ekt_bear:

It isn't as if he wants to neglect Igbos, imo. But the problem is, there are so many other mouths to feed in the PDP. How do you force him to focus on your zone over the other zones and forces in the PDP?

You see the issue, I hope? NE is playing this aggrieved card, NC plays continuity card, OBJ has played this continuity, "give PDP SW something" card. NW has their own wahala, then he likely cut some side deals with the ACN too.

There are just too many factions in the PDP, many with a much stronger voice than ya'll.

Onlytruth:

The way I see it, we had two levels of different choices going into this election.

1) Stay in the mainstream by voting for PDP in the national elections

or

2) Go the regional way by voting for APGA

In the mainstream, we had two choices:

a) Support our neighbor from a minority tribe

or

b) Go for VP position by teaming with a majority from the North.

Well, we chose to stay in the mainstream, and at the same time adopted our neighbor.
I was among those initially opposed to it, but, since I know that history is not ending in 2011 (at least I hope), we could try the option we did; and if it fails, we would at least know that it failed; meaning there will NEVER be such opinion by any Igbo in the future.

And that is why we are having this conversation now.

So, in essence, we lost nothing. Conversely, we gained something invaluable: EXPERIENCE.

Going forward, we will be more surefooted.  
[/quote

Eko Ile:


The fact that we are all Nigerians doesn't mean we share the same political strength, foresight, sophistication and sense of justice and the last election agreed with.

We sat here and read many mean spirited stories about the ACN and how they are a tribal party led by Tinubu the crook and drug dealer and how GEJ is the new ibo and the greatest human on earth. Well, the tribal party led by Tinubu the crook is almost siting in the driver's chair, GEJ is offering to the ACN what he's denying you and what you are crying for with all the fake and genuine votes you sacrificed for him and his crooked party.

Like I say always, ibo people are very self destructive, you don't look before you jump,

Eko Ile:



Unfortunately, you folks make the same mistakes over and over again. When are you going start making the right decisions? They say once bitten twice shy, but it's like 10 times bitten and never shy with ibo people. No, you lost because you are begging for what you shouldn't be begging, you votes including the rigged ones obviously didn't mean ishhhhh.

Stop sweeting your bele over nothing,

Obiagu1:

We didn't make any mistake. Our biggest problem is OBJ, he hates us and he is too powerful; I won't deny that.
Minus OBJ, this debate won't even be going on because no sensible PDP man will think of zoning the Speaker position to the SW with only 6 members whereas their base, SE, is left behind.

Beaf:

^
I wonder if this guy was born foolish or its a trick he learned? Damn!

@topic
Poor GEJ must have the biggest headache on Earth now!
I don't believe for one minute that the SE will be shortchanged. There are lots and lots of way's in which payback can come, from the offices the SE is demanding to powerful ministeral positions, and other unseen ways. The SE/SS marriage needs to wax stronger.

Obiagu1:

We didn't make any mistake. Our biggest problem is OBJ, he hates us and he is too powerful, I won't deny that.
Minus OBJ, this debate won't even be going on because no sensible PDP man will think of zoning the Speaker position to the SW with only 6 members whereas their base, SE, is left behind.

ekt_bear:

Hehe. I don't understand how the guy is so powerful. He is hated in the SW, disliked in the North, and probably not liked much in the SE or SS. Why is he so influential?

Very interesting stuff to me.

[size=18pt]House Speaker: Presidency backs South-West[/size]
By John Ameh, Abuja
Tuesday, 10 May 2011


Political horse-trading over who becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives has peaked as feelers from Abuja showed that the Presidency was backing Mrs. Mulikat Adeola as the successor to Mr. Dimeji Bankole.

But she is sure to face a stiff hurdle from her colleagues from the South-East and many prominent members of the House from the North.

While the legislators from the South-East insisted on Monday that their zone must produce either the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate, those from the North argued that they would not back anyone who emerged a candidate on the basis of zoning.

THE PUNCH learnt early on Monday that the contending camps in the House had received signals from the Presidency indicating that Adeola had its backing.

The biggest factor in favour of the returnee Peoples Democratic Party member from Oyo State is said to be the desire of the party and the Presidency to balance the religious divide in the country.

An influential member of the House from the South-South, who is close to the Presidency, confided in our correspondent in Abuja that besides the desire of the Presidency and the PDP to retain the position in the South-West, “there is the big issue of balancing the religious divide.”

The development is said to have knocked out the South-East from the race.

The legislator said, “The way things stand right now, the President, who is from the South-South is a Christian; the President of the Senate will be retained in the North-Central. Senator David Mark, who is likely to continue in office, is also a Christian.

“Zoning the number four position (Speaker) to the South-East, will lead to the emergence of another Christian.

“So, part of the calculations working for Adeola is the religious factor and the fact that many lawmakers appear to be comfortable with her than any other returning lawmaker from the South-West. Adeola is a Muslim.”

When her views were sought on the rumoured presidential backing for her, Adeola said she could not immediately respond because she was “in a noisy place” in Lagos.

