₦airaland Forum

chamber2:
No matter the amount of propaganda,GEJ will definitely win the presidential election come April 2011.I am still taking statistics of those who will end up committing suicide when this finally happens.There number is increasing day after day.

Will definitely? Are you going to hang yourself is he looses? GEJ will definitely win the presidential election Please give me a break. I noticed that most GEJ supporters are now resorting to emotional blackmail. Speak for your candidate. Tell us what he has done with 12 years that the people of Bayelsa and Nigeria entrusted with him.

chamber2:
Goodluck Jonathan
As I said at the Grand Finale Rally hours ago in Abuja, I pledge my personal commitment to the upliftment of Nigeria and her citizens. As we approach the election, let me restate that neither my ambition, nor the ambition of any Nigerian is worth the blood of any youth. All my kids are in Nigeria and what I do not wish for them I do not wish for your kids. Vote your conscience but shun entreaties to violence.
http://www.facebook.com/jonathangoodluck

Ha ha - are they in public schools? Do they ride to school in public buses to face the risk involved in everyday commute in Nigeria? You don't have to live abroad to 'chop' your loots and live a high life. Most importantly: WILL YOUR CHILDREN STUDY IN ANY NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY? Can you make a statement to that effect that your children will also study in Nigerian universities?

Oh I love nairaland. In the midst of our differences, sometimes we still come together to make ourselves laugh. This is the Nigerian spirit that I hope continues to thrive.

I will bank with Buhari International Bank with regional offices in London, New York and Hong Kong (LoL). In this current investment clime, it is best to go with the safest investment. Although the interest rate may not be off the roof, I am rest assured that my deposits are safe and the interest rate is comfortably above inflation rate. I don't want to put my money in a wonder bank ala Ponzi politicians with so much promise and talk talk but little to show for it.

mens dept:
Sounds like you are not suffering from the miliatrized experience that Pro-Buhari fools had and continue to experience. For them we need military rulers to forever rule us, especially those from the 70s and early 80s. They post pixs of town squares (mainly in the north) of thousands-the same thousands that gather to kill Christians and Southerners in Jos and Kano because they have nothing better to do- who gather to poke nose at what Buhari is (not) saying.

The same happens in the SW and East, where candidates that could not run in developed nations are running, some recontesting (though they were already governor, senator, ammbassodor, minister) to come and loot again, and the people who have no light or road gather to cheer and clap.

These nairaland pixs simply show that our people are still mostly babies, cowards, and members of OWAMBE all night long.

So this ranting is actually coming from a grown man? You can not continue to paint people in the north as murderers when your rant above is nothing more than a bigoted hate speech. By the way, hope you realize that you succeeded in making very little point here.

Islamic this, Islamic that!!!! Blind ignorant Nigerians who will continue to suffer in sheer ignorance. Since when did it become a crime to be a muslim? Or since when did it become a crime to be dedicated to your religion? For the records, I am a Christian but I have had many Muslim friends that have inspired me with their uprightness and dedication.

Ignorant Nigerians like OP here are busy spewing rubbish without stopping for once to think about the real root cause of problems in Nigeria. Last I checked, it is not religion. Yes we have our religious differences but we don't have a choice but to live with it. But we have bigger problems and I think that is what this election is all about,  we are the perfect example of a dubious and morally bankrupt state. It is hard to identify as a Nigerian outside the shores of this country. Just this week, I visited Calgary Canada and the moment I mentioned I was Nigerian, the whole room went into a deep freeze and there was an apparent disgust in the faces of everyone in the room. My host had to apologize to me later in the day for what happened.

Wake up people - our problem is indiscipline and corruption. Until we eradicate corruption, WE CANNOT HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS, ROADS, HOSPITALS. Our Systems will remain in perpetual comatose until we successfully fight the monster called corruption in indiscipline.

Who else has the moral status to do this? Certainly not Tony Anenih, Bode George, IBB. Certainly not anyone who wines and dines with them. We need a street man, an ordinary man who understands the pains of Nigerians and who will put the country's interest first. We need a leader who is not carrying a baggage of corruption around his neck. His wife (or family) must not have a baggage of corruption either. These  baggages weigh on our moral capacity to fight corruption.

