so-called modern day. Many of us would want to see our future, if it is truly possible.

I shall attempt to undertake such a task here and now. The year 2015 is too crucial to our dear country Nigeria. All manner of permutations are going on right now wherever two or more Nigerians are gathered and it all centres on what would happen before, during and after the elections coming up in February. The situation is already getting tense to the extent that many rich folks are relocating their families abroad or seeking new homes or hideouts far from the madding crowd that they think Nigeria is. It is such a shame that Democracy has become a theatre of war in our clime when elsewhere it is meant to be a pleasurable game of who controls the numbers.

The question on everyone’s heart and lip is what happens if President Goodluck Jonathan fails in his second term bid and General Muhammadu Buhari wins! Will the ruling party, PDP, which has entrenched itself in power give up the fight, arms akimbo, and walk away so quietly and miserably into insignificance and irrelevance? Will the core supporters of President Jonathan, made up of militants and possible soldiers of fortune allow power to slip from their hands, just like that, without putting up some riotous protest in defiance and to delay the inevitable. Those who are beating the war drums in anticipation and rehearsing their war strategies ahead of time may wish to test their true might when that time comes.

The second question is what happens if General Buhari fails and President Jonathan wins fair and square, or by hook and crook, and Buhari’s supporters cry foul, especially if the rigging or whatever it is called becomes too obvious and a free-for-all fight breaks out! No matter how the results go, one way or the other, will the loser agree to concede defeat? The general impression is that head or tail, a serious, possibly ‘roforofo’ fight (apologies to Fela) will ensue after this election. I beg to disagree.

My prediction is very simple and straight forward. The 2015 Presidential election is not going to be too close to call as many people expect. Whoever wins will do so decisively. A wind of change is blowing across the land at the speed of light. It is like a hurricane majestically sweeping across the nation carrying everybody along in its wake. If it persists, General Muhammadu Buhari will win resoundingly. The victory will be so blistering that the PDP won’t know or even see what has hit it as if in a lightning strike.

If President Jonathan is able to bounce back from the current blitzkrieg, then it means the wind of change would have been fatally downgraded to the extent that something major would have gone wrong with the APC candidates and/or their campaign. But I don’t see this happening. I’m willing and ready to place a bet that the PDP has reached its final bus stop, for now, after reigning unchallenged for 16 years. This is to be expected. Even the best of democracies abroad, political parties often suffer from natural law of diminishing returns after staying in power for so long. This kind of fatigue has already set in for PDP and a President Jonathan would be the natural collateral damage in the process.

Many factors will determine this almighty election. I will break them down once again. I will start with two interesting analogies. The first is original to me while the other comes from a discussion I had yesterday with a very famous Itsekiri man over breakfast. Let’s begin with mine.

The belief of most people I know is that neither APC nor PDP is perfect. They are readily dismissed as two sides of the same coin. Let’s stretch it further. Buhari and Jonathan both have their k-legs. But the former seems to have managed his own in such a way that people have come to terms with whatever is regarded as shortcomings while they have given up on any redeeming grace for Jonathan’s apparent weaknesses. In fact, Buhari in comparison to Jonathan is like having to choose between ulcer and cancer. Both ailments will definitely cause pain and discomfiture but the difference is still crystal clear.

My Itsekiri brother stretched my thoughts further. He said he had asked his wife a question recently while discussing Buhari and Jonathan: “Darling, who among the two would you want to leave our kids with if we decide to travel for one week…?” The stunned wife took a deep breath before answering: “If I’ve no other person to leave them with than those two, I think I will pick Buhari. I know he might not allow them to eat too much and he may even ban them from watching their Disney channels but at least the kids will be safe and we’ll meet them at home when we come back.” C’est finis!

