₦airaland Forum

Calling for a religious leader to rule the country is an invitation to religious strife and uprising. Nigeria is a religiously volatile country that is sitting on a keg of gun powder waiting for a trigger to explode. Your suggestion is the ignition needed to trigger the explosion

This issue about the suitability or otherwise of Pastor Okotie candidacy for President in 2007 has been unduly over-flogged in this forum. His footsoldiers on Nairaland have tried their utmost defending their man and I think its time to move on. These people's inveterate fondness of their man is commendable. I do not see them as political fair weather friends. My advice is that they should not relent but rather broaden their campaign to sell the candidature of their man to the entire country using other platforms so he could triumph at the polls come April 2007.

Usually when a day is set aside to commemorate an event, something spectacular must have occurred on that day/date to warrant such declaration. What special event happened on May 29, 1999 to warrant the government declaring it Democracy Day? Have we not had a democractic government before this one? Is this present government a trully democratic government? Is a government whose head is a hardcore dictator fit to declare a democracy day? Absolutely no.
What sort of democracy are we celebrating when the constitution of the country is not obeyed, court rulings are set aside if it does not favor the ruling party, the vote of the masses does not matter in an election (Remember Chris Uba and Anambra politics of selection and that our so called defender of democracy acquiesced and approved the fraudulent rape of the electoral will of the people). OBJ cannot pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians. He can fool us one time but not all the times. It is fraudulent on the part of the government to declare May 29 democracy day, because we are far from being a democratic state. We are still yearning for true democracy, and we cannot get it from this present crop of corrupt and self-serving leaders.

Democracy as is being practiced in Nigeria is not true democracy, that is why OBJ has the effrontery to disclose that his successor must come from within the ranks of his PDP governors. He is still living in the past, thinking he can relive 1979 when, as Head of State, he greatly influenced the outcome of the elections in favour of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Shagari was considered a political neophyte compared to the likes of Chief Awolowo, Chief Azikiwe and the other 2 contestants who had made a name for themselves in Nigeria politics. And by far the singular reason why he went for Shagari is because as a political neophyte, he reckoned that Shagari was not adept and skillful as the rest and he can easily be remote controlled which was what he did and continue to do till he met his nemesis and waterloo in a no nonsense Abacha.
But come to think of it, have we ever witnessed true democracy in Nigeria. Is it not selection rather than election that is practiced in Nigeria's brand of democracy? Does the vote of the electorate actually matter? Well, the few cabals that controls Nigerian politics, OBJ inclusive, does not think so. Evidence - Apart from the presidential election of June 12, 1993 widely accepted as free and fair in the election history of the country, which other election is not marred by large scale rigging and stuffing of ballot boxes? None.
When Chief Awolowo said in a 1985 interview with Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi of the Guardian Newspapers that a whole generation of Nigerians may not know democracy in their lifetime, he was speaking from the priviledged position as a forthright and visionary leader. In that interview, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi asked him why he had chosen to remain silent, contrary to his disposition after the military junta of Buhari/Idiagbon raided his Park Lane residence and carted away some documents. His response was that he had trained himself to maintain a studied silence on matters that he cannot have a say or that his say would not matter much. We can understand the circumstances that the sage uttered that statement - a military junta had just sacked the regime of Shagari and the people are afraid of the new regime lest the junta would subject them to unjust treatment.
We are now in 2006, 21 years after the Chief made that statement and in a "supposed" democratic setting, yet someone is still talking about foisting his choice candidate on the rest of the country of over 120 million people. Interesting, but not funny. People who knows OBJ says he is arrogant, full of hubris, and above all, is power drunk , which is why he is schemeing to have somebody in the oval office (in case he does not elongate his stay past May 29, 2007) to remotely control so he can remain relevant in the politics of the country. He should not be allowed to carry out his wish.

Aso Rock is full of yes-men, praise singers and dubious characters, the types that can spring surprises at any time. Going by OBJ's strident criticism of the previous regime of IBB over his nefarious plan to elongate his stay in power nobody will ever believe at the beginning of his term that he (OBJ) would ever contemplate to do the same foolish thing. But he did, and the rest is now history. The difference between the event of June 23 1993 (the date the election of June 12 , 1993 was nullified) and May 16, 2006 (the terminal date of the TTA) was that the former led to the eventual disgrace of IBB from power because his was not an elected government. The political climate was too hot for him to handle and because the nation was brought to the precipice of political unrest, the safest thing to do in the circumstance was for him to retire (not minding that he prefer to fool himself by saying he stepped aside).
In the case of OBJ, his is an elected government and the abrupt end of the TTA only wrought a temporary setback to his dubious plan to perpetrate himself in power. If anything, it has given him and his unscrupulous political zealots the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and come up with another diabolical plan in a not too distant future.

