We know Tinubu struck a deal before that meeting, I personally have some inside information and there is no point spilling anything. I just pray to God that sooner rather than later he will be exposed for all to see.

When Ribadu said his candidature was damaged he wasnt just referring to CPC , it was Tinubu himself. Ribadu was a pun all along and he did not know. How can an aspirant not go to the negotiation table before stepping down, it only shows naivety on Ribadus part.

Tinubu, Akande, Osoba, Senator Shiaubu and Muiz Banire were those that went to meet with CPC. Ribadu was to junior to be taken into such meeting. Ribadu has been severly damged politically and the earlier his supporters realise this the better. It will do him a lot of good to perhaps join CPC and start to build a base of his own in the north as some people in the SW might always accept him. He needs to shake off the Tinubu stigma now in order to bounce back stronger.

ekt_bear:

Ribadu has 2 million probably unrigged, legitimate votes. This is not a bad accomplishment. He has raised his national and international profile, and I think will serve again in public office.

Regarding your Buhari comments, Buhari has been exposed as a very poor planner, poor strategist and tactician, and a person too arrogant to reach out and build alliances.

The results of this election would have been very different if the alliance had been sealed, and the ACNs finely oiled election machinery had gone to work. Even adding Buhari and Ribadu's #s alone, and lopping off about 4-5 million from GEJs inflated SS/SE votes should tell you what could have happened if Buhari had been more humble. Not to talk of the necessarily higher voter turnout that'd have occurred if the ACN had put its machinery in place.

Ultimately, no one can be blamed here but Buhari. Failing to plan is planning to fail. He wasted a golden opportunity through either incompetence or arrogance (or both.)

Tinubu I suspect looked out for the best interests of himself and his party. There is no reason for him to stick out his neck for the stubborn and frankly not-that-impressive candidacy of Buhari.

It is very harsh to blame Buhari for the alliance, very harsh inded. I really do not want to talk about the alliance again as it is dead and buried.

I am really happy the alliance did not work and I am happy Bakare never signed that letter. The hypocrites have been exposed and whomever cares to see can see.

heilige:

It will be better for Ribadu to move to CPC, and maybe he might make it in 2019. As for 2015 Tinubu will still be dictating.
All these thieves are scared of Ribadu and Buhari.

This would have served Ribadu well in the first instance, had he been in CPC. I think El Rufai will be the one to reap the seed Buhari has sown from the north. I personally would prefer El Rufai to Ribadu, El Rufai had an ambition to be president as well but he was wise to see the hadwritings on the wall and aupported a better candidate at this moment in time.

You cannot be successful in politics without a base of your own.

We are here , proud of our efforts and satisfied that we tried, were not blinded by ethnicity but we supported the cause based on our convictions. We have lost and satisfaction lies in the efforts, congratulations to GEJ and we wish him the best.

The struggle continues and 2015 is by the corner , May God spare our lives beyond that.

The biggest loser in this election IMO is Nuhu Ribadu and I think he has just graduated from the school of Nigerian Politics. He was traded as a commodity by Tinubu, his party could not even win him Lagos votes, only osun state went for Ribadu. Ribadu lost his ward, lost his local govt, lost his state and was a distant 3rd in Adamawa state and almost all states in the country.

the polling unit few meters from his family house , Buhari had 260 votes and Ribadu 85 votes. I have said it several times that Ribadu needed a political base to be relevant in politics, he should have waited to build a structure of his own, worked with Buhari to bolster his credibility and have a base in the North so as to help his political future. He lost the elections in a disastrous way and furthermore a great deal of damage has been done to his integrity, credibility and ego. There is no harm losing an election but Ribadu IMO has gained nothing in this adventure but damage to his credibility. If the end justifies the means like most of his supporters subtly imply when they justify his running under ACN then Mr Ribadu will foerever find it difficult to ever govern Nigeria.

As for Tinubu, I think he has been exposed as the greatest hypocrite in Nigerian politics and i need not say more.

ekt_bear:

I encourage you BB supporters to look at this post:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-648868.64.html#msg8151346

Bayelsa, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Akwa Ibom almost certainly all rigged. Those are clear cases; others might be fraudulent too.

I don't think it was enough to change the outcome of the election, but the fake final voting totals in my opinion must not stand.

The whole of the SS and SE was rigged. The strategy was this, there was low voters turn out and after voting, in all the polling units very few had CPC agents there, where there were some of them were bribed and ballots were thumbprinted to favour PDP. For example 500 registered at Poll A, 200 people turned up of which 180 voted PDP, if no CPC agents is available the remaining 300 ballot paper will be thibprinted to favour PDP. That is why you can see 99.5 % perfomance in a state like Akwa ibom. This was to increase GEJs votes to avoid a run off.