That is the sad reality today. Many Nigerians don’t think the President has any new solutions to our economic woes, general insecurity, epileptic power, archaic infrastructure, reckless profligacy, epidemic corruption, ethnic conflagration and religious bigotry. What the President’s men are promoting ceaselessly as achievements are signs of backwardness for a nation as big, ambitious and prosperous as Nigeria, the proverbial giant of African. Most of them are nothing but relics and antiquities and we deserve much better if we must compete on the world stage. Nigerians are down and out and the options are too little and too few. They believe they have to try whatever else is available even if there is no guaranty of how things may turn out again.

Except for those profiting from the present status quo, and may be telling the present government lies about the situation out there, the cry everywhere is change. The scenario I foresee is that Buhari will clear a large percentage of the Muslim votes, while the Christian votes would be split but with the majority still following the Buhari/Osinbajo team. The choice of Prof Yemi Osinbajo, a respected Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) as running mate to Buhari has refined my former thoughts in this respect.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Jonathan had previously succeeded in playing this religious card by his constant forays in the sanctuaries of various churches, Pentecostal and otherwise, but with Osinbajo being brought into the equation most of this advantage has vanished and the pendulum of the Christian votes has swung the way of the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket. Buhari will make a serious incursion into the President’s traditional territories while the President would find Buhari’s terrain almost impenetrable. Indeed people are now saying that Jonathan no longer has the monopoly of Christianity.

On the regional front, Buhari will score more votes than Jonathan in the entire North West and North East and Jonathan may struggle to record twenty-five percent in even a couple of them. The North Central will be a battle ground but Buhari will still have a slight edge. The South West will vote massively for Buhari this time even including Ondo and Ekiti states but Jonathan will record up to 25 percent in most of them. The South South will shock Mr President as Buhari will record minimum of 25 percent or more in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta States and win more than 50 percent in Rivers and Edo States because of the Amaechi and Oshiomhole factors. Bayelsa is the only totally safe ground for President Jonathan. Even then one is not certain because of the schism within the PDP in that State.

In the South East, Buhari may shock pundits by recording up to 50 percent in IMO state, about 25 percent in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States. Those who think the President will lock down the entire South South and South East are in for a rude shock and reawakening. In essence, APC will not only win in majority of the States it will win big because it controls most of the biggest states with massive votes in Nigeria.

Most of the PDP states are seriously going through one crisis or the other at this moment less than 45 days to the elections. On the contrary, APC has been able to manage its own internal crisis better without much ado. Where there have recently been cracks, those gaping holes have been practically healed except Ogun State where I still expect my godfather former Governor Segun Osoba, to return to the fold having invested so much energy and resources in the past.

If what the President’s people are banking on is their campaign of calumny against the General, it won’t fly this time around because Nigerians have virtually acclimatised to the bad weather that a Buhari Presidency may bring while they find the PDP heat too hot and scorching to bear again after 16 years of misadventure.

The election will not be as controversial as most people expect as the winner will be decided loud and clear. Of course, there will be skirmishes here and there but it won’t be anything the security forces won’t be able to handle, contain and crush if necessary. Many of those threatening brimstone and fireballs will be the first to flee in their private jets and speedboats now that they’ve made too much money from a fluid system.

I can see a star studded cabinet after May 29 formed of the crème de la crème of politicians, technocrats and professionals, all committed to serving their motherland. Every effort would be made to form a government of national unity comprising of both party and non-party members and Nigerians with proven talents from across the world will be invited to join and participate in this wind of change. The new government will work harder on giving a sense of belonging to all without alienating anyone. The current regime of those who fan the embers of ethnic and religious divisions for personal gain will be reversed and consigned to the dustbin of history.

This shall come to pass. God bless Nigeria.

Read more at: http://www.thecable.ng/new-year-prophesy-nigeria | TheCable

NgeneUkwenu:
The belief of most people I know is that neither APC nor PDP is perfect. They are readily dismissed as two sides of the same coin. Let’s stretch it further. Buhari and Jonathan both have their k-legs. But the former seems to have managed his own in such a way that people have come to terms with whatever is regarded as shortcomings while they have given up on any redeeming grace for Jonathan’s apparent weaknesses. In fact, Buhari in comparison to Jonathan is like having to choose between ulcer and cancer. Both ailments will definitely cause pain and discomfiture but the difference is still crystal clear.

