₦airaland Forum

pcicero:
So Oga Commentator, what do you call imposition? That some leaders of thoughts can gather themselves together to anoint a candidate makes it democratic? Your line of reasoning beggars belief. Do the parties in America select candidates? And because people have skeletons in their cupboards and others do not have, or have less skeletons make them more acceptable to the "leaders" and what happens to the court of public opinion? Why have people with skeletons in their cupboards in your fold in the first place? Is it to be mere party financial contributors and then be disenfranchised from participating in elections?
You might want to acquaint yourself with what happened in Osun in 1999. These thoughtless leaders paved the way for PDP's incursion into the South west with their myopic reasoning and stupid gerontocracy.

You got my line of reasoning completely wrong!!!!
What i meant is that there are always many aspirants for a particular seat.In some cases,the most popular candidate always seems to have some vote-scary antececdents which the opposing aprty can use to their advantage.
I will give you some sequel;
In Ebeju-Lekki constituency Of Lagos State,the AC candidate had a falsified WAEC result which his party didnt have the time to confirm before and after the primary election.In campaigning for the general election,The PDP successfully used the fake "WAEC result" he presented as a campaign slogan.Voters were scared away from the the AC candidate.INEC intervened and disqualifeied the AC candidate,giving the PDP almost the sole ticket.
IF AC had done their investigations and told their flagbearer to step down quietly,the humility and embarrassment witnessed by the party and its followers will have been avoided.

Another good example is the last April,14,2007 election in Edo state.There are many AC and PDP aspirants.Obasanjo was hellbent on giving the primary ticket to Prof Osunbor(my Former Lecturer in UNILAG) and forced his will through.Seeing the PDP's desperation,the AC had a dialogue with intending aspirants telling them that they need a branded,well-known and respected name which has no backlog of atrocitities to fend off the PDP's stiff opposition.At the sitting was Oshiomole who just decamped from labour Party eyeing a senatorial seat.Most of those present have had one or two things to do with the Military,served under former PDP administration, or other issues which the AC felt it is against what they stood for.AC at the time was positioning itself as the progressive Party thereby recruiting highly educated and controversy free Candidates throughout the nation that can fly its flag in subsequent elections.
Oshiomolle stood out because of his antecedents as the President of NLC.The candidates were confronted with their atrocities and most of them step down which paved way for the emergence of Adams Oshiomole.

In as much as i believe that Democracy is about equal opportunity.The candidates agitating for these votes should be progressive-minded with the wishes of the masses at heart.We all want good roads,electricity,sustainable transportation networks,etc But what does our leaders want?
The Political Parties should ensure that candidates that they present are grassroot politicians,controversy-free,fraud-free,progressive-minded,etc That is exactly what Chief Obafemi Awolowo did when he supported people like Bola Ige,Jakande,Bisi Onabanjo etc.who believed in free education as the antedote and tool to political and economical emancipation.

Nigeria can never be compared to United States.We are still in a learning process and at the early stage of our Democracy.
If we get it right from start,it will be well for our generation and the next.

maybe soludo will take us to eLDORADO:::,

@ OYB MEND,

Can you please summarise the passage you quoted and tell me what makes you think i am not from South-East?

OYB_MEND:
olafolarin

see your post from another thread

you are not even from south east

I never told you where i am from.And in this fora,it is completely unneccessary.
What is important is for us to vote for the right candidate.The likes of Donald Duke,Fashola,Saraki etc.These are progressives that has the intention of developing their immediate state and Nigeria in general.

OYB_MEND:
Since you are neither a resident of Anambra nor an indigene don't you think its fraudulent to travel their just to vote in an election?

How did you know i am not an indigene or resident?You should just ask questions before jumping into senseless conclusions.My name has nothing to do with state of origin or residency address.

Just tell us your opinion on which candiate you will vote for and stop this personal attacks on nairalanders.

OYB_MEND:
Olafolarin in Germany wants to keep his vote in Anambra till February.

What a misnomer

You are either lying about your name or your location.