Mariory:
Of all those mentoned I would go for a coalition of the key members of Obasanjo's administration and Donald Duke with Donald Duke as the presidential candidate.

I honestly believe letting a bussiness man in there would be bad. Almost as bad as letting in any one of the 3 musketiers (Atiku, IBB, Buhari) or Kalu.

Why do you have preference for Duke? And what make you think those you have sidelined are unfit for the presidency? Please share your opinions as this will help us appreciate your reasoning better.

Do you believe in reincarnation? Well, the TTA may have died a natural death and has since been dumped into the dustbin of history but, do not trust OBJ and the scavengers in the corridors of power to come up with other strategies to actualize their evil plan through whatever crooked means. Any thoughts?

If you are indeed interested in knowing why a reputed newspaper could publish such an untrue and ruse story, go and research who the promoters of the newspapers are. There is every likelihood that when the veil of incorporation is lifted from the company, the promoters will be the Jews themselves. Have you heard about the word "anti-semitism"? If not, do a little research on it and you will be better informed thereafter.
I think the Canadians have taken a back seat on the Iran's controversy which Europe and USA are spearheading and could be that the false story is a way to bring the issue back to the frontline of Canadian politics. Would you deny that the ploy did not achieve its aim, given that the Canadian prime minister went after the Iranians, even though the story was a ruse?

Your concern about the lack of transparency in government accounting - its receipts and expenditures is legitimate because we need to hold our government accountable for their actions and reduce incompetence and greed in the public sector.  Good reasoning, but your recommended course of actions are not in consonance with government accounting and its operations.
For example, what purpose will the debit account serve?  Are you not aware that government agencies all maintain acounts with the CBN?  It also seems that you are unaware that these agencies prepare budgets each year.
You also called for the central bank to collate the budget of the agencies, a call that will duplicate the statutory budgetary functions that is being handled by the budget department of the Fed. Ministry of Finance.  There is no reason why the CBN should be saddled with this function.  They have their own statutory functions.  Although the CBN and the Fed. Ministry of Finance act in concert to regulate the economy,  they have separate and distinct functions.
The issue of budgetary allocation is done by a committee known as statutory budget allocation committee which consider and hear inputs from all agencies before approving their budgets, although final approval lies with the NASS (National Assembly)
The revenue sharing ratio among the Federal, States and the Local government is derived from the constitution. As for its agencies, I think the agencies has to defend their budgets and the Fed will approve it based on anticipated revenue receipts for the coming fiscal year.  
There is nothing wrong with the present system of government accounting.  I think the staus quo should be maintained. But more importantly, I think the NASS could set up an oversight department that will monitor the implementation of the budget and ensure they are used for the purpose for which they are approved.  This oversight department can be an arm of the NASS with full powers to audit the books of the agency and bring an erring government official to book after a prima-facie evidence of guilt has been established against them.  (Jobs for the Accountants)

You left out the Federal Inland Revenue Service from your equation on the revenue collection drive of the government.  It is the responsibility of the FIRS to collect revenue for the government and not the CBN, and by extension, they also have the statutory powers to fix the rate of taxation albeit through approval of the Fed.
To me, the problem of tax collection is more complex.  How many people, other than those on the payrolls of the government and some well established companies in the private sector pays the income tax?  The number is negligible, if there is any.  There has to be a system whereby every citizen will pay to the treasury, taxes according to their income. And the taxes can be levied either by flat, progressive or proportional rates.  What about the self employed, do they pay taxes?  In Nigerian, the answer is a resounding NO, unless you can prove me wrong with facts.  
What about the VAT? Do you think all the revenue collected by the businesses in trust for the FIRS are turned over to the govenment?  I don't have the facts, but I do not need a fortune teler to tel me that half of the revenue collected for the government are not accounted for.  That is where the problems lies.  Accountability is the answer.

mrlawng:
The Ajisafe Man is an Insolent terrorist. His priorities in life are misplaced.

He is supporting the same arabs that are killing Black africans in sudan and chad.

The narrow-minded bigot thinks he is ARAB. Go and live with your muslim Arab muslim brothers and see if they will not SHARIA your black ass.

