Dele Momodu in his latest article titled, 'My Choice of Candidates in 2019 Presidential Elections' started by restating his displeasure with the ruling party, APC which according to him 'are looking like a Party and President on a suicide mission. They keep making mistakes after mistakes, and blunders after blunders'.



Read his full article below....

Fellow Nigerians, thanks for the deluge of messages and phone calls last week after reading my memo to our dear President. I doubt if any article of mine ever generated such amazing interest from the rich and poor, educated and not so educated, alike. The closest to it would be the letter I wrote to our wonderful First Lady of yore, Dame Patience Jonathan at the peak of PDP rascality.

For the sake of those still wondering why I wrote so passionately, and objectively, in my last column, let me say it loud and clear, that memo was an apologia to Nigerians. I had promised to write whenever I’m finally convinced that the APC government has irredeemably flopped like its predecessor PDP. I wish to emphasise that as much as I wish that a miracle can still happen in the next 12 months or so to come before the general election, I’m sorry to inform you that the signs are ominous. The lackadaisical attitude of APC, and in particular, President Buhari, has become unbearably palpable. They are looking like a Party and President on a suicide mission. They keep making mistakes after mistakes, and blunders after blunders.

There was no better time to rescue itself from the kamikaze slide than during the mass funeral in Benue State two days ago. What should have been a special occasion for national rebirth and reformation was frittered away by the sheer arrogance of the ruling class. What should have been a day of national mourning was treated with such recalcitrance, and possible disdain. It is difficult not to see or feel that this government is a victim of some witchcraft and hypnotism. A government that rode into power on the supersonic jet of goodwill of the people is barely struggling to survive a swim in the gutter of ill-wind. It is more like it has embarked on a predictable slide down a giant abyss, as by its very demeanour and offhanded posture it insults and belittles those very same people that it relied upon for the much vaunted change it promised but has found difficult to deliver. In many, albeit different ways, we seem to have gone back to the arrant impunity of the Jonathan era. What exactly is wrong? Anyway.

Pardon my digression, but the recent devastating and sad events in Benue State in which some herdsmen went berserk and attacked innocent indigenes of that State deserves condemnation of these terrorists by every Nigerian. I join others in offering my condolences to the families of all those who died in the unfortunate incidents. May the souls of the departed rest in peace. I commiserate with those injured and affected by the dastardly rampage. The time has come for President Buhari to act swiftly and decisively to curb this menace which has the potential to tear our country apart, despite the strenuous and vociferous protestations by the President about our unity being non-negotiable.

Now to the matter at hand. A few people suggested last week that I was working for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, probably because of our recent meeting and also partly because he is the main candidate who has declared his interest, and that is why I wrote that memo to President Muhammadu Buhari. Let me say with all the emphasis at my command that I’m not working for anybody. I’m too independent to be used by anybody. The time has not come for me to jump into the game. I have my eyes on a few bright guys of Nigeria but what if they don’t get the ticket? And what happens if we have Buhari and Atiku as frontrunners in the next election? You may wish to know who between the two I will support. When I’m faced with such option, I will not shy away from declaring my position publicly. I’m not the kind that would hide my support. When Chief Olu Falae contested against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, I supported Falae, as a matter of personal principle. He did not have cash to throw around and I even spent my meagre income to travel to Vienna to try and persuade that cerebral gentleman, of blessed memories, Dr Rilwan Lukman, who was the kingpin at OPEC headquarters in Austria, to run as Falae’s Vice-President. Though the arrangement fell through, I still returned home to support Falae. Only one person can win at a time.

I never supported any PDP candidate in their sixteen years in power though I admired a few of their action-packed Governors. The last election that catapulted them out of power finally convinced me that behaviourally and ideologically, the difference between APC and PDP was between six and half dozen. There was no way APC would have emerged triumphantly without the epic support of the PDP dissenters. Anyone can say whatever they like today, I was an eye-witness, and active participant, in the making of that spellbinding, suspense movie. Amaechi, Saraki, Kwankwaso, Atiku, Wamako, Tambuwal, and others from the PDP made so much difference when they added their weight to those of the godfathers from the other Parties that formed the APC conglomerate.

