₦airaland Forum

This zoning controversy is having a lot of unintended consequences as we approach elections next year.
I'm loving the information flow though, because for long Nigeria lived in a weird house of the mute, where nothing serious ever gets discussed. Everything that was under the carpet is gradually coming out and threatened parties are becoming more desperate as the elections approach.

I never knew that the north "liberated south south" from Biafra.

Talk about the lion liberating the antelope from the "paws" of the deer.

[size=14pt]2011: Jonathan will fail[/size]

From ZAINAB SULEIMAN OKIN and MODESTUS CHUKWULAKA, Abuja
Saturday, August 14, 2010

Malam Isyaku Ibrahim was the power behind the throne in the Second Republic, having propped up Alhaji Shehu Shagari to win the presidential nomination of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and later as president. He is not just a member of the ruling PDP, but also supposedly a member of its Board of Trustees (BoT).

However, Ibrahim stopped attending the BoT meetings because of irreconcilable differences between him and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Tony Anenih. The group, he said, harbours bad and corrupt people.
The former NEPU member, who also campaigned for the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, spoke on President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition, zoning and the North-South political dichotomy. He said the North does not owe the South South any debt which the Jonathan presidency is meant to pay.

On the contrary, Ibrahim said northerners sacrificed and shed their blood to liberate the South South from Biafran occupation. That war (the civil war), he emphasized,  was fought with proceeds from groundnut, cocoa, tin and not oil money. And he warned: only the retention of zoning could preserve the sanctity of our nation and protect the interest of the minorities.

Could you give us an overview of the political situation in the country today?
It is unfortunate that in Nigeria today, we don’t have good politicians; we have some  chop-chop politicians who don’t believe in anything. They are in politics in order to enrich themselves; only very few politicians still remain and the few that still remain are not talking. So, it is a most unfortunate situation.

So, what is your view on zoning by the PDP?
For those of us who participated in creating zoning, the principle behind it is a concern for our nation, I mean nationhood. But because we do not adhere to this principle, we now talk about our ethnic groups. This one is from South, this one is Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa. All these are coming up because we have no nationhood, like Americans do. So, that’s why we decided that. It was not the first time. During the Second Republic, there was rotation - South, /North. Our southern brothers gave us the opportunity, that the North should take the first. That was how Shehu Shagari emerged. And mark you, NPN was a national party; it was not a tribal party; it was formed by Nigerians from all the ethnic groups in Nigeria . But we agreed that, in order to entrench confidence in the minds of people, we had to do rotation, to ease the problems and possible conflicts.

Then in 1998,  several parties came together to form PDP. And we have about six zones in Nigeria. So, because we wanted to restore confidence in the mind of every Nigerian, that we must have nationhood and to sustain that confidence in the minds of every Nigerian, we in PDP came up with the zoning. This time we said okay, zoning will go again, like a rotation between the South and the North. This time round, we in the North agreed that our southern brothers should take the first shot. So, people from the South, like Graham Douglas, Philip Asiodu, Don Etiebet from South-South, and Jim Nwobodo, Dr Alex Ekwueme from the South-East, and Obasanjo from the South West were in the race.  We went to the convention in Jos, and Obasanjo contested against these other people, and emerged. The convention was conducted under the chairmanship of the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi. It was acclaimed as one of the most transparent conventions. So, Obasanjo won.

There is one impression I want to correct- that Umar Yar’Adua and Jonathan were given eight years. A point of correction. Zoning was not based on personality. That’s why, in the year 2003, the second term of Obasanjo, Dr Alex Ekwueme came out to seek for the nomination, and I was the director of his campaign in 2003; so zoning is not based on personality. Zoning was given to the people from the South; that’s why Dr. Alex Ekwueme too came again when Obasanjo was still the President. So, for somebody now to say Umar Yar’Adua and Jonathan were given this thing for eight years is absolutely not correct.