Let me say upfront that I am a muslim, and I am proud to be one.  Your posting is what the media want the whole world to believe, but if you are in pursuit of the truth, you will want to test the veracity of the stuff the media is dishing out and not believe them wholesale.  I was a little stupified when I heard the news: Why in the world would these people be killing themselves, afterall are they not all muslims?  So I decided to talk to a Sudanese in my community to find out the truth.  First, he told me that the incumbent president of Sudan is black, not a light -skinned Arab decent, so why would he support the killing of his people by the Arabs?  Second, the calling of these people "Arab" is a misnomer, they are no Arabs than they are Sudanese and if at all they have the Arab blood in them, it is as a result of centuries old inter-marriage between their ancestors.  These people have no other country safe Sudan to call their homes.
Third, the issue at hand was an age old feud created by one set of people grazing their cattle herds on the vegetation of another - similar to the constant feud we experience in the hands of the Fulanis and some farmers in some part of Nigeria.  Unfortunately the government sided with one and gave them the logistics and support to keep their so-called enemies at bay.  According to my source, this was because the government was involved in a war of attrition in the south and its army had been stretched thin fighting the civil war.
Fourth, following the end of hostilities and the granting of the south some autonomy and influence in the Sudanese politics, the Dafur people now want the same treatment which the government could ill afford, so they deployed the armed militia against them.  The fighting is typical of the divide and rule kind of tactics that political leaders employ in their bid to hang on to power.  I am not arguing for the good or bad of this line of action.
A war that was purely fought for resource control was christened religious war, so as to whip up emotions for the christians in the south and portray the northern muslims in bad faith by the western media, so says my source. He envision that the same tactics is at play here, except that it is one between muslims, so the religious discordant tune does not work.
Bottom line: I know people's reasoning can be shaped by religion, prejudice, bias, discrimation and stereotypical considerations, but at least we can be better informed if we cross-check the information we come in conact with and not run away with them as wholesale truth.

GL,
Your views was in agreement with that expressed by Idowu Sobowale of Vanguard Newspapers in his article of Sunday May 21, 2006.  See http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/columns/franklyspeaking/fs21052006.html for more on the subject matter.
Much as I agree that Odimegwu can say whatever he likes in the spirit of freedom of speech, but as the arrow head of his company, he has the responsibility to align himself with what is best for the consumers of his company products.  There is nothing wrong in expressing your personal views because that is what democracy stands for, but mixing business with this type of dirty politics is not the way to go. In advanced democracies, the company will have long met the disapproval of their consumers in a free fall of the price of their shares in the stock market.
There are more civilized ways of pursuing what he believes in without jeopardizing his business interest: He can do that through the auspices of a professional lobbiyist or preferably do it through a coalition of business organizations like this one: http://www.businessroundtable.org/ .
No doubt the private sector can and do influence the pubic sector in many of their policies, but,  I do not see it as a sound business practice for a corporate executive to spearhead the campaign for the political extension of the mandate of a government by an unfair, crooked and unscrupulous method.  He would not have taken this gamble if he were to be the CEO of a company in advanced democracies. Because doing so might hurt his company and by extension, himself (which is the goal of those calling for the boycott of Nigerian Breweries products) and others who are depedent on the company for their economic survival.  I do know for a fact that many of the patrons of the company are common folks who are not in support of the selfish proposal that was the third term plot.

@bagoma,
The prophet had advertised on the guardiannews website and I suspect his website had to block visits by curious Nigerians who would like to read more about his so-called prophesies in order not to overwhelm it . Or it may be that it has been overwhelmed already by the large volume of visits and as a result it is down. Go back sometimes later to check if it is up and running.

Seun:
It is highly unlikely that we have anything to worry about. Fox news is not know to be the most objective channel. If the report you heard on TV surfaces on the web, then we'll look into it. Cheers and thanks for posting this topic!

Nope, I disagree. To the Americans, especially those who belong to the ruling Republican right-wing extremist party, Fox News reports are credible and more reliable than other media forums. So, the fear of Zionchic is very well founded after all.
Remember, they need not cross-check the credibility of the story (as in the case of Iraq) before they start their war-mongering effort. And as a way of rewarding Fox News for their unflinching and partisan display of support for the regime, the Bush Administration have just appointed a former Fox News talk show host- Tony Snow as the new Press Secretary to replace Scott McClellan, the former press secretary.
Also remember Americans are very gullible, (they believe and accept what is being sold to them by the politicians hook, line and sinker) and love their freedom, (although I always question "which freedom?" because I cannot appreciate the wisdom they so much cherish and love to talk about). The right wing party (The Republican Party) in the US is known to prey on this by driving fear into the subconscious of ordinary Americans. They relied on the medium of Radio Talk Show to do this because they have the monopoly on this mass media to reach their teeming supporters.
Another relevant point raised by Zionchic is the uprising in the Niger Delta area. This uprising has more or less contributed to the rising global price of crude oil and by extension the American people are feeling the impact. The price per gallon of gasoline in the pump has gone up astronomically and there is a consensus that something has to be done to arrest the situation. Perhaps, the linking of the scammers to the terrorist is a calculated attempt to discredit Nigeria and look for a rationale to drum up the war rhetoric. Do not be surprised that even though the Bush's rating has been going south, they (Republicans) may back him if he decides to go to war. The party is known in the US as the war party because of its penchant to always look to war as a means to showing its supremacy and hegemony over the rest of the world.
On a related note, let it be known that the crude oil produced in the Niger Delta known as Bonny light is preferred in America because I understood it needs less refining. And it is a known fact that America is the greatest consumer of energy in the World. The American economy is dependent on energy produced outside its shores and so if there is a threat to disrupt the flow of this energy (as is currently the case in the Niger Delta) which can slow down its economy, America will flex its muscles. So, it becomes necessary to America that its interests (i.e. uninterrupted flow of energy to fuel its economy) be protected. If the disruption of the production of energy in Nigeria is causing the price of gasoline to appreciate and American consumers are feeling the impact because it takes a larger % of their disposable income, then the government unlike our own selfish government officials feels obliged to do something to alleviate the suffering of its people, as feeling unconcerned may lead to their being voted out of power in the elections.