@ OYB MEND,

Yeah,i Live in GERMANY but have never missed voting in any election since 1999.I ensure that i plan my visit home to coincide with election date so as to cast my vote as a concerned citizen.
Please google my name,(its my signature on this blog)you will see it on many websites and newspaper pages expressing my thoughts on what Nigeria is right now and where we should be in the committee of nations.
Here in Germany,I have so many anambra friends from different towns-Nteje,Abaagana,ebutete,etc and we discuss daily happenings in our beloveth country.

nuzo:
Guess what? Femi fani Kayode is also 49.

Is this a coincidence?

It is no coincidence.They are both ex-addicts,disillusioned,moving without direction and are both being nurtured by betrayers.

Fani-kayode and Nigeria, Siamese twins of note.

God Help Nigeria.

Dis Guy:
Why cant the Labour Party merge with AC?

@ Dis Guy,

They will eventually somewhere along the line.They are too similar and almost have the same plans.

@ mike

mikeansy:
adopting a candidate and asking others to step down is not imposition?

Folks please listen to yourself when you talk.

@ Mikeansy,
it is not imposition.Please check your facts right.
Political leaders of thought discuss issues with candidates and in the intrerest of the party and electorate at large,it is better to nominate,elect or select the best,most credible,most acceptable candidate.
(1)Candidates with mismanagement, fraud, or other skeleton in their cupboard will be advised to step down
(2)Positions at times is zoned to a particular section,tribe or zone of a state or constituency.As was the case when OBJ became president in 1999.Presidency was zoned to the southwest because of the illfated june 12.All other southwestern presidential aspirants at the time either step down or went to other parties to contest.
Now in Ogun state ,the next governor is zoned to Yewa constituency which is the only part that has never ruled the state.many feelers in most political parties are recruiting the best candidate from that part of the state to be its flagbearer.It is not the best of democracy,but its what we got.
(3) Come 2015,people will expect us to vote for our first Ibo president.There are already agitations in that direction and politicians are already doing the groundwork.I am sure most political parties will be recruiting candidates of IBo division that will be sellable to the curious and conservative notherners,the intelligent and proning yorubas as well as the industrous Ibos.
That is what Nigerian Democracy is all about.It is not the best but that is what we have right now and to an extent works well for us.

Soludo is NO solution.His post-comsolidation over-protection of banks led to their present situation.His administrative capability is questionable and he has no political pedigree.he will never get my vote.

Obi has done well so far with great vision and purposeful leadership.He is developing the state but at a slow pace.He is young and energetic but he is continuing what Ngige started.

Ngige opened peoles eyes to what is attainable in Anambra state.While Mbadinnuju claimed there is no money to pay civil servants,Ngige paid their salaries and arrears at once.He started rehabilitation and construction of roads,schools,hospitals,etc before his term was cut short by the Court.He also fought the Godfather of Anambra state and the states sole "terminal cancer" Andy Uba to a standstill.He might have sweared allegiance to Uba in a shrine but he fought vehemently to fully control the state away from Uba.

My vote will wait till february.Thats a lifetime in politics.Many things will will happen to credit and discredit many candidates.

Adopting a candidate as a party's flagbearer in election is democratic.Everywhere in the world,political parties goal is to win elections and a step in that direction is to have a credible candidate that will be marketable to the masses.
What the AC did in most states(especially Edo,Lagos,Osun,Ekiti)is to elect the most suitable candidate and delibrate with other aspirants to step down.This is the process that produced fashola,Oshiomole,fayemi,Aregbesola,etc.Those who lost out were incoporated in the party and are involved in campaigning for the eventual flagbearer.

But in PDP, candidates were being forced on people as was the case in Ondo,kano,Imo and now Anambra state.Dissatisfied candidates were too desperate to accept being short-changed as such will seek legal re-dress in courts.Or they will decamp to other parties to pursue their dreams.In most cases this has been successful.MImkko,Obi,etc were former PDP members before decamping to other parties to contest the guber elections which they later won.

Right now,AC seems to have the antedote to developement and the party is enjoying a huge support in South-West.

Femi Fani-Kayode was brought back from doom to be made SA to OBJ.He was an assiduous  drug addict.

His father was Awolowo's professional and political pupil  but he betrayed Awolowo by decamping to the ruling party when Awolowo was in prison.