What about the fact that Gemade and Rimi also contested?
But the North did not vote for them. They came out, but because we respected zoning, they did not get votes from the North logically. You know if the North supported them, they would have got votes.

Any moment from now, President Jonathan is going to come out and that would sound a death knell for zoning,
If he comes out, that means he is not going to win.

How can you be so sure?
I am so sure, because it has never happened in the political history of the world, where a minority will override the wishes of the majority.

But what of power of incumbency, which he enjoys and which will give him an added advantage?
It is based on zoning. There is no power of incumbency; it is zoned. It is zoned to us from the North; we have the right to produce a president. Jonathan is an interim President.

That is exactly why he (President Jonathan) wants to utilize this opportunity.
Let him take it then if there is no zoning; he knows where he came from. He has the right, Jonathan has the right to contest, as a Nigerian but when you talk about zoning, if he decides to violate the due process that brought him to that position, he should also realise that politics is a game of numbers.

But you talk as if the North is speaking with one voice, as far as this zoning is concerned.
No, I am not. You asked me my comment, please. You didn’t ask me if I am talking for the North.

So, if a minority is able to break the rank of the majority and get some of them supporting him, can’t he…
That is why I said if he decides to contest, then he is not interested in zoning, right? Okay, if he is able to convince people who believe in zoning that there is no more zoning, so be it.
Why are you so convinced that Jonathan will lose if he contests?
Definitely, he will fail if he contests.

Is there anything you know that we don’t know because from what we are…
(Cuts in) Because you don’t know anything, you are not a politician. I am a politician. Okay? Politics is a game of numbers; you understand? That is why in America, when you want to contest as president, there are four states you must  grab. There is California, because it is the biggest state. You have to capture Texas, because it is one of the big four. There are New York and Illinois, because of their population and of course, their voting power. If you don’t understand the voting power of the populace, then you are not a politician.

So, which are those states you think will swing the votes against Jonathan in Nigeria or in the North?
Even the North-West, by their populations, can change things. Kano and Kaduna states are more than the whole of South-South; go and check the statistics.

But Kaduna is in support of Jonathan.
Kaduna? Who make up Kaduna? Is it the governor alone? A governor is only one person. Is he talking on behalf of all Kaduna people?  Are you saying in Kaduna there are no other political parties?

No, that is not it.
So, because the governor gives a statement, everybody in Kaduna follows. Is that your understanding of politics?

Okay, you have given us Kaduna and Kano. Give us more examples.
No, I said Kano and Kaduna are more than the South-South. So, if 70 million are going to be registered, tell me where Jonathan will have clear 20 million votes to back him?

Some are of the opinion that the understanding is that the presidency rotates among the six geo-political zones; that once one zone takes its turn, it moves to another zone. It could move from South-South to South-East or North-West to North-East and not one South, one North. That even if it moves now from the North-West to the South-South, it is still rotation. Was that the understanding?
For somebody to come out to say so, and for you, as an intelligent person, to listen to that rubbish is surprising. So, in that respect, why didn’t all the zones go to Jos to contest, in the first place?

Are you still a member of the PDP Board of Trustees? If yes, why is it that you don’t go to their meetings?
Because I promised I would not attend a meeting, where Tony Anenih is the chairman of the Board of Trustees. My understanding of Board of Trustees is that it should be the conscience of the party and you have to be morally sound to be there. But I don’t think Tony Anenih, whom Obasanjo made the chairman of the Board of Trustees qualified. I know his antecedents.

Okay, but he is no longer chairman of Board of Trustees.
What is the difference between the two?  Obasanjo is … and I know him and he knows me. There is no way Obasanjo will be  chairman of a political party or a Board of Trustees, and I, Ishyaku Ibrahim, will sit there.

But how do you correct a system if you are not part of it?
I cannot correct a system where bad people are the leaders. So, I will not go.

Are you still a member of the party?
Yes, I am still in PDP. I have been a politician for 52 years; nobody needs to tell me anything. I had been in politics before most of them.