@bagoma
The Prophet (?) is for real. I had read the man's postulations @: www.brotimothyibe.com
and when I saw the headline momentarily, I thought the prophet's prediction had come to pass. This is what the prophets of doom and gloom had foisted on Nigerians - the inclination to seek miracles, predictions and other forms of deceit even when they are apparent falsehood.

@bagoma
The Prophet (?) is for real. I had read the man's postulations @:www.brotimothyibe.com
and when I saw the headline momentarily, I thought the prophet's prediction had come to pass. This is what the prophet of doom and gloom had foisted on Nigerians - the inclination to seek miracles, predictions and other forms of deceit even when they are apparent falsehood.

Seun and Bolex
That Americans love their country is not in doubt, and who will not when your country is the only super-power of the world. But as for respecting their Presidents, I cannot say they are respectuful or disrespectful of their leaders. At least not when the country is polarized along the political divide . If you belong to the Democratic Party, you revile anything the lleadership of the ruling Repubica party represents inclusing the President who is the arrow head of the party. And I don't bame the Democrats either because it is payback time for the Republicans who hated former President Bill Clinton with passion and went the extra mile to impeach him by the Republican controlled House of Reps. It is a tit-for-tat game they are playing.

@gbengaijot
Did you read the prospectus of the Insurance Company before you decide to invest in the company? If you have not done so,you will need to study it very carefully to know:

1. Who are the promoters of the company. Betterstill, you want to know moreabout the management team, whether they are competent?

2. Is the financial record good? Study the past five years accounting record of the company to make an informed decision.

3. iS their forecast future dividend promising? Does the company have a history of generous dividend policy or is it a conservative one that doesn't reward shareholders with cash dividend? Sometimes it is not a bad policy to plough back profit for expansion and growth but this must reflect on the upward movement of the share price so that what you lose in cash dividend, you gain in share appreciation - which to me is the better option.

4.For what purpose are they seeking the funds from the investors? These and many more probing questions will be answered by a painstaking study of the company's prospectus.

From the foregoing, it is clear that you have to do your homework before investing. Do not commit your funds unless and until you are satisfied that your return from the investment is guaranteed. Of cource there is no certainty because of the element of risks involved. But remember the higher the risk, the higher the returns, which explains why banks interest will always be lower than stock market returns. Good luck.

I think something is wrong with your web browser. OK, try this link as see if it takes you to the website:
http://www.africancapitalmarkets.com/stock/free/index.php
Disclaimer: I don't know much about the website; I only received info on it through my e-mail from ThisDay when they entered into a sort of marketing alliance with the company to market TransCorp shares.

Unless you are buying an IPO - initial public offer which are normally offered through the medium of banks, stockbrokage firms, discount houses and other financial institutions, any other investment in shares must be processed through the auspices of a stockbroker.
I think investments in Banks and Petroleum companies would provide a wonderful ROI (return on investment) going by the reforms the banks had just gone through and the ongoing unprecedented rise in crude oil prices that is making the oil companies smile to the banks worldwide. You may also want to consider companies in Food, Beverages and Tobacco as well as Breweries sectors all of which are riding high on the Nigerian stock exchange presently.
I am not resident in Nigeria so I can't help with recommendations on how to go about selecting a stockbroker. Go to AfricanCapitalMarket.com for more on investing in stocks.

Nwoke:
depending on the way things go, you might be the one regretting that you did not sell early.

The stock market is a zero-sum game. You cannot win 1 million naira unless someone else loses 1 million naira.