Show me one Nigerian leader who is as incorruptible as Buhari, past or present!!!

Vote Buhari Bakare 2011,

Kristaz:
A recycled and expired Buhari cannot cause any revolution.People should stop deceiving themselves.BB has nothing to offer.Whoever votes for him is taking the country 20 yrs back and that person is an enemy of the Nigeria state.Any vote casted for BB is  WASTED VOTE.We need a breathe of fresh air.GEJ is the anointed man.BB will fail.fail and fail because nobody stands on the way of a moving train,else he be crushed and grinded.All surporters of the expired general should advise him to go back to Duara and shed drums of hot tears of failure and disappointment while glasses are clicked in Otuoke,Abuja,kaduna,Lagos.Abeokuta,Ibadan,PH and across the country for the victory of GEJ.

Now this is the part that I shake my head for Nigeria. Too religious yet most corrupt set of human beings. Spiritualizing everything. As weak, simple and sick as Yaradua was, I don't think God needed to take his life to make way for Jonathan. God doesn't need to anoint one with another man's life.

The problems with Nigeria are clear and evident even in the unscrupulous posts here - corruption and tribalism. Most GEJ supporters fall into one of these two categories. They are either beneficiaries (through friends, first cousins, 10th cousins, 15th uncles etc) or they are simply playing the ethnic card. It won't work this time. We are marching forward as one nation under GOD and there is no turning back. Buhari and Bakare are two God-fearing people (in their own religions). They are dedicated and every right thinking Nigerian knows that with BB on board, it is farewell to corruption and hello to sanity, development and progress.

This is a clarion call to the length and breadth of our great Nation - Arise Nigerians, let's take back our country!!! Let's make it great again, Let's recreate our land.

VOTE BB 2011

Igbo, Christian, Mum and Dad from Imo, Lived in Imo, Kano, Sokoto, Calabar, Lagos and now California.

I support BB all the way. For me, BB is synonymous with eradication of corruption.

Aisha2, honeric01, abes, egift, blink182, GenBuhari03, Lagosboy, proudly9ja and all other buhari supporters!!!

We can get this on TV certainly. I have never been more proud as a Nigerian. The song has inspired me over and over and I certainly think it should reach other Nigerians.

My friends and I are currently spearheading a Bulk SMS campaign for BB too. It's our own personal initiative and we are launching series of text messages to a large database of functional GSM numbers that we have.

I'm up for any initiative that will propel this cause. We can do this if we really want to. Maybe one of you can spear-head the initiative and see how far we can go.

BB 2011 all the way!!!

There we go again - Nigerians completely disappointing!!!

There is no where else in the world that a candidate will behave the way GEJ embarrassed the other candidates, and still stand as one of the frontline candidates. You can't abuse your office for ever. If every other candidate had to bend their schedules to suit GEJ, the least he could do would have been to honor the invitation. And for crying OUT LOUD, what is wrong with Nigerian? On one hand we are begging for foreign and local investors to invest and help us drive our economy. Then suddenly we are quick to declare that only NTA has the reach to organize a debate. Nothing says that there shouldn't be more then one debate in the country - we could have had the NN24 debate, the BON debate, the youths debate and even one or two more debates before the elections. Everyone of these institutions probably have their different viewer-ships.

This brings me to the most rotten part of our collective physic as Nigerians - We have lost every sense of personal dignity. Nigerians don't even know that there is a price to pay for our collective right to personal dignity. GEJ's move was a slap on the sensibility of every Nigerian and yet some apologists are here giving him thumbs up. Oh Nigeria, why do I have to cry for thee every morning. Years of hardship have confused our minds and reduced us to a people with no collective pride, a selfish brood and ethnically bigoted. I remember when McCain tried to bail out on a debate albeit for a very pressing economic issue - it is on record that this singular act contributed immensely to his defeat at the elections. Americans rose up to completely condemn him. Again, only in Nigeria would this nonsense happen. Little wonder some of Nigeria's brightest minds leave the country, take up permanent residencies and never ever bother to look back. There is a lot to worry about.