But do you attend the general meeting?
Which meeting? I don’t attend the meeting, where I am going to see the same characters.

You are supposed to be a big man in the party, but you don’t attend meetings.
But when I make comments, people listen.

If you don’t go, how will you influence…
No, when I make comments, people listen.

If you don’t go to meeting, you will not be able to…
I don’t have to attend meetings. I do pass comments. Do you understand? And people who go there, I do put the idea to tell them on what I want.


So, you have your foot soldiers?
No I don’t have soldiers. I am a politician, don’t equate me with army. When you are talking to me, talk to me strictly as a politician, okay?

People like Tony Anenih, Edwin Clark are now with Jonathan and are rooting for him to contest, you started with them, what is your assessment of this their present position?
Started with them as what?

In the PDP, they are all members of the PDP.
So, did you ask them whether Ishyaku had any iota of respect for them?

Yeah, that is why I am asking you, sir.
So, I have no iota of respect for them. That is why I don’t attend the Board of Trustees because Tony Anenih is there. He is not a politician. He is a mercenary. He doesn’t understand what politics is.

Okay but what do you make of Chief Edwin Clark’s combative attitude that it must be South-South?
He has the right, but he has to produce the figures (chuckles). Does the South-South control the whole Nigeria?

Okay I was reading…
Listen, if he thinks that because the South-South has oil, then the Texans should have remained in power in America over the years.

That is a good logic.
Isn’t it? Politics is a game of numbers. Look where the people are. If 70 million Nigerians are going to vote; if you are intelligent, you want to contest as the president of Nigeria, first of all you must look at your background, where are you coming from? Do you have any votes?

This your emphasis on background, etc worries me. Are you saying there is no hope for the minorities?
Background on what? I am saying you must have people. Which hope? Listen, the hope for the minority is zoning.  If not because of zoning, Jonathan Goodluck would not have been there.

That is true.
We created it because we wanted Nigeria to belong to all. During the NPN days, I was the brain behind (the choice of) Joseph Wayas to become president of the Senate; a minority from Ogoja as number three. That shows how far a minority can excel because when you build nationhood, everybody has a feeling of belonging. Otherwise, tell me arithmetically how Jonathan can be president, if not zoning. If a man from Kano is contesting or a man from Anambra or a man from Oyo; from these biggest tribes, the three biggest tribes can negotiate for one to be.

And Jonathan is negotiating too.
With whom?

Northerners, South westerners, etc.
Who are the northerners? You mean these characters that are hired? No, no, these are the characters you talk about, and you are talking about northern politics. You say you are from the North, you don’t even know the people from the North.

No, sir, my own is just to ask question, I know.
But you know the characters, people who try to promote Obasanjo’s third term and failed. Are they not the same characters? So, they can promote him to be President in Nigeria. So, in politics, you have to be realistic. Yes, Jonathan wants to contest, yes, he has got the support of the whole South-South? Is he in control of them? When it comes to voting, will the Itsekiri and Ijaw, whom we know were killing each other in Warri, now compromise to say Jonathan is their man? Or Okirika, man who is fighting with the Kalabari? Within the South-South, we know the ethnic (conflicts); so where are you going to get the chunk of the votes if 70 million Nigerians register to vote? Can you be honest to yourself?

If PDP goes ahead to field Jonathan as its presidential candidate, what happens?
If they manipulate it and say no more zoning, then me too, I am free. No zoning, I will decide what to do. Isn’t it? Can somebody deny me my own right?

But the North we are talking about, how homogeneous is it still?
In the North, in the past we had five political parties; all northerners  have never been in one party. As a young girl, I want to educate you; there was NPC, a large political party, there was NEPU, I was in NEPU, there was United Middle Belt Congress led by JS Tarka; there was Borno Youth Movement, led by the late Ibrahim Imam. Five political parties in the North, but always when there was a national interest, people would vote for NPC. That is why NPC formed a coalition government with the NCNC. Everyone doesn’t have to agree. In politics, if you talk of principle of democracy, people have different opinions and ideological beliefs. So, you can never have a group of people being in one basket.