No sir! That is not true. That is not how the stock market functions.  In fact the most potent and easiest way that has been proven over time is to invest in the stock market through a careful selection of your portfolio.  When you have money to invest, I will advice you to think the stock market first without batting an eye-lid.  What Ebony9ja said is true.  Let me also butress his point with my own personal experience. 
In 1993, I bought 2000 shares in Union Dicon Salt @ #2.00 per share.  In 1997 when I decided to sell my stake in the company, the price had catapulted to more than # 50.00 per share.  In the intervening period between the date of acquisition and disposal, the company had declared cash dividends of about #8000.00 and stock dividends of more than 2000 additional shares that increased my holdings to 4000 shares.  By the time I sold the shares, I had raked in a profit of more than #200,000.00 on an initial investment of #4000.00. 
Did I profit from another persons loss?  Absolutely not.  Initially when I bought my shares in the company I,  with other investors/shareholders,  entrusted our money to the management for the running of the day-to-day affairs of the company. Investing in ordinary shares of a company is a high risk investment and in return for our money, the company board of directors (BOD) passed some of the good fortunes the company made to us the shareholders. 
Overtime a company that has been performing well might make some bad business decisions that could hurt or threaten its ability to continue as a going concern.  Or, it might be greed on the part of the prime-movers or the CEO of the company that could threaten its continued existence.  These problems does not manifest themselves in a year.  It takes time for them to blossom. The ability to recoginze these business failings before they start to manifest and result in the company's performance going south is the hallmark of an astute investor.  A good investor will appreciate that all is not going well with the company and will divest from the company before the burble burst.  At any rate there are checks and balances that are put in place by the SEC to monitor the performances of the company in other to safeguard the investments of its shareholders.

Anyone who aspires to be a ruler of the country must be able to put on many leadership hats, of which the most important is the political hat. Why? A leader need to be adept and skilled in many leadership roles so he will handle situations in the most efficient and effective manner. Peter Drucker, the American and world acclaimed management guru says it all: the ability to put on many hats is the hallmark of an effective and efficient leader. Because he is expected to don different hats for different situations, for the political leader, his political skill must be outstanding. So if your hero is not a politician, why is he interested in politics? And if I may ask, how is he going to handle political problems as they rear their ugly heads. Also, I am at a loss as to how he will be able to deal with the politicians since he is a political greenhorn.
I do not want as my president someone who will be disposed to religious sentiments in dealing with the matters of state and with the masses. This is a hurdle for the pastor to clear because of his pastoral calling. He will need the services of a highly skilled marketing consultancy team, the type that helped groomed and catapulted former Governor Bill Clinton to the presidency of the United States of America in the 1992 elections. If anyone has the ambition to rule the country, he/she need not flaunt his/her religious credentials knowing full well the peculiar situation of the country. People from the other religious divide are fully aware of his predisposition ab initio that he is going to be biased, prejudiced and discriminatory in favour of the people of a particular creed. On this premise it will be very difficult for him to win the presidency much like a camel passing through the eye of a needle.

Many people may not be politically involved or have the awareness to appreciate what he did on that day. On that fateful day of the abortive coup, OBJ was reported to have ran away after the coup plotters struck, assasinating the Head of State Gen Murtala Ramat Muhammed and a host of other military officers. He went to hide in the sprawling edifice of Chief S.B. Bakare in Ikoyi and did not come into the open until he heard that Danjuma, Babangida and Akinrinade had successfully stood down the rebellion. He reportedly told curious people why he went into hiding saying: "Won ti pa Muri" meaning "they have killed Muritala". So like you said, he might still resort to his old antics of running away at the heat of the battle, abandoning his foot soldiers.
He is watching the situation as they unfold and at the slightest opportunity will bolt away as he is wont to do.

Religion is the opium of the people, so says Karl Marx. You have the right to vote for who you think is the best candidate in an election but you need to be convinced that your choice is right and not based on religious considerations alone. In Palestine, the people rejected the Fatah political party and instead voted for the religious Hamas Movement into office. They felt their manifesto is good and they had delivered on their promises in the past. This is the crux of the matter. You are not voting for someone because of his personality or religious belief but you want to be guided by what he promises to do, and whether he has the experience to handle the intricacies of the office he is seeking.
Some people prefer Chris because he is a pastor who can do no wrong, and on account of this he should be voted into office. I do not belong to this school of thought. Our God gives all of us the ability to think and ponder on things and not accept them wholesome hook, line, and sinker. The bottomline is consider all options, weigh them and don't rush to conclusions.

