Quote: "The crux of this note to every lover of Nigerian democracy is that another four years for PDP would be another round of licentious political living. Mark my words, if we are hoodwinked into giving PDP another 4 years at the till they will be emboldened to demand ours and our "fathers jewels" for a toy. We would show ourselves to be insufferable slaves to this group of oppressors. Don't be hoodwinked by the sudden sign of life at the National Assembly, with the president suddenly signing bills into law at the speed of light - who would have thought?"

"To repeat myself the choice between CPC and ACN in this presidential election is not clear. As for PDP, Nigerians need to let them go and cool their heels away from Aso Rock. We know the PDP is still likely to dominate the states and National Assembly, but they need to watch others lead from Aso Rock. Do not listen to PDP when they tell you about continuity or their plans, we heard it in 2003 and 2007. They need the break to go back to the drawing board to come up with new ideas for uplifting Nigeria's teeming population."


http://nigeria-anew..com/2011/03/before-polls-or-why-pdp-must-get-boot.html

Introduction

Ah, the sweet smell of democracy. Isn't this just great? Today, Nigerians are neither talking about the five fingers of a leprous hand nor the intransigence of a maximum ruler with his callous goal-post-shifting and murderous assassins. We fought the ambitions of politically bankrupt personalities, such as IBB and Atiku, to a standstill. Today, we are actually preparing to go to the polls with the expectation that votes will count. Despite the threat of violence and harassment of opposition candidates through arrests and denial of campaign venues, as well as accusations and counter-accusations of rigging plans, we as Nigerians are actually for the first time presented with real choices as to who to make our president.

The million-dollar question is: who deserves our votes? In the deepest parts of my bone marrow, I wish that a non-northerner would get another chance to rule Nigeria. And why not? Don't we need to demonstrate to the NPLF, and the like, that no interpretation of the Nigerian constitution says the north must have another 4-year term. What's more, northerners whether in military or civilian clothes have dominated the administration of this nation since independence. It makes good sense then to let a non-northerner, specifically President GEJ as the "strongest" one left in the race, to be given a 4-year extension. Afterall, most of the resources on which Nigeria feeds comes from areas around his region of the country.

Then it hit me. Nigeria's problem is not really about North vs. South, East vs. West or the like. No, Nigeria's problem has always been autocrats of the same plumage from the North, South, West and East of this country. It occurred to me that President GEJ was/is Yar'adua and vice versa, and both of them were in turn the Western and Northern candidates of OBJ and IBB, respectively.

No, the choice before us is not really North vs. South or, as some of have suggested, voting for personalities. If we are to sustain our democracy we must start thinking in democratic terms, with the needs of the average Nigerian in mind. Once we make this slight adjustment in our thinking we would realize that the choice we need to make is the combination of party platform and  presidential candidate likely to do something meaningful about the serious issues confronting the Nigerian nation - corruption, corruption, corruption, and oh yeah electricity, economic reform, security of life and property, etc.

On PDP

For 12 years PDP has stolen elections and dominated our political landscape by patronage and brigandry, playing the politics of do-or-die. Despite their luck in arriving on the scene during a period of global economic boom and the attendant rents from high oil prices, PDP left Nigerians high and dry. Sure, there were "achievements" such as paying off the national debt, but most of PDP's run at the mill turned out to be a great disaster. After years of pillaging the treasury they brought us the third term fiasco. The security of life became frighteningly low, governor's stole, picked their own rogue "justice" minister and eventually got the corruption fighter fired. Non-existent economic and electricity programs were fed 10s of billions of dollars, disappearing into oblivion. The Niger Delta declined into complete anarchy for a long time, and human sacrifice on the Jos plateau became a constant feature of national life. Bombings has suddenly become familiar to the average Nigerian. The National Assembly meanwhile is a fattening house that is the envy of cows in the barn - consuming almost a quarter of the national budget. Filled with men and women of easy virtue, completely impotent in the face of national emergencies, except when the matter is about their pockets. Above all else, we were visited with the jaw-dropping, unbelievable, shameful, and down-right-indefensible-enough-to-cause-mere-university-teachers-and-the-like-to-declare-an-alternative-government-in-the-disapora 90 nights and 90 days of rulership by thugs and scoundrels under the Turai dominion.