In the norths Jigawa, Sokoto, Kaduna the governors rigged as well for PDP just to increase the votes to exceed 25% in order to get the spread. There was low voter turn out in a state like Kano as well and only God knows what was the reason.

It is only in the SW i can say there was no rigging but money politics tilted the votes and the collabotation of Tinubu and his gangs.

We tried our best, we worked really hard, we fought with our sweat, time, money and everything we could but majority of Nigerians told us that they will rather think about today and not the future. A verse in the quran says "God will not change a people until they change what is in their hearts". Our people took money and voted for money which translates into them being satisfied with whatever governance they get.

Congratulations to GEJ and I wish him the best in governing the country, if he does it well good to him and Nigerians but if he doesnt no one should blame him but blame Nigerians that voted him in. As for me and my folks on this thread , let us keep the group together as we have 3 years to work hard in entrenching an ideology of good governance particulalrly in the South of Nigeria. Buhari had 11 months and he delivered, if we work hard int he next 3 years we could achieve a lot.

Let us think about how we could do this, I have ideas and I am open to suggestions from the whole house. Buhari and Bakare brought us together , we saw some qualities in them and I believe those qualities and ideology could be developed in others before 2015. Oue people need to change themselves and we have to work hard to do that, I have come to the conclusion that we have to change from bottom to the top as it is only by the barell of the gun we would be able to change from top to bottom. PDP will continue to rule for the next 60 years if we dont change as a people, may God forbid that though.

The struggle continues.

It appears we have been rigged out of this election. Nigerians deserve the leaders we get because it is we Nigerians that mortgage our future because of today's 100k naira.

The votes being declared in the North is just crazy and if that is the result then it appears we have lost the election on a rigged out basis. The SW IMO was the verdict of the people albeit many were bought with gifts and money. However the rigging in the SS and SE were phenomoenal

Impossible!

So the allegation of 3 billion distributed is true. 5 million per LGA coordinator

It seems we deserve the leaders we get

Right from yesterday morning there were reports of lamidos deputy and PA moving around jigawa with soldiers and money. The electoral law prohibits such movement during election. Reports were made to Inec and we await to see what will happen.

This results were clearly rigged. Look at the results cOming from the SS and SE and the rigging becomes clearer

Do you have the NW state results?

Please go to SR website, click on he sahara live and then follow the reports. You will see it there. I copied he web link and pasted it here.

Just check it out yourself

Please just go to sahara live to view the reports.

This is absolute shameful
http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php?option=com_altcaster&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=c16c8e4d4f&ipod=y&rand=

People should wait a bit before celebrating victory. 1 poll result does not mean anything

vladimiros:

in 1994 UN organized South african elections

i think we need that

Even if you bring all the noble laureates to come and organize election as long as Nigerians will be the REC's, polling rep, LGA coordinator, drivers of trucks that move ballot papers, DPOs.

The same old story of rigging will even treble. Nigerians are the problem of Nigeria let us forget the leaders now

I have come to the conclusion that the the change we require has to be from bottom to top. If some Nigerians still reason this way , is there a future for us?

Is there a future for us as a nation? I am really depressed at this news, after 24 hrs GEJ might be declared htr winner of a rigged election and the same old story again. Observers look the other way and say election is ok, we go to court and kutigi bribes other judges and GEJ wins case in 2013 , 2 years to another election and we start the same song again.

The bastard govs in the north are even the ones rigging for GEj

Food for thought.

The SW people are wise enough to choose who they want. We are not robbots and zombies to follow what Tinubu or Bisi akande asks us to do.

We know the BB ticket is our only hope for a new Nigeria at this moment in time.

Kudos to you Rotimi Fashakin

Eko Ile:


The ACN is nothing without a consolidated zone, there's basically no bargaining chips or political base, power and infrastructure. Let's be realistic, the ACN is not in power and they are not in any position to effect any change in that area.

Again, the ACN folks are not foolish, I see nothing but smarts and political superiority so far. ACN is not the party in power and they know it's not even possible this time around, they can not do most of the things you listed, but the most logical and smart thing to do is to negotiate for concessions in terms of the same federal projects you just highlighted.

I do admire the fact that they are not sitting arrogantly and not maximizing they power to better their people for now.

We both know what they are capable of doing once Aso Rock is attained.

Now is not the time worry about what we have no control over,

This my whole point, they cannot do it , so why not give consessions and align with CPC to have a say in the center as you have nothing to lose. However not being in the centre, creates much to lose. ACN can only fight for true federalism from the centre , else it will be forever noise making.

seal777:

I was at aguda to drop posters for a nairalander named Uchenna(yet the claim 100% igbo vote GEJ),to shitta for a short meeting of d election monitoring unit, to barracks to pick posters from the printer,to jakande house ilupeju to drop posters and post cards to another nairalander(u need to see how they received me like a BB ambassador bt shocked to know i am an independent canvasser).