The like of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar are very active now and they want to contest.

What is your assessment of each of them and their chances?
Buhari went to Kano some five weeks ago. Over one million human beings came out to see him; that is politics; he is a politician of the grassroots; he communicates with them.  Buhari went to Kontagora, people came out to see him. Buhari went to Minna, people came out to see him. In my state, in Lafia, people came out to see him. So, he has a communication in the grassroots. I have not seen Babangida going round; so I can’t possibly speak until I see his engagement with the people and the grassroots.

The same thing with Atiku.
The only thing I was surprised about is that Nuhu Ribadu came out to say that they should not contest and I am surprised at Nuhu Ribadu as a lawyer. He forgot that Nigerians have the right, under our constitution, to exercise their fundamental human rights; you cannot possibly say that XYZ should not contest; unless he, Nuhu, is afraid. Perhaps, he wants to contest, and he feels that these people are too big, so he wants to eliminate them. So, they should believe in justice; these people are exercising their own right; let the Nigerian people decide. No individual can decide the fate of anybody, do you understand? Just like Jonathan, they too have the rights.

The fact that people, like Buhari, Babangida and Atiku are still in the race is an indication that there is no hope for the youths.
Why can’t we encourage younger people to come into politics, just like the ones in America?
I am so disappointed by the youths of this generation. I was a youth in my generation; we were very loyal to our leaders. I participated in campaigns in 1959. I worked with Zik. I was in his campaign in 1959. We started the electioneering in Asaba on September 29, 1959. We ended that electioneering on December 11, 1959. I was young, but I had confidence in myself that the future is mine because I was young. Nowadays, the youths are fighting where there is no need. You say you are fighting, who stopped you from contesting? Why are you complaining?

Well, maybe because they don’t have …
No, they don’t have any confidence, we had confidence; I had confidence as youth.

They don’t have money.
I promoted Shehu Shagari at the age of 40. I was 40  years old. I was not  afraid of these big people. When you have confidence and you know what you are doing, you move forward. When  I carried out Shagari’s campaign in the convention, it cost me N1,600.  We articulated whatever it was. I organised, I went round this country.
I knew Maitama Sule more than Shagari; he is my big brother; he wanted to be president. I said no to him, I knew the late JS Tarka; he was my big brother. I said no to him; Adamu Chiroma, we were childhood friends, very good friends. I said no to him.  I said no to Olusola Saraki; I said no to Prof. Iya Abubakar, Datti Ahmed. So, you have to articulate and you must have moral standing. There should be decency in politics.

What role should we expect from you in 2011?
Let’s finish our zoning problem in the PDP first. And let me warn, zoning is a PDP problem; now I hear so many people making comments on zoning, even religious leaders. Where were they when we created the zoning policy?

During your time in NPN, the party had overriding power over elected representatives, including the president.
What has gone wrong?
(Interrupts) Because of Obasanjo, that is what he wanted. It is Obasanjo who polluted the party.  They first ganged up and brought  Gemade against Chief Sunday Awoniyi,  because Obasanjo was afraid of Chief Sunday Awoniyi.  So, Obasanjo wanted somebody subservient, but he equally had had his own programme.
In our time, the late Adisa Akinloye was the chairman of the party, and if there was a meeting, of course, he presided, and Shagari called him, sir, because he was the chairmen of the party. So, there was respect – the party respected the government; we didn’t interfere and people in government respected the party. But Obasanjo had dictatorial tendency to manipulate. If he is not the one to preside over any meeting, you will not see him there. That’s why he had the intention to stay in power; that’s why he came with the third term agenda. And that’s why he destroyed the PDP.

But now he’s back in the party, strong and influential
That’s why I don’t attend their meetings. It doesn’t matter. I have freedom to say anything.