As Aviation Minister,he was docked by EFCC for awarding contracts without following due process amongst other irregularities he performed in office.
He will never win any election In Osun state come 2011 because Aregbesola will bounce back seriously.

@ Beaf
Tinubu forfeited just 450,000 dollars in 1988.That was before he became a politician.He was working with EXXON-MOBIL in Chicago at the time.He was also arrested for visiting a drug-convict.Thats all Tinubu had on his crminal file in U.S.
Please always confirm stories before posting senseless comments.

Chisco has done well to be recognised by fashola and it shows that no matter which part of the country you come from,doing good will make people recognise you.

I knew all along.People just tried to drag Tinubu's name and reputation into it to make him look ridiculous.

It is just like yesterday that "Niger area" was renamed Nigeria with a distinctive landmass and boundary but divergent ethnicity and tribe.Its been a bompous journey ever since which have taken us through different and successive military regimes with intermittent democratic govts.
The long military rule forced on us amongst many things the 1999 Constitution.It is a military concoction rushed into law with little or no deliberations over its practicability.It leaves so much power and finance at the center making the implementation of a Federal system almost impossible.
Since the advent of the new democratic dispensation in May 29,1999 the workability of the Constitution has proven almost impossible.
The lawmakers have been very unmotivated because of their re-election fears,the state governors are also not so supportive because any new state creation will reduce the federal allocation to their and neighbouring state.Most important is the influence of political gladiators,ministers,lobbyists,political aides/God-fathers,and their hangers-on who benefit from the status quo.These last set of people benefit from the government in power as such will not want their means of livelihood threatened by a dramatic change in constitution.

In advanced country like Germany where i live,Constitution amendment which will positively impact the lives of the populace will not take more than weeks to do.It'll start with recommendation of such changes by either technocrats,academics,etc to the Executive.The judiciary will research its workability,impact and the possible consequencies on the german populace.Whatever changes needed will be done by the Judiciary before being sent back to the Chancellor.Next is the sensitisation of the politicans,media and the general public.this is the most important as there would be serious discussions on the theme by those in support and against the amendment.The real work is however done by the executive arm of the government in explaining the pros of the amendment to the lawmakers.By end of the month,Constitution amendment that have a dramtic effect on the lives of the people will be passed in the BUNDESTAG(Parliament).
The afore-mentioned process and procedure dont work exactly as i outlined it but a way very similar to that .It is however pertinent to note that judges,technocrats,politicians,lawmakers,political assistance,etc in that country are conscious of their jobs and are willing to impact positively the lives of the german populace.They are aware that their inability to perform excellently in office will automatically lead to being voted out of office come next round of elections.These people have the will,interest and are motivated to serve their country diligently without expecting anything in return.A good name and opportunity to serve the community to these people is worth more than wealth amassed on the blood of the poor populace.
The Nigerian politicians and political leaders however work in direct opposite not only to their German counterparts but also to any serious-minded Government which aims to better the lives of its electorate.Our political elite are like a set of scavengers with bottomless selfish appetite.They see any opportutnity to serve the country as an opportunity to loot .They aim to steal from Nigeria's treasury to live large,buy choice properties,buy expensive cars and jewelry,guarantee their grandkids future,etc at the expense of the poor masses who wants just the basic things of life.
It is not too much to ask for;stable power supply(after spending almost $20b tax-payers money and still counting),clean and portable water,good roads network,cheap and affordable houses,free and qualitative education,security of live and property,etc.These are what the Nigerian people need and deserve.So much of our natural resouces have been sold with its proceeds plundered by successive military and democratic administrations.Nigeria's role in the community of nations is now that of a lost kid.We have every sympton of a failed state with NOBODY to help us out of our present predicament.The economy is at its worst with resultant high unemployment rate.
While our political elite/leadership children and grandchildren study abroad where the education sytem is more stable and the certificates well respected,the Nigerian university students have been home for more than 4 months now because of the protracted ASUU crisis.A four year management degree program will now take longer than 5 years because of the industrial action by our University lecturers.I sincerely sympathise with the lecturers because a secondary school certificate holding lawmaker earns more monthly than a university professor.Students which are supposed to be Nigeria's future leaders are now masterminds of fraudulent e-mails,kidnappings,419 scams,etc.Societal and cultural values have been seriously eroded because of the quest for quick wealth.This i believe is born out of frustration and lack of hope in the Nigerian Nation.
If all these are not symptons of failed state,I really dont know what a failed state will add to it.