For the records, I am proud of the decisions of the opposition. They have not said they won't participate in debates anymore, but that they won't participate in a debate with GEJ. These guys are trying to make a statement that no one should toy with our collective sensibilities and allowed to go scot-free. But we, the morons (yes I'm probably one too), are rising as always, to do what we know how to do best - trade our dignities for senselessness. Little wonder Nigerians would watch elections riggers snatch ballot boxes and stuff them up during elections and nothing would happen. Afterall, don't you need a pretty deep sense of personal responsibility to realize that rigging an election is a spite on your dignity as a man and calls for strong action on your part? But nope, that is not Nigeria - probably would have happened in the Nigeria of my dreams.

Wake up people - wake up!!

Just watched the debate. Shekauru was really good. I think he is well learned and didn't even speak with much accent. But Buhari was quite strong and cautious. He knows his stuff though,

This is lovely, waiting for the rest of it!!!!

I'm sure GEj knows better than to play the religion card. If he does, he'll definitely loose out. You definitely don't want to pitch muslims against christians.

naijaking1:
What's silly to me, may not be to you. For example, i find your response not only silly, but not-so-smart.

Ha ha ha - very funny. Yeah right, how about figuring out how much value a post will add before spewing it out? You don't have to descend this low. And yes, your so-called surprise was pretty silly. Every kid on the street knows Bakare was formally a Muslim. Infact I think his mum is still a Muslim. And by the way, you didn't post it as a surprise - it sounded every bit as a poorly orchestrated attempt to ridicule the man and to ridicule all Muslims.

As for the 'not-so-smart' part, all I can say is: he he he!!!

When the discussions come down to real issues dragging the country back, there is only one candidate that has the moral capacity to put us back on course and this is based on facts and data you can play with.

It is so rare to see Buhari supporters resorting to name calling. In the very few cases this has happened, they have been provoked beyond control. But look around and you'll see most GEJ supporters resorting to name calling every now and then, but that is fine.

There are fundamental questions that need to be addressed. Which of these candidates has the moral and political capability to address these concerns?

Corruption - the root of ALL of Nigeria's problem (c/f with Abu Dhabi, Norway, Brazil and see how far we could have gone),

Political will, political will. It takes political will to fight corruption at the scale we are experiencing in Nigeria at the moment and whoever wants to fight this must have the MORAL CAPABILITY to do so.

Buhari owes no one any allegiance. He is banking on THE PEOPLE to support him. He is not throwing 'recoverable' money around. He has no godfather or goduncle. He is his own man. Above all, he has the moral capacity to fight corruption. He is coming with no baggage.

I don't know why some people fail to see this, but I'm elated a growing number of Nigerians are beginning to see this. Open your eyes people, Nigeria is bigger than our personal egos. I am a southerner and a Christian and even before Buhari decided to go with Bakare, I was already convinced that we need someone like him, with very little baggage and high-handedness to fight the large scale corruption that has eaten deep into our country.

naijaking1:
^^^^
I never said that's not a beautiful name, i'm only saying I'm surprised. If you're not surprised and or if you already know, then this thread is not for you.

If we all start creating threads for every stupid surprise of ours,

Tunsbobo:
If you carefully check the profile of those who are clamouring for buhari as nigeria's next president, you would discover that they are not so smart fools(no offense). How would someone in his right thinking senses vote 4 a 69 year old power hungry sharia blinded bigot as president? Is buhari the best nigeria has to offer? Una no well, infact nigerians are confused!

Some of us supporting Buhari are some of the smartest and most intelligent Nigerians home and abroad. You better check our profiles really well.

Just did a little research recently and I found out that majority of Buhari's die-hard supporters are some of the most educated and smartest Nigerians around. On the other hand, majority of GEJ supporters that I talked to were supporting him either based on ethnicity or some strange religious reasons (something about God using him, being the anointed one). I realized a lot of support was coming from people who had read spiritual meanings into his political ascendence (Alams down fall, Umaru's death etc).  Very very few are supporting him based on competence. On the other hand, a good number of Buhari's supporters are doing so based on the fact that they think he is actually competent to do the job.