Half of the above is fodder enough to forment a bloody military intervention in Nigeria's time past, but for the mere fact that the military has proven beyond any iota of doubt that their cure is worse than the disease. Rather than realize their unique opportunity to reform, revamp and remake Nigeria into a great nation that we can always be proud of, the PD behaves like spoiled children. As the Yorubas are wont to opine "a kid cannot be so spoiled to demand his father's jewels for a toy".

The crux of this note to every lover of Nigerian democracy is that another four years for PDP would be another round of licentious political living. Mark my words, if we are hoodwinked into giving PDP another 4 years at the till they will be emboldened to demand ours and our "fathers jewels" for a toy. We would show ourselves to be insufferable slaves to this group of oppressors. Don't be hoodwinked by the sudden sign of life at the National Assembly, with the president suddenly signing bills into law at the speed of light - who would have thought?

On President GEJ

Isn't there something to say for the personalities themselves? Well, let's take a look.

May be GEJ could turn a new leaf on the PDP disaster? I say do not hold your breath.  Recall the optimism that trailed the campaign and election of Yar'adua, and oh yes GEJ. We knew he was sick, but his "saint-hood" was proclaimed far and wide across the land. There was great talk about NEEDS and 2020 Vision and continuity. We all know the rest of the story. It is the same set of people, particularly the ever vociferous, jocular, do-or-die politician, but ever willing-to-die-for- Nigeria General OBJ, who are now vouching for GEJ. We have no basis for believing OBJ or GEJ's promises this time. The same GEJ that sat quietly while the Turai dominion lasted. In the last one year, he has not proven to be decisive enough to handle Nigeria's multitude of diseases. Though often proclaimed to be humble, he was not humble enough to reduce his presidential plane order from three to one during a time of economic depression. The emphasis on his humility reminds one of the "saint-hood" confered on Yar'adua - it is likely to be another great "ruse of law" in the making. Yet, President GEJ has a compelling story that cannot be ignored, so he may yet pull another surprise on his doubters.

On Gen. Buhari

I have always had my doubts about the tall General Buhari, and what I have called his "phantom" CPC. First, he was a military head of state and particularly responsible for cutting short democratic rule in Nigeria during the so-called second republic - although this was greatly helped by the NPN's attempt to play with our "father's jewel". His & Tunde Idiagbon's record on human rights are bad -there is no other way to describe it. Gen. Buhari had no qualms working for the hand on which the "five leprous fingers" sat. Although he has paired himself with the firey Tunde Bakare (what is with Buhari and Tundes anyway?) to address questions about his sharia-bent, that is not what worries me. What worries me is that, like Yar'adua, the old friends of Buhari from his days in the Abacha group are set to capture his government. In order words, Tunde Bakare may be another GEJ in the making but we know for a fact that he is not the kind to take anything lying down, and Gen. Buhari may take better control of his government this time around.

On Ribadu

That leaves us with Ribadu and the ACN. This party and this presidential candidate have demonstrated in their previous political opportunities that they can be accountable. Ribadu is particularly fearless, raw and not without weaknesses. Although the ACN has produced some good governors in the states under its control - who genuinely seek to improve people's lives, god-fatherism seems to be an issue rearing its ugly head. Without a solid political base in support of his own ideals these god-fathers might prove to be more torn in the flesh than Ribadu envisaged. Like Bakare, he will not take it lying down, and with the power of the presidency he should be able to deal with "political miscreants" with ease. Still, would power go to his head as some people have claimed. For me, the personality of Ribadu represents the best bet to keep PDP or other old hands from toying with our "father's jewels" - an act that will bring our democracy to a screeching halt.

Conclusion

To repeat myself the choice between CPC and ACN in this presidential election is not clear. As for PDP, Nigerians need to let them go and cool their heels away from Aso Rock. We know the PDP is still likely to dominate the states and National Assembly, but they need to watch others lead from Aso Rock. Do not listen to PDP when they tell you about continuity or their plans, we heard it in 2003 and 2007. They need the break to go back to the drawing board to come up with new ideas for uplifting Nigeria's teeming population.

In any case, Nigerians must be prepared to hold whoever is elected in the upcoming elections to a very high standard. In the meantime, please vote wisely - it is your right and your choice.