The Administrator has said it all: Politics is not a game for the greenhorns and who says Chris Okotie is not an amateur in the game of politics. What experience does he have to assume the leadership of a religiously volatile country like Nigeria? Is knowledge of the Bible and singing prowess qualities that voters are looking for in a ruler? Does he possess the magic wand to make Nigeria great? I don't think so. I think he is in a journey of self-delusion.
That he is a pastor is enough a reason to prevent him from getting the block vote from a cross-section of Nigerians in a particular region simply because the people will treat him with suspicion. Nigeria is not Haiti that can be ruled by a reverend. Jean-Betrand Aristite, a catholic reverend father was the first elected leader of Haiti. He ruled the country on two occasions. What is the story of Haiti today and what has become of the reverend father? Haiti as far as I know is still in the dungeon of economic morass and Jean-Betrant Aristite (a web page characterised him as a "hell-sent dictator"(Hobson Choice)) had to be pursued by the Americans after plunging his poor country into more economic malaise and civil unrest.
A man of God that is given to ostentatious way of life is not one that can rule the country. He should focus on preaching to his congregations - that is what he knows how to do best.

Don't be spoonfed, be explorative. Google it.

Prophet

Why do we help the enemies of Nigeria by hardly (if) ever seeing anything good in Nigeria?

No matter what God Does for us in Nigeria, why do we fail to Honour God?

Who are the enemies of Nigeria? Please let us know. And how did you come to the conclusion that Nigerians do not honour God for what He has being doing for us. Need some explanations, pls.
Discipline is about orderliness and following rules and laid down procedures in policies. If you want to discuss politics, go to politics and bare your minds out. Similarly, if your topic is on religion, go to that section and preach to the people. Mixing both topics will always lead to rancor or resentment from people who are opposed to your religious point of view hence the wise decision by the Administator to split the sections.

This bribe thing has made the headlines sometime in the past. Is it a new offer or the old that is being recycled in the media? I am of the opinion that the Hon Rep should have collected the bribe (unless it is illegal to do so in Nigeria?). and show evidence to Nigerians, and be prepared to return the bribe to the treasury. (I don't know for the life of me how many Nigerians could do that). That will go a long way to reveal the double standard of this government that says it is out to rid the polity of corruption. (Rememeber Transparency International once said that most of the corruption in the country is carried out at the presidency). It has been said in other forums that this government is not sincere in the corruption battle it is wagging because it is only one sided-to silence the opposition.

It is not fit for an elder statesman or president for that matter to engage in flip-flopping. Former presidential candidate John Kerry of the Democratic party in the US learned a bitter lesson from this - it cost him the presidency. For the uninitiated, a flip flop is a a type of circuit that is interconnected with like circuits to form logic gates in digital integrated circuits, such as memory chips and microprocessors. The name “flip-flop” comes from the circuit’s nature of alternating between two states when a current is applied to the circuit (for example, 1 to 0 or 0 to 1).

The Republicans nicknamed John Kerry as a flip-flopper because of his penchant for changing his opinions . They put that label on him and used it to advantage in the elections. They see him as a candidate that does not trust to his convictions and one that would remain unfirm in matters that requires leadership and the dispaly of courage.

Nigeria is not America and no matter what an aspirant to office says, it would not come back to hunt him, at least in the current democratc dispensation when elections are rigged and ballot boxes stuffed at the domicile of godfathers.
Back to the topic of discussion, can you recall any act of flip-flopping committed by our elected officials? I have one credited to the president pertaining to the reference to God in politics. It goes like this:

Last week speaking to Washington Post in New York:
I believe that God is not a God of abandoned projects. If God has a project, He will not abandon it. The reforms that we are putting in place have to be anchored, anchored in legislation, anchored in institutions.”

Twelve years ago speaking at Arewa Forum in Nigeria:
“How do we provide a stake in Nigeria for every Nigerian if Nigerians from one part of the country can be told that God has ordained people from another part of Nigeria for permanent political leadership?,”

@davidylan
Your above statement holds no water, if not OBJ's handover in 1978 should have convinced us that he was an elder statesman that would not spend an extra day in office beyond may 2007; we now know better!
Point of correction: First, the handover date was Oct 1,  1979 and not 1978. Second, one of the cardinal reasons for staging the coup that outsted Gowon by Murtala Muhammed & co was the failure of Gowon's administration to honor its pledge to hand over power to politicians in 1976.  And with the outster of Gowon, the administration of Murtala Muhammed of which OBJ was 2nd in command decided that it would hand over power to politicians in 1979.  OBJ became head of state by virtue of the fact that he was second in command to Murtala.  It is instructive to note that OBJ showed no interest in becoming head of state after the assasination of Murtala in the abortive coup of Feb 13, 1976 but was persuaded by members of the SMC.  In that Military Government, the Supreme Military Council (SMC) was the supreme body and whatever action they took was a collective one.  The government of Murtala was a popular one to Nigerians because it was seen as a corrective one and lived up to its billings.  That was why it was not fashionable for OBJ/Yaradua led SMC to renege on the promise made by Murtala to hand over power to politicians.  You also may recall that Buhari/Idiagbon told Nigerians that their regime is continuation of Murtala administration.
Even though OBJ was the defacto head of state between Feb 1976 and Oct 1979, the Northern Officers in the SMC of that time wielded more powers than him.  So once a decision has been taken, OBJ as Head of State is duty bound to implement it. He fears for his live then than now that he has all Nigerians in his pocket.  As the Head of the government he earned the praise for what is supposed to be a joint effort at democratization of the country.  He deserved the praise and encomiums poured on him because if he had not handed over, the whole world would have villified him as we are doing now.
Under the present presidential system of government, the president is an all-powerful one.  Even though we are running a democratic government, the power and influence which the president wields is enormous.  OBJ knows it and that is why he is willing to subvert the will of the people through the unpopular amendement to the constitution to secure a 3rd term.
What he couldn't do in 1979 because of the forces against him, he feels he can do so now that he has the absolute control of the machinery of government.

