ekt_bear:

I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Buhari erred badly in not focusing on party-building. There is value in building political structures that will outlast you. He could and should have focused his energy on sweeping the PDP out of the NW and NE more thoroughly. 2011 is not the only election Nigeria will ever have in its history; there is 2015 and beyond.

Very poor planning and strategy by Buhari and the CPC.

Kobojunkie:

When I read some of the analysis on this election, I wonder if we are speaking of the very same Nigeria, or some new fantastical entity.

Kobojunkie:

want a party of a handful to sweep the nation -- to fight and win against parties with more than one established politician?

Kobojunkie:

expect CPC to take it all in less than 6 months of it's existence? How?

fstranger3:

^^^

Never fails to change the direction of the argument

Kilode?!:

Apart from money, Buhari left ANPP to form CPC not too long ago, I think his popularity has more to do with Buhari himself than with his political party or structure, It will take time to form structires. I stand corrected, I don't think CPC has ever contested any election until yesterday.

Kilode?!:

Apart from money, Buhari left ANPP to form CPC not too long ago, I think his popularity has more to do with Buhari himself than with his political party or structure, It will take time to form structires. I stand corrected, I don't think CPC has ever contested any election until yesterday.

aletheia:

^^So remove Buhari. And CPC withers and dies. What a lot of BB supporters don't realize is that CPC has actually been subtly hijacked from Buhari. Two critical decisions made by Buhari suggest so.

1) The decision to deny Mike Ahamba, the party chairmanship. A decision that so embittered Ahamba to the point that he resigned from the party. Now note that Ahamba has been loyal to Buhari, standing with him through thick and thin. When you read Buhari's rationalization of that decision; you immediately realize that something did not add up. Nigeria's politics is built on the tripod of appeasing the three major tribes. If Ahamba was chairman of CPC; it would have given the CPC a high-profile Igbo face and given it a fighting chance in the SE. Tony Momoh was selected as CPC party chairman based on the calculation that he will serve as a "counterweight" to GEJ in the SS. Really? Does anyone actually think that will persuade the SS to vote for CPC.

2) By choosing Tunde Bakare as running mate. Bakare is not going to increase CPC's vote tally anywhere in the SW. Strategic mistake. In selecting your running mate, you chose a loyal party man (as ACN did) that can add votes to your ticket. Bakare is an outsider; someone without a power base in the CPC structure. I daresay a number of CPC stalwarts would have been disappointed by the choosing of an outsider as their presidential running mate.

The more astute will realize that these two key decisions have in effect served to isolate Buhari within his own party, while presenting an appearance of "unity". By pushing out of the party a key loyalist of Buhari that could have won him votes in the SE and pairing him with an outsider that will not win him much votes in the key battleground SW states.
Note that Buhari made this grievous errors of judgement based on advice he received from a coterie of advisors around him. Who are these advisors? A bevy of ex-PDP and ANPP politicians (some of whom I suspect are actually moles). This is a classic strategem. For example in the Bible, David sent a trusted advisor Hushai into Absalom's camp to counter any sound advise given by Ahitophel.

General Buhari's rigidity makes it easy for him to be manipulated by those around him, once you can win his trust.

enyojo:

FRANKLY SPEAKING, JARUS IS ON POINT IN THIS ONE.
THE STRATEGY OF ACN IS THAT THEY ALWAYS SELECT THE BEST CANDIDATES. YOU ARE FREE TO CALL THIS 'IMPOSITION'.
BUT FOR THE CPC, WE ALL KNOW THAT THEIR CANDIDATES ARE EITHER UNKNOWN OR SIMPLY CORRUPT.
WHEN ABACHA WON THE CPC CANDIDATURE FOR KANO, BUHARI PERSONALLY TRIED TO REVERSE IT BUT THE COURTS REFUSED, ALSO WHEN ALIERO A CORRUPT FORMER GOV OF 8 YRS UNDER PDP EMERGED AS CPC SENATORIAL CANDIDATE, EVERYONE KNEW HE WILL FAIL FOR EVEN A GOAT IF ITS ON PDP TICKET.