My decision to support APC, though never a member of the Party till this day, was primarily to get rid of the PDP fiefdom that was stylishly manifesting and bourgeoning into a veritable catastrophe for the country. Two, to stop the profligacy that had characterised the government of the day. I have met some key actors who said President Goodluck Jonathan was never a corrupt man personally but he lacked the strong will to challenge his thieving acolytes. That was the major weakness that guillotined his regime. Most reluctantly for some of us, Buhari became an option and a stopgap. Anyone who followed my support for President Buhari would have seen how I regularly referred to him as the Mandela option. I didn’t expect him to become a permanent feature. I’ve always believed that anyone above the age of 65 is a high-risk option, and I said this about Buhari during our Presidential race in 2011.

However, since the last Presidential election was a straight fight between Jonathan and Buhari, the choice was totally limited. Many of those who supported Buhari also considered his anti-corruption credentials though, in retrospect, I believe we downplayed his anti-democratic records and proclivity. I still have no doubt that he’s one of the most honest Nigerians alive today, although like Jonathan he seems to be surrounded by people in respect of who that is difficult to say.

It is likely that age, as well as the reality and practicality of how he attained power, have jointly humbled and mellowed his almost sacramental vows against corruption. It would be tantamount to monumental hypocrisy and superlative ingratitude to bite the fingers that fed one in our hour of acute need. It has become critically obvious that what has confronted Buhari in power was never what he anticipated or bargained for. This is why I advised him last week to bow out with whatever honour he has left, instead of squandering everything away. If he stubbornly contests the next election, he would be forced to compromise and capitulate on a number of things. He would have no choice than to play the erstwhile PDP card, by opening the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria to political vultures who are not known to be patient or merciful in respect of primordial interests. That was my honest and candid appeal to Baba out of genuine concern for his future and legacy. Let us, at least, continue to dream that we have one selfless and incorruptible leader in Nigeria.

The truth, is that my preference would be for younger candidates in both major Parties and my criteria would be as follows. The candidate must be well educated. Nigeria has produced more than enough graduates from every part of the country for us to be continuously and endlessly led by near-illiterates. The candidate should have managed people and resources, whether in a private or public capacity or both. The candidate is expected to be seriously exposed to modern trends. Ability to communicate well would be appreciated since he would have to interact with world leaders. I want a Nigerian candidate and not a sectional leader. Anyone who cannot feel at home in any part of Nigeria is not fit to lead our otherwise great nation. Anyone still relying on zoning, quota and Federal character to become anything in Nigeria is certainly an enemy of progress. We must consider the brightest people from every part. There are enough people in Nigeria who fit this bill. We can’t simply say that we cannot find one such person. Our search should in reality be moving on to finding the very best of the best. Once we find our Leader and his deputy then we should not care too much about engaging others, including foreigners, who are the best at infrastructure and facility building of the type we so desire and need. Dubai is not solely managed by Emirati citizens. The UK allows foreigners to manage critical sectors, including the economy, a good example being the Bank of England (their Central Bank) headed by a Canadian, Mark Joseph Carney.

I will not totally disqualify exceptional elders who have distinguished themselves under most of my above criteria lest I fall victim of the same bigotry I’ve been preaching against. Some elders are more reasonable, less corrupt, more business-savvy, more exposed to international standards, more efficient, less cantankerous, more focussed, and more visionary than our so-called youths. We have since come full cycle by trying sinners and saints but we have not yet succeeded in having great and big thinkers. We cannot, and must not, continue to delude ourselves that we can find saints from anywhere to lead us. What we need, as a matter of urgency and desperation are competent performers from wherever we can seek and find them. By now, we should be tired of exchanging the baton of backwardness and mediocrity every four years. Like joke, like joke, nothing spectacular has happened to us for decades now while smaller countries across Africa are marching forward confidently and admirably. Our own leaders seem to be very comfortable in our squalid, desolate and unsavoury conditions. No qualms. No urgency. No new ideas to copy, borrow or buy. We are permanently stagnant and sanguine about our perpetual state of inertia.