I went round to inspect areas where i paid sm guys to paste poster 4me xtenite, nice sight to behold bt notice sm people re tearing those posters as they re pasted.
I am home mobilizing another round of pasting 2nite God willing.

I wil never look back til the last vote is counted and announced.

Need posters and post cards,call me 08034429268
BB FOR SURE.

Well done and may you be rewarded for your efforts. Our conscience will forever be clear that we tried our best to change this country in whatever capacity we could. We will not relent and the struggle continues!!

edo.girl:

For more than 50 years now, the South West has never knowingly voted with the governing party, except for June 12 (Abiola factor), 2003 (when AD enteerd into an ill fated pact with PDP).

Yorubas are almost always in oposition and it is in opposition that they have made their greatest progress - think Awolowo regimes. Lagos state has voted with opposition since 1999, yet remains one of the most pregressive states in the land.

While ACN needs to take whatever opportunity arises at the national level, the South West can, and will continue to progress without the Federal govt. They dont need any Federal power.

you have forgotten that the SW development happened because it was true federlalism of some sorts practised in the frirst republic. The regions were allowed to develop autonomously and there was great progress in the North SW and SE regions of the country.

The current fake federalism is a failure and until it is changed we would not move foward as a nation. Please stop comparing Lagos to all other states because Lagos has been different to others since the 1950s.

Eko Ile:

I really like how the ACN folks are playing their cards, the move to have the pastor sign that letter was the right move cos if at the end of the day, the pastor play 419 and reneged, who is going to shoulder the blame and who are you clowns going to blame or falling for the pastor and Buhari like mumu? Tinubu of course.


Tinubu is wining hands down and these naive people are talking talking rubbish,


Like I keep saying, the presidency is of little importance to the ACN right now, solidifying their bases and building strong political institutions is obviously the most important thing on their table and they are succeeding.


Den fit extract major concessions from GEJ/anybody to further their goals, get federal projects, get cabinet positions, get NASS leadership positions and magnify their strength. Things GEJ's supporters back east can not even get from GEJ/PDP

Either way, the ACN have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain all over,

This sounds a bit selfish IMO, will consolidating the SW bring electricity to Nigeria?

Will it bring true federalism that we all crave for?

Will it bring good roads to interconnect cities

Will it brink state interconnecting rails

Take it or leave it the system we run in Nigeria , makes dependency on the centre the catalyst to the nations development. There is so much a state can do under the current circumstances, if not why has Fashola not being able do do the metro? The 4th mainland bridge has being on plan since 2000 and no progress. ACN should be making all the concessions they can to have a role in the centre especially when the whole nation knows sincerely in their hearts that Ribadu is nothing but a spoiler in this election. He simply cannot win so what is the point? i personally dont get it.

The problem with our people is we only think of today, we have become so selfish andd greedy. Poverty is killing the intellect of some people as well.

We keep doing the same thing everytime and we expect a different outcome. Albert Einsten said it will not happen.

10cirenoh:

Lost generation. the beautiful ones are not yet born.

werepeLeri:

Ribadu is a cry baby. LOL.

Elenu bi enu peipeiye.

Lols

It is clear as daylight that Rudolph meant Buhari is the Putin, GEJ is Yeltsin and Ribadu is Mevdedev

In advanced societies, the president is said to be like the person in the family whose job it is to buy meat in the market. In developing societies like ours, the president is the one with the knife and the fork. He decides who gets the steak and who should get the intestines. That is why whoever becomes the president, in a country like Nigeria, is very important. And that is why the elite, who essentially fill their pockets with loots, do everything to convince the rest of us that their choice of president is the right choice.

The elite will throw out pigeons and rabbits from their hats just to make you believe that their candidate is the right candidate. They will point at shipyards their candidate will build even when there is no river, much less an ocean. When that does not work, they will tell you their candidate wears white underwear while the other candidate wears black underwear. If that is not scary enough, they will tell you that, at night, their candidate sings lullabies to little children while the other candidate changes into a witch that inflicts little children with convulsions. These elite sef!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not naïve. I know politicians in the past, like Emperor Bokassa and Idi Amin, have eaten little children. I also know that some, like Governor Godswill Akpabio, are currently eating little children. But you get my drift.

Thank God I’m not an elite.

Every presidential election encapsulates its time. The options available to the citizens of every country sum up where they are in their political maturity index™. That is why it is often said that every nation deserves the kind of leader it has. An accurate interpretation of these options is therefore more important than the endorsements of any of the potential leaders.