Again, I was irked because you called us not so smart fools. Better look at the profiles again,  It might take you a life time to get to where most of us have been and have actually left behind.

By the way and off topic:

What is the meaning of 'Sai Buhari'. I like the sound of it but have been googling the internet for the meaning of Sai without much success.

I'm not in the country to vote but my support will go all the way to the BB team. I wish we could have some diaspora voting so many of us who are every bit Nigerians but who can't be in Nigeria at the time can still vote!!!

My support for BB is based on their stance on corruption. I was thinking today and I realized that Buhari is about the only past Nigerian leader that ordinary people vouch for as being upright and a man in integrity. I couldn't think of one past head of state or governor that shares this with him. Considering that in Nigeria, almost every leader is generally believed to be corrupt, it is quite amazing that Buhari is singled out as an extraordinary exception. There must be something to this man. The high and mighty, and the ordinary masses believe this!!

Vote BB 2011, for the sake of our children and future generations!!!

^^^

It is funny how Navi claims that GEJ is 'God's' anointed but is quick to call Bakare a liar and question which 'God' sent him. Now that is the height of hypocrisy.

gernded:
Fellow Nigerian's, i thought we the real Nigerian's have come of age but i never believed that there some bunch of illiterate who only read newspaper on the internet and refuse to use there brain,i have some question for some idiots in this forum

(1) IS GEJ NIGERIANS PROBLEMS?
(2)HAS GEJ BETRAYED DEMOCRATIC VOTES,NORMS AND PRINCIPLE?
(3)COULD HE BE THE ONE THROWING THIS BOMB?
(4)CAN ANY MAN DEMOLISH HIS COMFORT PLACE:
(5)CAN YOU MIX POLITICS WITH ETHNICITY,AREWA,AFENIFERE AND OHANEZE?
(6)NIGERIA IS 50YRS GEJ IS OUR PROBLEMS RIGHT?



THESE ISSUE ARE BEGGING FOR ANSWER'S
PEOPLE THINK!THINK!!THINK!!!

ONE MORE THING WHAT IS JOE ODUMAKIN DOING WITH BUHARI?

And you think the gibberish you put up here has some thought in it? Actually, we have seen way more intelligent analyses that the set of crap you put up here. GEJ is the CSO of the country as we speak - it behooves of him to fish out the bombers and stop moronically pointing fingers at his perceived enemies. 1st Oct., Dec. 2010, Jan. 2011 bomb blasts are yet to be resolved and we have a sitting president. Ok, so what happened to Raymond Dokpesi? All of a sudden, he is now the darling of GEJ's team.

Now you should remove the ethnic bigoted cap you have on your head and wear a real thinking cap. When you are ready to be objective, we can start an intelligent conversation.

Assuming for the sake of arguments that Buhari actually suggested lynching election riggers (which he didn't though), What on earth is wrong with protecting the only thing that is keeping us as a nation? We have been raped. Back in 2003, I saw it happen right in front of my eyes. After standing in the line and voting, just about time to count the votes, some PDP thugs came in a bus, shot into the air and RIGHT there in my korokoro eyes, they took the ballot box and left. Now, that was then and I have watched our dear country plunged into the abyss of perpetual destruction.

Unfortunately I won't be in Nigeria during this election otherwise I would have shot anyone that tries to repeat that trash again. Yes, we need to lynch them literarily and I am saying this for the sake of our future and our children. Nigerians should stop being morons, just sitting there and hoping things will turn themselves around. There needs to be some measure of actions on our PART and that starts with making sure that our votes are protected. If we can't protect our votes, then we might as well all sit back at home. People are fighting for their rights in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and the rest of the world, and we are busy here trying to do what we know how to do best - sit and pray that things will change on their own.

Nigerian's have a right to defend their votes and I implore every well-meaning Nigeria to do so. The people taking offense at Buhari's patriotic call are just being selfish and self-serving. Infact, Nigeria is just a big mess. I dey laugh Oo.