The next election should be a turning point. We can no longer afford to play politics of ethnicity, money and religion. I reiterate that we must search frantically, extensively and productively for the best. The world would leave us very far behind at the rate we are going. We are already desperately behind and trying to play catch up. We do not need to lose more ground. I’m appealing to everyone who loves Nigeria to free Nigeria from the bondage of oppression, suppression, ethnic jingoism, religious fanaticism, terrorism, Satanism, and all forms of retrogression. 2019 cannot, and should not, be business as usual. It should be our year of true liberation and independence. Yes. The time has come to assemble our proven performers in a government of national unity. Nigeria cannot be handed over, or handled anymore by professional politicians who have no other business or job they do, and who merely see their stay in government as an opportunity for self-aggrandisement, and unashamed and unabashed looting of our collective wealth. Rather we want Nigerian leaders who are committed and passionate about their country.

Our chosen leaders must be willing to sacrifice their all to ensure and enhance the comfort of their fellow citizens by providing the simple basics of life. Nigerians have never been a demanding people. We merely want education for our children, decent wages for our hard labour, good health care, electricity, water, food, security and above all peace. For now, every single one of these matters evade and elude us notwithstanding our vote for change! The President and his Vice President must provide evidence of what they have done and accomplished in their lives. Merit, productivity, passion and vison must be our watchword. Irrelevant considerations, like religion, ethnicity or even gender, have no place in this equation.

May Nigeria be victorious

http://www.metronaija.ng/apc-buhari-keep-making-mistakes-mistakes-dele-momodu/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Whenever i think of the fact that well educated and informed people voted for this nonsense, i shrug in amazement. I mean educated people like Pat Utomi, Wole Soyinka, Dele 'my boy' Momudu, Fela Durotoye etc. Its still a mystery to me.

But dele,you voted for Apc so,why the sudden change of tongue.
Nigerian youths,please focus more on 2019 preparations.we need to collectively do this for the betterment of all of us.only the wise ones though

Next hope for the Nigerian youths is in the 2019 election.

We can't be decieved anymore. We will all vote both on the social media and at our nearest polling units.

Here are 11 thing you should look for in a presidential aspirant before casting your votes
www.nairaland.com/4287028/presidential-aspirants-not-vote-unless#64155189

To every presidential aspirant, here is our requirement checklist if you actually want us to cast our votes for you in the coming 2019 election.

We don't care about what political party you belong to anymore -whether old party or new party, popular or unpopular; we don't care about what religion anymore; we don't care about what tribe or region anymore but
You

1. Must attend not less than 3 presidential debates: how do we know you're mentally stable and not a slowpoke if you cannot give reasonable responses to simple debate questioning?

2. Must undergo medical qualification tests: both the psychiatricals and others. The result must be verified by a notable medical panel and must be made availale to the general public.
People do medical tests even for secondary school admission, so why not for presidency aspiration.

3. Must have of governing plan (just like a business plan or a master plan) and make it available to the general public through the all the social media channels.
Bank cannot commit their cash to people without a good business plan with clearly written goals and objectives, figures, strategies and a guarantor, so how much more should we commit the life, future and properties of more than 150millions Nigerians to you without a plan.
In the plan must also be indicated your personer track records of successes.

4. Must have more than secondary school education. (There's nothing new about this)

5. Must have at least one of your children educated in a public university in Nigeria (not private): by this we will surely know that you believe in the future of Nigeria and that you will work towards her betterment.
This is a price not too much to pay if you realy love us.
We are tired of insensitivity of government towards the development of standards of educational setup in Nigeria, the strikes and industrial actions.

6. Must be a patronage of Nigerian made products and services and you must believe in capacity building of Nigerian indigenous businesses to provide exportable products and services to neighbouring countries, Africa and the world at large.

7. Must be wide reader and self development enthusiast: If you don't constantly feed your mind with transformative, educative and informative ideas through books, you don't have a business doing with presidency in Nigeria.
We are tired of archaic approaches to human governing. We need mordern, liberated and future oriented leaders to lead us in Nigeria, not power mongers, who just want to be in government for power, fame and monetary gain.