However, the South-East Caucus members in the House disagreed with the reasons cited for the Presidency’s alleged backing for Adeola, particularly the religious factor.

They pointed out that they had last week insisted that the South-East would not accept any position outside the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House.

“In our communique last week, we clarified this religious issue and why we do not think that it should be used as factor in allocating political positions,” one of them told THE PUNCH.

Part of the communique reads, “The argument about religious balancing is not tenable, historically. We may recall that in the Second Republic, while the President (Alhaji Shehu Shagari) was a Muslim, the Vice-President, Senate President and Speaker were all Christians. Hell was not let loose.

“During the 1993 presidential elections, the South-East put its weight behind the Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Chief MKO Abiola, and his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, who were both Muslims.

“In 2007, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, and the Speaker (former) of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, were Christians.

“In fact, in the current legislature, both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are Muslims.

“Religion has never been an issue. How has it now crept in surreptitiously?”

Also on Monday, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, reacted to the reported zoning of the speakership to the South-West.

It also insisted hat the South-East must be given the Speakership or the Senate Presidency.

The President of the organisation, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, said in Abuja that any office less than the speakership would not be commensurate with the support Jonathan and the PDP got in the South-East during the general elections.

He said, “The PDP as a political party got total support from Igboland. The long and short is that we want something from the National Assembly: it is either Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We want a position that is commensurate with the PDP’s success in the zone, a just position; a position that is fair to the Igbo, to Nigerians and to everybody.”

As Uwechue spoke, findings showed that many influential members of the House from the North were kicking against Adeola’s choice by the Presidency.

The Northern lawmakers had reportedly resolved at a meeting in Abuja on Saturday not to back any aspirant on the basis of zoning.

Investigations revealed that the group held to the argument that Jonathan had “killed and buried zoning by contesting for the Presidency at a time he knew that it was the turn of the North to have it.”

Insiders confided in our correspondent that the group was demanding that the contest for the speakership should be thrown open to all eligible persons, irrespective of their zones of origin.

The Northern legislators are said to be banking on their majority number in the House across party lines to clinch the seat if it is thrown open.

“Nothing is certain for now; there is even fear of revolt in the House if it becomes obvious that a particular candidate is about to be imposed on the House.

“People are calling for an open contest”, one of them told our correspondent on Monday.

One of the names being touted for the open contest is the Deputy Whip of the House, Mr. Aminu Waziri-Tambuwal, a four-timer (1999 till date) from Sokoto State.

But, when our correspondent contacted him for comments on Monday, Waziri-Tambuwal denied knowledge of the existence of the northern pressure group.

He said, “I am not aware of any northern group that is pursuing an agenda for the position of Speaker.

“I do know that I am in support of stability in the House and any decision that will make us to work for the interest of Nigerians.”

When asked whether he was aware that some persons were suggesting his him for the position, he replied, “It was you who said that my name was being touted. “That means that I am not the one who is putting my name forward.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201105103224787

ekt_bear:

Hehe. I don't understand how the guy is so powerful. He is hated in the SW, disliked in the North, and probably not liked much in the SE or SS. Why is he so influential?
Very interesting stuff to me.

Rhino.5dm:

Truth be told the SE did not put anything on ground that will make them relevant.

They wen't for the money and quickly declear their support for GEJ without making ANY concrete demand in return.

When you stand for northing then you fall for nothing.

EzeUche_:

^^^

You be efulefu. If Jonathan could not give us this small token of appreciation for our support of PDP. Then why should we expect PDP to give us anything else?

Sometimes I despise the way some of my people think.

EzeUche_:

^^^

You be efulefu. If Jonathan could not give us this small token of appreciation for our support of PDP. Then why should we expect PDP to give us anything else?

Sometimes I despise the way some of my people think.

mbatuku2:

Before calling me names, why not try to answer the question I raised?

Can anyone tell me one thing the SW achieved with Bankole's 4-year speakership position?

Let's hold Jonathan responsible for the pressing needs why we actually voted for him, things that will benefit the ordinary southeasterner on the street.

Ngodigha:

Poor boy, stop chatting bollocks, what about the demands they made from Obasanjo. Which one of them did Obasanjo honour?.
I advice all of you to padlock your mouths until GEJ is sworn in.

mbatuku2:

Before calling me names, why not try to answer the question I raised?

Can anyone tell me one thing the SW achieved with Bankole's 4-year speakership position?

Let's hold Jonathan responsible for the pressing needs why we actually voted for him, things that will benefit the ordinary southeasterner on the street.

jookco:

@Justcash thanks for bringing up this crucial topic, I have been trying to get in touch with our South East Gov's to ask them how they can seat down and let this happen, we have been marginalized like we do not matter much in the society but that's not the case, infact we own more than 30% of all the properties in Nigeria. Buhari and Ribadou count us less important to be a vice president.

We must resist this latest attempt to deny us our right, and for those canvasing for Speakership I say no to that, we deserve to produce the Senate President lets be serious for once.