I don't usually leave comments recklessly on nairaland but I can't stand Beaf's outrightly stupid and immoral posts anymore. This is plain craziness. Maybe I have lived too long away from Nigeria not to realize that people like Beaf are the order of the day. If this is the case, my apologies. Otherwise, will you shut up Mr (or Ms) Beaf?

maasoap:
I knew he would go because he has become a politician rather than impartial judge. And he has gone for good, he either accepts promotion or resigns. When a justice DISENFRANCHISED one-third of the voters in guber election, something is fishy definitely. He has lost confidence in majority of the Appeal court justices and he believes that only few are loyal to HIM and based on that, he uses these few justices to determine cases. Any appeal court justice that held different view on Election Tribunal cases would never be selected to determine cases but as long as you and me belong to opposition parties, he would remain the best justice even if he is partial. Ayo Salami, your employer has ordered you to move to the higher court, just move coz we're tired of using caucus in determining cases in the court of appeal.

Location - Osogbo, Nigeria. Says it all. You need to remove sentiments from this. So far, only Salami has come out to accuse Alu of trying to influence a judgement. That is the issue here. Everything you have written here speaks of the same nonsensical attitude that is keeping us back - dem say dem say!!!. If any judge is being asked to compromise, let him come out and say it out himself. We need to stop making things up.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/breaking-news-njc-quashes-justice-salamis-proposed-promotion-supreme-court

The NJC has finally quashed the 'promotion'. Now maybe we can start another round of arguments questioning why they did that. Focus people, focus.

Now I know Nigeria is a fool's paradise. He who wears the shoes knows exactly where it is pinching and a bunch of us are here telling Hon. Salami where it might be pinching him. For God's sake, why is everyone reading this thing out of context? Katsina-Alu had asked him to compromise a judgement in the past which he refused. That is very dangerous and no body on this forum is talking about it - instead we have allowed our blind and notoriously foolish political affiliations to distort our minds and make us focus on the most irrelevant part of this issue.

Salami thinks he is being pushed out to pave way for electoral fraud. This is big and I think every Nigeria should be calling for an in-depth probe (like Prof. Sagay and Co, suggested). Atleast, that is the part of this issue that affects us and can send us further back in time. But alas, we are busy debating if he has the right to reject a promotion? I think Hon. Salami is an honorable man and would rather resign than bend to this morally debasing move.

Nigerians, let's wear our thinking cap always. We can use this forum (like Egypt and Tunisia did) to create a big movement and make a big change in nigeria. The way we quickly loose sight of the heart of an issue baffles me!!! Focus people, read beyond your sentiments!!! Haba,

ayubam:
@ Intrepid, Let me try and take your issues one after the other.  I hear you say you are strategic in your thinking? What strategy? That someone who has been investigated by all known agencies in Nigeria (NPF, EFCC, ICPC, SSS, Military Intelligence etc) and found blameless will now turn around to use oil money to bribe your PDP imbecilic Political hallelujah boys to Islamize Nigeria and the halleluyah boys will collect the money and pass that bill? What a dumb "strategic thinking". When he was the Military head of state, he only needed to make a decree and the deputy being a muslim will not have issue with it and dat would have been it. But what did he do? He was busy pursuing discipline as the only thing lacking in our polity till today is discipline in all aspects of life. Arrested all the corrupt politician, dealt with drug barons, a dollar was exchanging for 95kobo thereabout. Umaru Dikko Ran away and the likes of Adamu Ciroma was led in. When the cabals felt that their source is running dry, they planned a coup and PDP IBB came in and took Nigeria name to OIC, search the record. Buhari never took us there. Did u hear about MKO sinking a whole ship of bible coming into the country, Buhari never do dat. Idahosa crusade was going on with full police support. So how is he a Jihadist.

He is a passionate muslim just that we cannot yet see a xtian of his class who can boldly say he has not robbed this nation while in service. Is it wrong to serve your God passionately? That is the crime this man has commited- he is a devoted muslim? He does not represent the ruling class in the north. They are even more convenient with GEJ cos they know GEJ will tolerate what Buhari will not tolerate. He knows the rot in the Nation. He can never be accused of sponsoring violence. Infact the Kano riot in 1983/84, Buhari arrested all perpetuators, lock them up and after he was ousted out of power, IBB released all of them. These are his people, noetherners that committed offence. When last has anybody bein jailed after violence? This is the only man that has the record? Do not let these thieves deceived you further.