On October 1, Nigeria will be 50 as an independent state. How would you assess these past 50 years?
Well, we have not accomplished anything; it’s sad. After 50 years, we cannot understand the meaning of democracy. Because if we do understand the meaning of democracy, we wouldn’t have been in this mess. I pity our leaders who fought for our independence, and after 50 years, we cannot give ourselves light, cannot provide jobs for our young people. Some have become armed robbers, not because thy are not educated. They come out, no job. Those who are privileged and they go and do their masters, they come out, no job, and they’re in a society where they will open the papers and read where somebody has stolen N10 or N20 billion.  All the industries in Aba, Ikeja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt are closed, and nobody thinks about reviving them. This is not the kind of country we dreamt of, more especially my generation.

How do you see the election coming up in 2011?
What kind of election? Jega may try his best. At least he can create a level-playing field. But  you say you are going to have free and fair election; how do you have free and fair election in a country where a governor or senator is using  public fund to campaign? You could be a good person from your area, but because you don’t have the facilities you cannot contest against your governor. So, it is no longer free and fair; we talk about free and fair only in theory, but not in practice, because in practice, you must create a level playing-field.
How do you have a free and fair election, if Jonathan, supposing he contests, will be using the Federal Government’s plane to fly to Port Harcourt, to fly to Kano? But in America, it will not happen.

Did Shagari not do so when he was in power?
We did not agree. So we are saying that you have to create a level-playing ground. In America, you cannot use Airforce One as an incumbent for campaigns. How do you hold a free and fair election when there is no accountability, when you see every weekend people are having parties, their children are wedding, and you see government cars, consuming fuels. Who pays?

If Jonathan were to call you and ask for your candid advice as an elder statesman, what would you tell him?
I will him that ‘first all, you must be grateful. You should be grateful to the Almighty God, who has arranged through stages to bring you to this position, being a minority’ Second, that zoning has given you the opportunity to get here.  That zoning is about commitment, and if you are a gentleman, you should keep to the commitment on which that zoning stands, and of which you are now beneficiary.

I will tell him that if Umar Yar’Adua had not died, he may have decided that you, Jonathan can no longer be the vice-president again; that he would look for somebody else from the South-South. All these are possibilities; therefore, in a nutshell, zoning is not based on personality. My advice to him is that he should conduct a free and fair election. He should be the referee; and if you are able to conduct this election successfully, you will make name for yourself, and worldwide people will respect you. That you are either a gentleman or you create problems, and create confusion; it is left for you.

Tony Anenih has been reported as saying that now is the time for the North to reciprocate the gestures and goodwill they had enjoyed from the South-South politically and all this while, and that the North can reciprocate if Jonathan is allowed to continue till 2015.

Tony Anenih and co do not know  historical background and politics of Nigeria.  Let me begin from where he comes from, Edo and Delta. I don’t know the pay-back he’s talking about. I know there was a coalition government between the NCNC and the NPC. In 1960, when they were to form the coalition government, NCNC demanded from NPC, their coalition partner, to support the creation of Mid-Western Region. The NPC agreed and there was a resolution in the Federal House by the majority to create the Mid-Western Region.

I was a young secretary of NEPU in the Western Region. We campaigned for the creation of the Mid-West. So, when the Mid-West referendum was taken, the NCNC won; so the first premier of the Mid-West was Dennis Osadebe, who was of the NCNC. Okotie-Eboh,  the minister of finance, was from Warri, (he was) NCNC; Omo-Osagie, who was the parliamentary secretary for finance, was from Benin.  NPC was a political party from the North where other political parties existed. It was not a question of the North.  NCNC was a political party from the East, and there were other political parties; so it was not a question of East because there were other opposition parties.

There was   Cross River, which was in alliance with the Action Group. The only area where I know the NPC had alliance was in the Yenagoa  Native Authority, where Melford Okilo came from. His congress was in alliance with the NPC. When  Biafrans invaded the Mid-Western Region, it was the Nigerian Army, led by Murtala (Muhammed) that liberated the Mid-West and the soldiers were predominantly from the North. So, they liberated the Mid-West. The same Nigerian Army, headed by Col.