The new democracy in Nigeria is partly being scuttled by PDP.At its inception,the ideology is very good and its foundation members are though diverse but very detemined.But lack of internal democracy,vision,respect for rule of law,desperation to rule at all cost,adequate screening for its flagbearers,etc has now turned the party and Nigeria at large to laughing stock.All former military governors,appointees,lobbyists, and co-horts are card-carrying members of PDP.They seem to believe it is the party that reperesent their ideal looting,money lundering,fraud etc.
The failure of PDP is however a great sign for other parties.The emergence of LP,PPA,AGPA etc(which are formed by former PDP members) is as a result of ther need to better the lots of PDP.While some were forced out of the party(Orji Uzor kalu,Lar etc) others felt the party has lost its focus and as such is no more ready to relieve the sufferings of the people.
AC for now has been able to emerge as a credible opposition party with great vision,ideology,respect for rule of law,smooth internal democracy,etc probably because of its small size and quality of its leaders.Governors elected under its banner are the best in the country right now(especially fashola or Lagos state) and it(AC) is still the party to beat in South-West.
Obasanjo used everything in his disposal to drown AC especially in Lagos state but failed woefully.The eventual governor is now the only good news emanating from Nigeria's politics and polity.Post-election feelers,observers and reportes in Osun and Ekiti states belived that AC won in both states but PDP rigged its way into office.Most glaring is the recent Ekiti debacle where independent observers,AC and ANPP supporters were lynched by PDP thugs in different parts of the city including within the Government House.
Oshiomole from Edo State however got his mandate from the Court and has started to run the state they way it should be after 10 years of misrule by the PDP.
Kano State governor is another "last man standing".He won the seat on the flag of ANPP and has refused the bandwagon of defectors to the ruling PDP.He is ruling the cosmoplitan city with vision and purpose.He brings governance to everybody in the mainly hausa speaking but multi-cultured city and this endeared him to the minds of his people.

All these and many more makes the forthcoming 2011 elections more interesting.For one,the popularity of PDP will be tested in Anambra state which has its guber elections in 2010.With its array of highly qualified aspirants,the party may be confronted with a big problem of nominating a credible and aCCEPTABLE candidate that will word off stiff but determined and well grounded opposition from ETiaba of the PPA and the incumbent Peter Obi of the APGA.Etiaba's mother(Dim Virgy Etiaba) is however the incumbent Deputy Governor.Etiaba himself was a commissioner in the Obi-led govt but resigned and decamped to PPA to pursue his governorship ambition.The former CBN Governor is also not leaving any stone unturned in catpturing the number one job of Anambra State.Just some days ago,he feted political gladiators in both Abuja and his Home State.Just to celebrate "his successful tenure as the CBN boss".He however confirmed peoples speculations by picking the neccessary forms for the guber poll under PDP.He has a branded name(at least before sanusi came in) and rely mostly on his success at the apex bank to convince all doubting thomases that he is the man for the job.

Bolstered by its landmark success in Lagos,its judicial success in Edo and hope of victory in Ekiti,AC has the impetus and might to aggressively campaign for votes in Oyo,Delta,Kogi,Kwara and Ondo states. In order to increase the number of states its umbrella come 2011.

The Ekiti tribunal is almost going AC's way because of the array of evidences emanating from everywhere.With the aim of doing justice and rightly so,the tribunal judge as vowed to allow all neccesary evidence that will aid his eventual decision.He believes voters will should not scuttled and as such will ensure that whoever go the highest vote will be accorded.