Are they xtians? Have they not threatened to destroy this nation if not given presidential tickets? Do you even think buhari has enough money to sponsor violence now? He has described low level Illiteracy and poverty as the reason for violence in the north. What has the like of Atiku, IBB, Adamu Ciroma and others do to develop the people? As PTDF chairman, Buhari built many schools in the north, irrigation projects, hospitals and healthcentres, records are there to show. People say why should he do that in the north only and i ask y did Awolowo develop the SW alone? Y did all the money going to NDDC not have been used to develop Bayelsa? How many project did OBJ commisisoned in the SW after 8 yrs of rule? These are questions we should be asking and hold our leaders accountable? The 1st obj assignment was to probe Buhari's acct in PTDF and he came out clean an untouched?

Mr Intrepid, who do you want to be your president? someone who was assistant Gov and Gov yet the society is still backward? Who throughout his stay as gov was travelling from PH to Yenagoa daily? Whose wife was caught laundering money and the case dropped by the high and mighty? Whose being a Vice President was only ceremonial? or what did he influence as VP for his people? PH- warri road that links Bayelsa is still nothing to write about? Whose since becoming a President has Shared more than 1 Trillion Naira to Governors and no meaningful infrastructure to show for it? who has given all PDP govs automatic ticket to continue to govern us irrespective of their performances? who released a senator accused of murder charge all to curry support for him during primaries, who has been alleged to have given $7k each to delegates to get their votes? Who has chosen to choose the like of OBJ, Tony Anenih, etc as Political God fathers? Whose campaign strong based are Daniel, AKALA, Oyinlola etc?

As per our action, when Andoaka, Turai etc hijacked powers from Yaradua cos of illness, it took action to force the NASS to apply doctrine of necessity to relinquish power to Jonathan to become Acting President, it took action to force IBB out to relinquish Power to Shonekan, it took effort of Nadeco, CD and many others during Abacha days to attracts several sanctions from international bodies and invoke the wrath of God upon himself, it took effort to start this present INEC registration else, we would have been using that old fraudulent register for this election. So when we speaks, our word is a powerful currencies that those cabals fear but we do not know. Join the ACTION CLUB. Do not just sit down and allow looters to continue to reign just because u feel your IDEAL MR PERFECT is about to emerge. THE PRINCIPLE SHOULD BE THIS, WHEN PRESENTED WITH CHOICES, ONLY THE BEST OF THE CHOICES SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CHANCE. That will make people perform better. It is not because one is perfect. It is because one is better based on performance history and what we have seen so far. Chikena

This is one appropriately written piece. I am from the South and I am a Christian - but it beats me totally why we Christians are turning the obvious lie about Buhari into a political tool. There are ~75million Christians in Nigeria and NO ONE - absolutely NO ONE, can Christianize or Islamize Nigeria. It is as simple as that. Go to the Religion section on Nairaland and you will see shoddier Christian enthusiasts. It is so dreadful that Pastors/Priests are now getting the veneration and worship due only to Christ. We Christians are becoming so intolerant, yet we see someone else's adherence to his religious values as outright immoral and a dent on his electability.

The fundamental questions we need to ask ourselves are these: (1) What exactly is wrong with Nigeria? (2) Who can fix it?
Our biggest challenge is corruption and indiscipline. When OBJ says I dey Laugh Oo, ofcourse he knows this. The little progress we made during OBJ's time was a combination of image laundering (which was primarily due to the intense fight against corruption that the international community saw us waging) and the quality of technocrats in his cabinet. These factors secured several international attention and investors for the country. Rewind to OBJ's first term or fast forward to Yaradua's term and you would see how everything falls apart with indiscipline and corruption.