Adekunle and dominated by northerners, liberated Port Harcourt, Rivers State. And that war was executed with the money from groundnut, cocoa, cotton, tin, etc, because the oil area was cut off. So, the North executed war with resources from the region and the West. So, I don’t know where Tony Anenih got it from that we are indebted to the South-South.

On the contrary, they are indebted to us. If you go to Port Harcourt burial ground, 80 per cent are northerners who were killed to liberate that area. So, tell Tony Anenih that he and his people are indebted to us. With all their talking, they were not in a position even to defend the oil. So, they in the South-South, are indebted to us for the next 1000 years.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/14/national-08-14-2010-001.htm

@heyma

Where did you get all that stuff from?

Truly intelligent stuff! 

Are they yours or did you copy them from somewhere?

Occasionally, one encounters a truly brilliant comment on nairaland. 

I'm happy that there are still intelligent posters on nairaland. The place is overgrowing with weeds these days.

I would have suggested an IQ test for every poster here to ensure that only guys like you are commenting here.

Thanks! 

Ileke-IdI:
Comot from NL, your project is almost due. Goodluck!!

Thank you Gators. Advice taken!

Just easing off a little.

^^^

I noticed that all of them are wearing jeans trousers. Westernized bushmen I guess.
Strange stuff.

Though I'm a Christian, sometimes I wish there is sharia in the western Nigeria.


Pray what is the best punishment for these types of folks?

Nothing less than 36 lashes of koboko on bare nyash.

[size=16pt]My Defection to APGA Was for Abia People, Says Orji[/size]

By Ndubuisi Ugah, 08.08.2010

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji yesterday, said his recent defection from the Peoples Progre-ssive Alliance (PPA) to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), was to liberate the people of the state from the “political bondage” by some political cabals in the name of governance.
He said the movement became imperative given the spirit of liberation and reconciliation, which was currently sweeping the state.


Orji, who spoke at a reception held in his honour by the state indigenes resident in Lagos, said the liberation and reconciliation spirit was to further deepen and assure the people that the “political bondage,” which the state was once known for had become a thing of the past.
According to him: “I am highly elated at this auspicious occasion. This shows we have since moved up. We have moved away from the past era of bondage. We give God the glory.”
With thunderous shouts of “Ochendo 1” renting the well filled hall, Orji said the disunity factor had impacted negatively on the socio-political and economic development of the state, adding that Abians deserved a new lease of life.


He maintained that with the support of the indigenes, the state government would move the state forward through the provision of basic amenities to the people.
While expressing displeasure over the state of insecurity in the state, Orji said “government was on top of the situation.”
He noted that “government had put in place machinery to check the frequent cases of insecurity, arising from kidnappings, armed robbery, among
others.”


Some of the prominent indigenes such as Maj. Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, Chief Ndubuisi Kanu, Prof. Joe Irukwu, Prof. Herbert Orji, who spoke all spoke at the occasion, said it was necessary for all the indigenes to support the government in moving the state forward.
Similarly, Chief Sunny Aku, who spoke un behalf of the indigenes resident in Lagos, said the honour was to assure Orji that the indigenes were in support of his administration.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=180205

As long as we have free and fair elections next year, all will be well in the south east. We elect men of good character who would represent us well.
I can't wait for next year.

Just watch, any politician who cannot fit into APGA world view will not be accommodated in APGA. I see some of them who joined APGA last two weeks starting to negotiate with PDP (Chukwumerije, to my greatest shock for one), I don't see APGA bending the rules for anybody.

This man seems to be recovering from the pillaging years of the Kalu family.
Great ideas governor!

[size=16pt]State police now desirable –Gov Orji[/size]

By SAM OTTI
Sunday, August 08, 2010

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, yesterday, implored the Federal Government to re-evaluate the policing structure in order to reduce the spate of crime in the country. He said the challenging insecurity situation in different states of the federation makes state policing a desirable option.