8. Must be within the working age range (younger than 60 years): "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".
Towards old age, people become less and less physically, socially, mentally and psychologically fit to cope with occupational demands, not to talk of rulling a nation of more than150million citizens, so retirement is compulsory.
The retirement age in Nigeria civil service guided by decree No. 102 of 1979 that dealt with pension and gratuity pegged the statutory age of retirement for public officers at 60 years, while it is 65 years for judiciary officers and 70 for academic staff of universities. However with reform of civil service decree No. 43 of 1988, retirement age has been put at 60 years or 35 years in service.

9. Must have no public record of hate speech, tribalism, nepotism, crime against humanity, pending corruption charges or history, and or affiliation with any millitant group or religion fundamentalist group or terrorist group :
We will never ever think again that people will change. Ascenssion to power only gives people the chance to express their true self.

10. Must have done something contributary to the development of your immediate environment: this is simple, is'nt it?

11. Must be well educated about the constitution of Nigeria. We are tired of reminding the government what to do and what's not to do. We are tired of reminding the government about what's in the costitution they swear to uphold. This is 21st century.
The INEC in collaoration with the National Assembly and the Judiciary Counsel of Nigeria should create an online platform where common citizen can get proper education about the Nigerian constitution. They should maku use of shot animated videos and other training material. Certificates should also be awarded.

can any one please advice mr dele momodu to return back to nigeria and stop running commentry from ghana. how will you know what is actually happening on the street when you comfortably sit in your exotic home in ghana, read fake social media news on the internet, make few calls to bias and anti government friends of yours and expect a positive response. its impossible. pls mr momodu since you dont reside in nigeria ,please keep quiet. come to the streets and see whats happening, in railway, power, agriculture and so one and stop talking miles from home. Go to ibadan, idumota, port harcourt, kano leave with us. Things have changed positively and i expect mr momodu to return his family to lagos and not hide away.

Mumu man after making ur yoruba folks vote buhar and buhari refuse not to give you any meaningfull position you want us to vote another mumu again

Yeah. The deed has been done. We are in this together. Nigerians wanted anyone but Goodluck and ended up with Badluck.

It baffled me the way educated youths fell for this cheap SCAM to the extent people didn't clamour for an open debate for aspirants to tell us how they intend moving Nigeria forward instead they voted blindly for someone without knowing whether or not he has a plan.

We deserve public apology from elite Nigerians that led majority to vote PMB and also orchestrated the occupy Nigeria.

Some people are still very ashamed of owning up to their mistake, they'll rather clamour for more support for PMB than criticise him for fear of been mocked.

It's OK, we are in this together.

No Minister of information for you oh, if you like claim PMB killed your girlfriend or is your niece baby daddy. Mr. Hodor

Murder after murder of innocent citizens you mean?

They keep making mistakes after mistakes, and blunders after blunders'.

They Call It Change....... Bloody APC.

what do you expect from buhari and his failed party.

Dele Momodu in his quest for a ministerial position sold this rotten egg for us called Buhari. Dele is a wicked and evil man for her was a matured adult during Buhari's first stint as a military dictator and knew the man's antecedents but yet he contrived to deceive gullible Nigerians. Judgement shall fall on these cretins very soon

I concur with u,especially in the aspects of doing away with zoning and looking for astute well educated individuals grounded well in public or private establishments and young of age for leadership of the country,though throwing away zoning will seem as if we igbos has been marginalized once again,since the zoning is getting to our turn, but I will like it to be discarded, is harmful to our growth as a nation, let the best hand from any part have the job, e.g. fashola,Donald duke,Tony elumelu,Peter Obi etc

I still wonder how supposedly intelligent people believed and still argue that Buhari was a viable alternative to Jonathan. Is it some kinda contrived ignorance or what? It would have been better to focus on KOWA or FDP instead of APC since PDP had apparently become such a problem. Buhari should never have been voted into power, his antecedents are out in the open, he is not fit to be President!

Sai change.
San APC.