Here is the full text of Atiku's speech and the big mouth Fani-Kayode for your reading pleasure. From Vanguard Newspapers Online [ By Charles Ozoemena & Rotimi Ajayi and Posted to the Web: Friday, April 07, 2006 ]

Quit now, Presidency tells Atiku
* It is Obasanjo who should go, says Atiku

ABUJA — THE bickering between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the third term issue erupted in the open yesterday when the Presidency asked the No. Two citizen to resign following a salvo he (Atiku) fired at the third term campaign.

The Atiku camp reacted swiftly to the “resign now” call and declared that it was President Obasanjo more than anyone else that should go.
Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode responding to a statement made by Vice President Atiku at Wednesday’s meeting of opponents of third term in Abuja expressed shock and said it was high time the VP resigned.

The Vice President at the meeting of Movement 2007 which comprises mainly members of the National Assembly opposed to the third term had said:
“Let me first of all, very, very sincerely thank the organisers of this forum for extending this special invitation to me. I also want to use this very occasion I have been given to commend the foresight, the courage, the determination, the commitment of the members of the 2007 Forum. The presence of all of us here is a clear indication and expression of our solid support to you and to what you believe in, because we believe in the same thing with you. You have absolutely no reason to doubt or to fear because over the last few months, you have seen clearly, in the print media, in the radio, all over that more than 90 per cent of Nigerians are opposed to this agenda.

“And therefore, why should anybody come to tell you that we would give you automatic ticket? Who will give you a better automatic ticket other than members of your constituency? Who will give you support on any platform as long as you do what they want and what they expect of you? And for God's sake, most importantly, God is also with you.

“The Speaker, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, said you should give me your support because he knows what I am going to face. I do not think I am going to face anything less than what I have faced in the last three years.

“On the 25th of August last year, when I granted interview to Thisday Newspapers, I revealed clearly this agenda and my total opposition to it. That was when I was branded a disloyal Vice-President. The following month, on the 25th of September, at the Yar’Adua Centre, I raised an alarm that the PDP was about to be hijacked so that a particular agenda could be achieved. I was proved right. Hasn’t PDP been hijacked? Was there any election? At all levels, there was no election. It was hijacked so that a particular agenda or the party could be used to achieve a particular agenda. So, what better testimony, what better evidence do we need that this is a real agenda?

“People are asking: what next? Look, let us step up this campaign. Let us step up this lobby among other members of the National Assembly. Believe me, they keep on counting the number. As soon as they realise that they don’t have the number, they will never bring the bill. So, let us not relent, let’s keep on persuading. Let’s keep on campaigning to our brothers and sisters particularly from the South-South, who I understand have only three members in this forum, because as long as the number keeps increasing, they will never bring this bill to the National Assembly.

“I, therefore, want to use this opportunity to appeal to you to remain steadfast, to remain strong, to give the leadership which history has beckoned you to do.
“And it is true we also definitely recognise you because as somebody was saying that you are the younger generation, you are starting your political career, you are the people who, in the next 10, 12 or 15 years, will love to become president.

Can you imagine, Ghana has stabilised its democratic political succession? Can you imagine, Senegal has stabilised its own democratic political succession? Can you imagine, Benin Republic has done so, Niger has done, Mali has done, Tanzania has done so, and Zambia has done so? Nigeria, which is supposed to be the leading light, the leader in this continent, for God's sake, being behind. We are still debating political succession. It is not about North or South, it is about democracy. Like Speaker Na’Abba said, it is not so. But this North, South divide has been used. Moslem, Christian divide has been used, and ethnicity has been used, just for the achievement of an agenda.
“It is about democracy and stability of our democratic succession and the moment that is stabilised, we become a respected nation, a credible nation, a nation that will give leadership to the whole of Africa and also play a very, very important role in global affairs.
“Now, please for God's sake, it is time we put all these behind us and move forward which is standard to continue to fight until we achieve this very objective. I want to assure you I am always available and I will give you any support that you need. I will be with you. Look when I begin to talk, you will know more,” he said.