In the last exciting election we had in Nigeria, the June 12, 1993 election between Moshood Abiola and Bashir Tofa, the difference between the candidates were clearly defined. I watched the election from London. On the eve of the election, the London Observer stated that Nigerians had two options: “a fool surrounded by idiots or an idiot surrounded by fools.”

It makes you wonder, which is which? Never mind! Don’t you hate it when foreigners define our options for us?

The presidency of any country presents challenges that no man is ever big enough to solve. The good thing is that the presidency also makes small people big enough to tackle whatever challenges it presents. The opportunity to do great things is always there. The question is whether that particular president will see it and seize it. The president who keeps watch on the silver in his pocket misses what the one who keeps his eyes on the hand of history sees.

The two primary candidates in this weekend’s presidential election are President Goodluck Jonathan and former military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. One is Boris Yeltsin and the other is Vladimir Putin. Under Yeltsin, corruption thrived in Russia while the president drank. Under Putin, the Russians drank while the president thrived.

If it is possible, before you vote on Saturday, remember Russia under Yeltsin and Russia under Putin. Which of those eras do you wish for Nigeria?

Oh, for those looking to vote for Dmitry Medvedev, I say to you, I have looked into his eyes and I was not able to get a sense of his soul.

If I were to vote, I will not pick a bad candidate because others are worse. Like all good journalists, I will pick a candidate who will give me so much stuff to pick on. It will make my job a lot easier.

Please correct me if I’m right.

I, too, make my judgments based on information available to me. My judgments are colored by my prejudices, my social networks, my wishes, my hopes and my fears. So you can understand why I am not in the business of telling anyone who to vote for. I am not a Nobel laureate. And I am not a prominent columnist. The last time I checked, I have not been able to convince Ogonna, my 4-year-old son, that the Cookie Monster will be better off eating broccoli. So why should I assume that I can persuade intelligent Nigerian adults to vote for a particular candidate?

I do know one little thing, though. George Burns, an American comedian once noted something very important about politics. He said, “Too bad all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.”

I, too, have observed the same. The people who know how to run Nigeria are busy writing articles on the World Wide Web. Those who have no interest in writing long pieces are churning out comments after comments. None of them believes that his judgments are based on the information currently available to him. And that it is colored by his prejudices, his social networks, his wishes, his hopes and his fears.

In a society where institutions are strong and functioning, it does not matter so much who is president. No matter how bad he is, the president cannot ruin a country in 8 years. George W. Bush tried it in America but failed. And no matter how dumb the citizens of any country are, in 8 years, they will figure out if their president is good or bad.

http://www.saharareporters.com/column/nigeria-chooses-president-yeltsin-or-putin

Dele Olojede is perhaps the most respected Nigerian journalist working today. He is the publisher and Chief Executive Officer of 234Next newspaper. Before that, he worked with the New York based Newsday newspaper where he rose to the post of Foreign Editor. In 2005, he won the most prestigious journalism award in America, the Pulitzer Prize, for his retrospective on the genocide in Rwanda, a decade after. To cap it all, he is married to the famed former editor of the Guardian, Amma Ogan.

So when it comes to journalism, Dele Olojede, more than anyone else, knows what he is talking about.

On Nov 16, 2007, he had lunch with a staff of the American embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa. The embassy staff asked Olojede what he thought about the political situation in South Africa where President Thabo Mbeki was fighting for his political life against the scandal-ridden Jacob Zuma. Like all good journalists, Olojede opened his big mouth to blab. He dissected the South African situation and authoritatively predicted that President Mbeki “has essentially sewn up the nomination as ANC President.” Jacob Zuma, he told the American, had no chance. He backed up his predictions by flaunting his closeness to South African political and business big wigs.

Oh well, it turned out that everything he said was crap - 100% trash. We know this today because his conversation with the embassy staff was documented in U.S. diplomatic cables released by wikileak. In his reaction to the cable report, Mr. Olojede wrote something very profound: “I must confess here that my initial reaction was deep embarrassment at how wrong I was. But then I realized that this was in fact not such a bad or abnormal thing, that most of us make judgments based on information then available to us, colored often by our prejudices and our social networks, and our wishes and hopes and fears.”

trashable:

@LAGOSBOY: the rules of the house states first timer cannot be speaker

When did they make this rule because in 1999 Enwerem and Salisu Buhari were first timers so as everyone else in the house. Can they legally make this rule if there is no consitutional requirment for such, without ammending the consitituion of Nigeria?

Is there any law that says a first timer cannot be speaker?

This is a public forum where discussions and awareness should be the order of the day.