BUT ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE BUHARI FAME WILL BE DISPLAYED BY THIS WEEKEND

enyojo:

FRANKLY SPEAKING, JARUS IS ON POINT IN THIS ONE.
THE STRATEGY OF ACN IS THAT THEY ALWAYS SELECT THE BEST CANDIDATES. [/b]YOU ARE FREE TO CALL THIS 'IMPOSITION'.
BUT FOR THE CPC, WE ALL KNOW THAT THEIR CANDIDATES ARE EITHER UNKNOWN OR SIMPLY CORRUPT.
WHEN ABACHA WON THE CPC CANDIDATURE FOR KANO, BUHARI PERSONALLY TRIED TO REVERSE IT BUT THE COURTS REFUSED, ALSO WHEN ALIERO A CORRUPT FORMER GOV OF 8 YRS UNDER PDP EMERGED AS CPC SENATORIAL CANDIDATE, EVERYONE KNEW HE WILL FAIL FOR EVEN A GOAT IF ITS ON PDP TICKET.

BUT ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE BUHARI FAME WILL BE DISPLAYED BY THIS WEEKEND

fstranger3:

I agree with you. Tinubu is better than Funsho williams. Remi Tinubu is waaaaaaaaaay better than Mamora. Adefulire is better than SOsan.

In a democracy, there is no point for debates, past experiences are inconsequential, credentials are worthless, what really matters is what the head of the Gambino family thinks.

One head is always better than 200.

Omode go(silly), Agba gbon lafi da'le ife, init?

Poster: this is the smartest post ever.

enyojo:

IF REMI TINUBU IS NOT AS GOOD LIKE your UNDERTONE MAKES US BELIEVE, WAS RODHAM CLINTON THE BEST IN NEW YORK WHEN SHE [b]RODE ON HER HUSBAND'S FAME TO WIN THE SENATE?[/b]

Lagosboy:

CPC is a 1 yr old party for goodness sake , there is so much Buhari can do, People should not ocmpare Buhari to Tinubu in terms of ACN´s success. Buhari is a candidtate , Tinubu is not and has all the time to go around doing some ground work. Ribadu ACNc candidate from the north has not won anything for ACN in the north so far which means he is a featherwight in politics.

CPC is constrained by money, Buhari did not accept money from most of those corrupt politicians who joined CPC. Buhari needs the presidency and most of those around him were from the TBO (The Buhari organisation). Although i thought CPC would do better in some states in the north, the popularity of the local candidates have been proven. Some analysis even on NL before this election have already said the legislative election will not be determining factor in the presidential election.

For example i am begining to think PDP might get 30% of SW votes because in all the states of the SW, PDP had at least 35-40% of the votes cast with the exception of Lagos. In fact in ogun state and oyo state PDP´s votes loss was in the region of 10% which shows the popularity of the local candidates. However in the presidential election i dont think this will happen as people will vote for personality as opposed to party.

ACN with all the heavyweights in 2007 could only win one state, 4 senators and few house reps slots albeit the electionw as rigged. Heavyweights like Audu Ogbe, Atiku, Naaba, Rimi, Princewill and a host of others. CPC i believe will be stronger in 4 years time especially if Buhari wins this election. I am not a CPC memebr by the way and I only support the candidacy of Buhari and nothing more.

Akanbi_edu:

Sounds like a load excuses, isn't it? So for all your Tinubu-is-bad rant, this is all you can offer

as explanation for CPC's disappointment. The earlier you guys drop your "Holier than thou" attitude,

the better.

I am still voting Buhari even though it's anti-party on my part. We hope many

Nigerians like you will have more sense of pragmatism to help take Nigeria back from the hands

of incompetent gang, not that Nigerians deserve better though.