Buhari speaks

In his address at the meeting, former mlitary head of state and All Nigeria People’s Party candidate in the 2003 election, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, said the polity would only stabilise if President Obasanjo came out to dissociate himself from the third term agenda.
He said: “If Chief Obasanjo comes out tomorrow to say he will not accept nomination, he will not seek one, he will be amazed how the polity will stabilise. All the parties will rejuvenate and then we will have a very healthy polity.”

Atiku should quit, says Presidency

However, Chief Fani-Kayode, said: “It seems so strange that somebody that is not just a senior official of this government, but also the number two in this government should be stating that he has taken a position on an ephemeral issue such as the third term, especially since Mr. President has not at any point in time told anybody that he is interested in the third term.”

Fani-Kayode told newsmen that President Obasanjo would no longer feel comfortable working with Atiku, saying: “Somebody on his right hand or beside or directly behind as his number two who is criticising him and attempting to stick a dagger in his back, attempting to undermine him and attempting to organise opposition forces to subject the president to ridicule. No president expects such a thing from his vice.”

He said with the latest outburst from Atiku, he had clearly declared war on his boss and the Presidency expected nothing from him other than to honourably bow out of government.

“Of course, he is free to criticise as much as he wants from the outside, but to remain inside the house as the number two and continue to criticise, to undermine, to impugn motives to Mr. President’s actions that do not exist and continue to attempt to demean your president, your principal, the man that appointed you in the first place, to these things, we think, is a little bit unfair to say the least and that is why we believe he should do the honourable thing and resign and criticise from outside rather as much as he wants.

“If the vice president refuses to resign as he has been advised to do, it would go to show to Nigerians
the kind of person he is,” he said, adding that the Presidency would be left with no option than to arraign him in the people’s court to judge him.
He said the attitude of the vice president was responsible for the diminishing role he had been reduced to playing in government as the president had become wiser and had decided to assign to him (Atiku) such duties he deemed fit.

“We are not concerned, we are not worried, this government will continue to focus on doing the right thing and the president will continue to work hard to move Nigeria forward and to improve the fortunes of the Nigerian people. That really is our major focus and not the issue of disloyal servants and disloyal second in command who are seeking to undermine everything the president and Nigeria have achieved in the last six years.

“The president is in control. He is the number one and it is his government. If somebody is not comfortable working with him, it behoves on that person to leave. So, it is not a question that they cannot function together. It is a question of if somebody cannot function with the number one, whether he is a minister, a government official, whether he is an assistant or whether he is a vice president, then the right thing for that person to do is resign.”

The presidential aide said for the vice president to pre-empt and tell the whole world he was opposed to something that President Obasanjo had not told him or anybody else that he was interested in was the height of disloyalty.

Obasanjo should go, says Atiku

The political camp of Vice President Atiku Abubakar immediately fired back and said it was President Obasanjo that ought to quit office.
The call by the Atiku group was contained in statement issued in Abuja last night by the Media consultant to the Vice President, Mallam Garba Shehu.
Mallam Shehu’s statement entitled: “The President, Not the Vice President Should Resign,” reads: “The Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified his presence yesterday (Wednesday) at the stakeholders meeting called by some members of the National Assembly.

“His presence at the meeting, said the Vice President, was in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the Presidency or his party, the PDP. The Vice President believes that the views he expressed in opposition to the so called third term at the meeting were views he held as a citizen.
“That in a democracy, opinions are bound to differ and we must learn to accept that if our democracy is to thrive.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Vice President believes tenure elongation is morally wrong and a breach of the constitution, which he took the oath to defend. Based on this, the call this afternoon (yesterday) by a Presidential spokesperson that he resigns should not at all be taken seriously. In any case, it is not new. Others have made that call before.

“If the President or any other person wants a tenure elongation, that is their view. Indeed, the call for resignation should be directed at the President, those others for pursuing an agenda that is subversive of the constitution, and the will of the majority of Nigerians."

Wednesday’s meeting had initially been disrupted by the police who said no permit was obtained. But the politicians relocated to the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja where they eventually met.
Police right, Gani

Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, commenting on the meeting said while he was sympathetic to the cause of the deliberation, it was against public law.
Chief Fawehinmi in a statement said: “I am saddened by the event of yesterday, Wednesday, April 5, 2006 when some eminent Nigerians assembled at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja to hold a meeting on the crucial issue of General Olusegun Obasanjo’s Third Term Agenda.

“I sympathise with the cause of those who attended the meeting. I am also anti-third term, but the law of the country has been stated by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.