Hahahah!!. Who no go choose ULCER ?

k

I do tell people, the February 14 election would be peaceful. The fear of violence some have that may follow it is understable. Just as our fear towards the 2007 election was douced, so will that of 2015. However, the only thing that will cause violence is if PDP tries to rig it or restricts the chieftains of the opposition parties like they did in the Osun State election.

OrlandoOwoh:
...However, the only thing that will cause violence is if PDP tries to rig it or restricts the chieftains of the opposition parties...

Unfortunately, they will. It is their trademark... locally and nationally! God bless Nigeria.

mymadam:


Unfortunately, they will. It is their trademark... locally and nationally! God bless Nigeria.

And we would Roast Dem... Rig n Roast

YOUTH WRITES A LETTER TO BUHARI

Posted by Charles Kalu

Gen.Muhammadu Buhari.

Sir, let us examine your service records. I consider your generation a very privileged one, indeed. In 1975 at the age of 33, you were appointed the Military Governor of the North-Eastern State, present day Borno & Yobe states.

In 1976 at the age of 34 you became the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources. In 1978 at the age of 36 you became the Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Today the reverse is the case. Most Nigerians at age of 35 are still unemployed and still living with parents. Many are still not married. During your time you were already Governor at this age.

One major reason for this unfortunate turn of events is that many elders like you have refused to voluntarily handover the baton to the next generation. Life should be a relay race where one runs his race and hands over to the next. In Nigeria many elders like you have run their races and are still holding on tenaciously to the baton.

But Sir, I have an important question here for you. The question is simple, MUST YOU SERVE NIGERIA AS A PRESIDENT ONLY? IS THERE NO OTHER CAPACITY YOU CAN SERVE US EXCEPT THE PRESIDENCY? It is very erroneous to imagine that you can only serve Nigeria only in one capacity. During the regime of late General Sani Abacha, you accepted the appointment to serve as the Chairman of the then Petroleum Trust Fund PTF.

The general opinion was that you served faithfully in this capacity. Well done Sir! But you never asked Abacha to vacate office for you as your former subordinate in the army. Never! In fact that would have been a dangerous move, if not suicidal. Rather you served faithfully under your former junior in the army. Sir, imagine if you take on another job like the Chairman of EFCC or ICPC or NDLEA.

Nigerians actually need you to serve in one of these capacities much more than they need you in the Presidency. Mere mentioning your name as Chairman of EFCC would drive many corrupt men underground. But you wouldn’t . Either the Presidency or nothing. When are you going to handover to the next person? It is either you do it voluntarily or risk disgrace at the polls. In 1983 at the age of 41, you became the Head of State.

Most Nigerians in my age have not had the opportunity to serve, but we still remain committed to the Nigerian project. You should rather be graceful to God and to Nigerians for the numerous opportunities that have come your way to serve Nigerians. Others are begging for just one opportunity to serve. Sir, you have to accept the stark reality on ground that you have served your time already.

That is life for you. You run the race, you handover the baton for others to run, you cannot hold on to the baton more than is necessary. As a former head of State you are already a member of the Council of State Meeting. You have every avenue to channel your views across. You don’t necessarily have to be in a frontline role, you can serve in an advisory capacity. That is still service.

In conclusion, let me state that the greatest beneficiary should you emerge candidate of the APC would be President Jonathan. It is crystal clear that you cannot defeat President Jonathan in a free, fair and credible election, even in Katsina State.

Sentiments aside, Jonathan would cruise to a landslide victory should you emerge candidate of the APC. In fact many political analysts believe that President Jonathan wants you to emerge as the APC flag bearer in order to secure a cheap victory. In fairness to you, any of your Children would pose a serious challenge to Jonathan more than yourself.