I have no individual problems with GEJ. There are no sentiments here, because we are talking about a bigger cause. GEJ's political mentors are the biggest plunderers and self-serving persons we have seen in Nigeria. We need to take a look at Brazil to appreciate what we can do as a country. There is entirely no reason Nigeria should remain in its present miserable state after 12 years of increasing record oil prices. Our inability to move forward is mainly due to the obstinate corrupt tendencies of the average Nigerian. I took time to study Brazil in a project I did with a Brazilian professor at Stanford, and it became clear that Brazil's journey to economic glory started with a 'bloody' battle against the corrupt class that had set the country back. Thereafter, they invested in their people. At a point, the country was sending their students to Stanford, paying for them but mandating them to return to Brazil to work in the different sectors (c/f with our PTDF which is a joke). Today, Petrobras has some of the finest technology in the oil industry, Brazil is into manufacturing of airplanes and cars, their power generation capability is so huge that the country makes a great deal of money selling to neighbors, their agriculture is off the roof (and I was appalled to realize that Brazil produces more electricity from sugar cane chaff than the entire output of Nigeria). Brazil is into manufacturing, research, services and ofcourse minerals.

When we start looking at hard core economic drivers and what it would take a country to get there, I think we would stop sectionalizing our electoral process and get serious. We don't have the luxury of sensational electoral processes that some countries like the USA have. No, we are in deep crap and have to get out of it first. We need sturdy leadership, self-determining mindedness and a radical like Lulu Da'Silva. We also have to start looking at socio-political ideologies of the different individuals and political parties. Above all, we have to get rid of sentiments - totally.

I am not related to; neither do I personally know any of the political gladiators. I have no other stake in the coming election besides wanting to see credible leadership for Nigeria. But I'll really like us to step back a little, look at the big picture - see where we are and where we can go, and decide who will lead us there. For me, the present crop of PDP leadership does not cut it. They had 12 years (of record oil prices) and nothing has changed in Nigeria besides the pockets of the politicians. I visited Nigeria some months back and asked for audience with my House of Assembly representative. This was a man I knew a while back who didn't have a job before getting into politics. The utter opulence of his home, the number of expensive cars was mind boggling. After lauding the pure beauty of his home, I asked him how he got this well-off within a short period of time. His short answer was: You better leave your useless quest for education and come back home to join politics - that is where the real money is. He is a member of the PDP.

I will canvass support for either Buhari or Ribadu as president (whoever finally gets the nod). I had the privilege to talk to Ribadu on his visit to Stanford last year and I was impressed. It was no holds barred and he held his ground quite impressively. I have also tried to study Buhari and have found his credentials impressive – ofcourse I chose to discount the obvious lies about him asking for a Sharia Nigeria. Now, I don't know how far my support will go, but then I can be rest assured that I took a step back, looked at the big picture, and voted for a set of candidates that I think will start us in the right path.
Wouldn't it be nice if Nigeria toes the path of Brazil?

@2good:

Greetings from Palo Alto.

By the way, just like you, I did undergrad in Nigeria (Chemical Engineering in UNILAG) and my profile was pretty close to yours and I only applied to Stanford and UT Austin (for US) and Cambridge (for the UK - free application!).

cezeozue:
Everytime I post my stats on nl, it disappears. Anyway, here goes nothing:

GPA: 4.83/5.00 at a Nigerian Federal University
GRE: Q=800, V=730, AW=4.5
Academic Research Experience: Minimal. Computer programs for 2 lecturers' research projects
Work Experience: 2 Years in a local software company
LORs: 1 PhD Holder, 2 PhD students, 2 current employers (I mixed and matched them for the various schools)
Applied to: MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, UPenn, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, UIUC and Columbia (mix of Masters and PhD)

Anything else?

Hey cezeozue, with your profile, I wouldn't loose sleep about getting into any of the schools above. I have lots of friends in the top schools and the average profile looks pretty close to what you have. Caltech is probably the only exception (only few people seem abke to figure their admission structure). But I think MIT, Stanford, UIUC and Princeton (these are schools where I have a couple of friends) would almost certainly want to have you unless things have changed since the last time I worried about grad school, which was in 2006.

Let me know if you get into Stanford. It's lovely here and although I'll be gone by the time you start in the fall (I'm graduating this summer), I'll love to convince you to come to Stanford.

Happy birthday to Mr. Integrity!!!

I sincerely wish we can get this man elected. With all other contestants, it will be business as usual - but with this man, I think we have a nice shot at significant progress. Let's do this Nigeria, let's give Buhari a chance.