Ogun state is however a greener pasture for the AC as the PDP is embroiled in a serious in-fighting and the former President's daughter is not makings easier for the incumbent governor.Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello's arrogance and lack of respect as displayed by her frequent walk-out parade on Otunba Ggenga Daniel(OGD) is an indication of an un-ending crisis.Despite serving as a Commissioner under OGD,Obasanjo-bello's pride,arrogance and blinding ambitions has ballooned.Feelers believe that on expiration of his 2nd term,Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD)will have left a fractured PDP because of his affiliation with AFENIFERE.This will work well for both AC and ANPP which are both well grounded and mobilised in the rocky state.Some were even suggesting that OGD will decamp to AC and fund the flagbearer of the party for the comng 2011 elections.This will be a hard nut to crack as the current Speaker of the House Of assembly,Dimeji Bankole is also nursing a governorship ambition.Young,educated,vibrant,focused and definitely a progressive,the odds are that the PDP will not give up the Olumo Rock Government House without a bruising fight.

Alao-Akala of Oyo state is pursuing his 2nd term but fractured AC factions are joining forces to make this impossible.Disenfranchised former AC leaders in the state are returning to the party to form a great alliance prior to the 2011 elections.Those who went to PDP to support OBJ's 2nd term are now returning back to AC to concretise plans to unseat the incumbent governor.Alao-akala however is optimistic of his success come 2011.He seems to enjoy good support from his people and his pursuing programs to better their lot.But if that is enough to earn him a 2nd term,is what we are not certain of.The former police officer from Ogbomosho will have to wait till 2011 to know his fate.

Dr. Mimiko and his Labour party as always surprised me.Being an integral part of Segun Agagu's administration as SSG,Mimiko decamped to LP taking along his loyalists and neglected PDP members to pursue his guber ambition.Agagu rigged its way into office but was sent packing by the Judiciary following violence in areas of Agagu stronghold.Mimiko came into office with so much promise and iimmediately went after his predecessor.He has stopped almost all controversial contracts awarded by agagu,declared the state is indebted to the tune of N117b(which was hotly contested by agagu) and continues to go after Agagu's politics and polity.While most believed Agagu failed both as a Governor and Minister,Mimiko's ranks has swollen in tripple fold.His LP won the recent State House Of Assembly bye-election in Akure North Constituency with over 90% of votes casted leaving the remaining 10% for the remaining parties to share.He hoowever needs to do more to better the lives of the Ondo people.Some of the projects embarked upon by his predecessor might be controversial and inflated but are meant for the betterment of the populace.Those that are noteworthy should be continued while those unneccesary should be discarded.Failure to impact positively the lives of the enlightened Ondo people is an antedote to destruction.AC's vibrancy and success in neighbouring Ekiti state can spread over making 2nd term ambition for him impossible.PDP however is still waiting on the sideline and preparing seriously for next election.Alasoadura (a PDP stalwart)boasted recently of being ready to spent over N2b to unseat Mimiko in the coming election.He forgot that Agagu spent more but was still unseated by the Judiciary.Obasanjo and Olabode -George spent the same amount on lagos state but lost woefullly to cash-strapped AC.Money might be the root of all evil but definitely will not buy you all you want and want.Nothing brings in more votes than a branded name,people-oriented projects and general good performance while in office.

As a political observer and commentator,I am seriously looking forward to 2011

The roads mentioned in the piece are Fed Roads and can not and shouod not be repaired by fashola.yar Adua is already playing party politics with Lagos State especially with the creation Of new local govts.So fashola should not emdeavour to repair those roads.
However,fashola is currently constructing the orile-iganmu to badagry road which will costs N10B complete with light-rail line,etc and has been fully paid to Julius berger.The Ikotun-Egbeda-isolo Bridge is also being done and will be finished very soon.So the whole Orile-Mile2-Festac-badagry axis is being constructed and will take at least till end of this year before it will be finished.The traffic in those areas will be heavy due to part of the road being closed to traffic and there will definitely be potholes on the roads being repaired.

The guy is doing a great job and nairalanders should stop this mud-slidding against Nigeria's best governor.

OBJ looted our treasury dry and used to procceeds to increase the size of his farm(ask Prof Adalemo of UNILAG),he bought more machineries to the farm and used govt fertilisers free.What can 6,000 workers do in todays economy.God purnish the bastard baba iyabo.Omo ale Abeokuta,

He can only declare for PDP.Thats the party for thieves,looters and electoral robbers.