I do not see Nigerians electing a 72 year old former Head of state to lead us in this Digital era. With due respect to you Sir, you belong to the Analogue age and therefore, will not fit in as president in this digital era.

This is the blunt truth. Please do not enter the Guinness book of world records on a negative note. Losing four consecutive Presidential election would not augur well for your reputation. It is in your best interest to assume your position as an elder statesman and allow others to serve. Nigeria does not belong to you alone. It belongs to us all !

OrlandoOwoh:
I do tell people, the February 14 election would be peaceful. The fear of violence some have that may follow it is understable. Just as our fear towards the 2007 election was douced, so will that of 2015. However, the only thing that will cause violence is if PDP tries to rig it or restricts the chieftains of the opposition parties like they did in the Osun State election.

That was how he predicted in his last presidential outing 2011, his wife and children forgot to vote for him instead they voted for GEJ. DREAMERS!

Certainly, the wind of change is sweeping far and wide, it's progressing rapidly like a wild consuming fire

My Itsekiri brother stretched my thoughts further. He said he had asked his wife a question recently while discussing Buhari and Jonathan: “Darling, who among the two would you want to leave our kids with if we decide to travel for one week…?” The stunned wife took a deep breath before answering: “If I’ve no other person to leave them with than those two, I think I will pick Buhari. I know he might not allow them to eat too much and he may even ban them from watching their Disney channels but at least the kids will be safe and we’ll meet them at home when we come back.” C’est finis!

This sums up my support for a Buhari Presidency.
I want a President whose Body Language detests and abhor Corruption.
I want a President whose name makes civil servants up on their toes and do their duties without asking for brown envelopes first.
I want a President who will be like a "Nuhu Ribadu's EFCC" to governors of Obasanjo's second term.
I want a President who will lead with example.
I want a President who will as he say he will do.
I want a president who can secure our country from Internal and External Agression like he did against Maitastine Sect and Habre's Chadian Soldiers.
I want a President who is not concerned about the number of Private Jets in his presidential fleets.
I want a President who has control over his wife.
I want a President whose wife will not use OFFICIAL SEAL of the Federation as her emblem.
I want a President whose wife will know her role are not State duties but private personal dealings with her husband.
I want a president whose wife would not be interfering with the local politics in Rivers, Oyo, Bayelsa, Imo and other states.
I want a President who can bullshit the IMF and their VooDoo economics of destruction of Nigeria.

In all, I want a President who will Lead the CHANGE I wish to see in my COUNTRY and be the epitome of the CHANGE by his actions and his performance.

Dele Momodu received 2 MEGA-votes at the last presidential elections.

What a powerful, politically influential man.

" Many of those threatening brimstone and fireballs will be the first to flee in their private jets and speedboats now that they’ve made too much money from a fluid system"
This got me cracking so Asiri & co have plan B to run with their tail dangling in between their legs incase their pay master fail to win, guess same goes for FFK.

FKO81:

That was how he predicted in his last presidential outing 2011, his wife and children forgot to vote for him instead they voted for GEJ. DREAMERS!

Even Dele Momodu, the chief looter is fighting corruption in his vision. Na wa o. Oh, Nigeria.

When men of God like Mbaka, Adeboye & co begins to spoil ur market, my dear, begin pack ur kaya dey go house o.

Ymodulus:


Hahahah!!. Who no go choose ULCER ?

#teamulcer=GMB!

Caseless:
#teamulcer=GMB!

Would you not gladly chose ULCER to CANCER

Ymodulus:


Would you not gladly chose ULCER to CANCER

ulcer all the way.

There was a time when our Military was regarded as the best in Africa and promising amongst the western countries...even UN utilises our force amongst odas for peace keeping ops..but since the coming of GEJ, all that has changed..d army has bcom 'infiltrated'..

The question is since the whole world has seen hw our army has faced BH and all the mutiny and corruption in the military, would the UN still bliv in our Army for future peacekeeping ops in Africa?

All over Nigeria, the hate for GEJ is something else. No one wants him again.