Some of these idiots will repeat the nonsense statement that buhari was a better choice at that time but these same educated fellows failed to do a research on him infact they acted like illiterates even some of these idiots are residing and praising the old man's administration in other countries.

And they will come online writing big grammar that make no sense just to justify his stupid actions, useless people.

Mr Dele you better keep Quiet before i call DAVIDO for you.!

Oga Dele ‘Mumudu’ shattap.
As educated as you are, you thought the cadaver was your messiah?


Smh

^^ THose above mainly IPOB, you are all mad. BUHARI is coming back for the 2nd term!!!

Only an idiot and the import dependent bitter IGBOs hate BUHARI and the positive changes he has made to the country.

I proudly say it, Sai Baba!!

APC was based on a false premise. It was bound to fail.

plusfield:
Whenever i think of the fact that well educated and informed people voted for this nonsense, i shrug in amazement. I mean educated people like Pat Utomi, Wole Soyinka, Dele 'my boy' Momudu, Fela Durotoye etc. Its still a mystery to me.

I feel ur pain,but our problem is people like dele.ask him wen he found out buahri was an illiterate,a bigot,a tribalistic cunt licker,non Democratic,economically impeded old fool,yet he n tunubu n d likes of Soyinka n utomi sold dis ailing monster to Nigerians.rather than apologize publicly to Nigerians, u chose to play on words n paradigm.however,life doesn't end wit failure rather it's an opportunity to a better beginning if only u know why u once failed

Very simple: blame GEJ

Well said concerning the qualities of the anticipated front runners for 2019.

But Methink we have to deal seriously with imposition, godfatherism, ethnicity, greed, religion and selfishness. These things are the major problems we are facing, not availability of capable leaders.

I pray we get it right as a people and as a nation, else, even Southern Sudan will start to lord it over us soon.

If Mr Dele Momodu wants to go to PDP, he should please go; and stop disturbing us with weekly long essays on what APC is not doing right!...He should stop pretending to be an APC apologist when it's obvious he has his heart in PDP!...I'm sure he's avoiding open support for PDP because he's unsure of Atiku's fate in PDP!

Truth is there is only one person that fits the bill and can conviniently kick out Buahri in 2019.

That person is Dangote. And we should beg him to run.

He has a track record of success in all his endeavours.

He has done what the federal government has failed to do for the last 40 yeARS.

This fat buffon should better stop writing epistle of lamentations and quietly enjoy the "change"he so earnestly desired,worked for & enthroned.
No going back.Infact more of Buhari until your brains are well formatted.Sophiscated illiterate.

They are waking up from their slumber one by one. Lets see how many will be left by 2019.
By 2019 we'll see those who will still ask people to vote again for this regressive change.
By 2019 we will know the most selfish people who don't mean well for Nigeria.
We will know those who want to see the total collapse of the Nigerian economy and more herdsmen killing.
We will still be here to see them.

freeze001:
I still wonder how supposedly intelligent people believed and still argue that Buhari was a viable alternative to Jonathan. Is it some kinda contrived ignorance or what? It would have been better to focus on KOWA or FDP instead of APC since PDP had apparently become such a problem. Buhari should never have been voted into power, his antecedents are out in the open, he is not fit to be President!

How the man take scam 15 million Nigerians to vote for him is still a mystery to me...

plusfield:
Whenever i think of the fact that well educated and informed people voted for this nonsense, i shrug in amazement. I mean educated people like Pat Utomi, Wole Soyinka, Dele 'my boy' Momudu, Fela Durotoye etc. Its still a mystery to me.

The moment you hear well educated and informed people go about chanting "Even if Buhari presents nepa bill as certificate we will vote for him" without thinking twice about the implications of such reckless statement and mistake, then you know they've all been "hypnotized"....


Buhari remains the greatest scam the world has ever seen...

ChidiAlaigbo:
^^ THose above mainly IPOB, you are all mad. BUHARI is coming back for the 2nd term!!!

Only an idiot and the import dependent bitter IGBOs hate BUHARI and the positive changes he has made to the country.

I proudly say it, Sai Baba!!

Bitterness kills!