Governor Orji advocated this in Lagos at a reception organized in his honour by Abia indigenes in Lagos. Orji said some contractors handling projects in Abia were forced to flee the sites for fear of kidnappers.

He expressed concern over reports ascribing the notoriety of kidnapping to Abia alone, noting that there were reported cases also in Lagos State. Orji said his government has provided massive logistic support to security agencies in the state, adding that the incidence has reduced considerably.

“One of the things we have not done is for the governor to carry gun and enter the bush. I am willing to do it if these boys will not come out from the bush. I am appealing to them to lay their arms and come forward with their problems. The government is ready to listen to them and accomplish their yearnings.

“What we have been advocating for may not be in the interest of every person. But what we are saying is that our country should think of having state police command that would take directives from the state governor,” he said.
Orji also disclosed that governors of the South East states have entered into a joint venture agreement to purchase the Enugu distribution company of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

He said the governors decided to pool their resources together to enable the region control the generation and distribution of electricity within the region.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/08/national-08-08-2010-009.htm

[size=16pt]
2011: APGA’s party to beat in South East – Umeh[/size]

By SEYE OJO
Sunday, August 08, 2010


There was a time Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State was besieged. Parlous security situation, hostile political gladiators who wanted to take his seat, and many other challenges. Everything that has a beginning must come to an end and that period is now history according to Chief Maja Umeh, Commisioner for Information and Culture in Anambra State.

He says things are looking up in the state disclosing that most of the former political adversaries, including Chief Andy Ubah, have closed ranks with the governor, and the state is moving forward, with a new spirit suffusing the landscape.

But what of Dr Chris Ngige of the Action Congress (AC), who is still in court against the governor? He says “Ngige will soon key into the vision, just as his supporters have done”. Excerpts…

Anambra State had serious security challenges in the recent past. What is the position now?
Yes, in the past, we’ve had challenges with security, but to the glory of God, things are getting better. The Federal Government has stepped in, we thank President Goodluck Jonathan, and the Inspector-General of Police Ogbonna Onovo.

Also, Gov Peter Obi is supporting the security agencies. He gives funds for security to villages to fund their vigilante. Two, the resolve of Anambra people in line with the vision of His Excellency to stamp out kidnapping, is very strong. So, all these have resulted in the place being more secure than it was in the past.

I can assure you that in the past two weeks or more, we have not had any case of kidnapping. If anything, we are hearing cases of arrest and parade here and there because the police is really working, everybody is working, the okada people are working, the local vigilante people are working, the communities are working.
What is going on now is that if we find your house or any house being used for kidnap purposes, the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) will be revoked. We also hold traditional rulers and town union presidents responsible for any kidnap in their area.

Do you feel vindicated that kidnapping has gone beyond Anambra?
I thank you for that question. You see, in the past when we had those challenges, some politicians were trying to play politics with it. But eventually the truth has prevailed.

One, we kept telling them that it is the primary responsibility of the federal government of Nigeria to provide security of lives and property to all parts of the federation. It will be wrong for anybody to start calling on the state governor or blaming him for insecurity when he’s not in control of any security apparatus in the country. But because it was a political and electioneering year, people were making politics of it. Today, the truth has emerged and the federal government is now tackling the problem head-on.

But the truth of the matter was that federal legislators from South East were not living up to their bidding. I have said that before, they did not do what they ought to have done. When we had this security challenge, they were busy politicking with it. I will give you an example. When we had militancy challenge in the Niger Delta, it was the legislators from Niger Delta that brought it to national focus. And so the government had to tackle that matter as a federal government. Today, they even have a Niger Delta Ministry addressing the problems of Niger Delta because they have good representation at the federal level.

When Boko Haram happened, it was a security challenge to the country. It was the legislators from the North East that drew the national attention to it and got the federal government to do something about it and they curtailed it. Even the recent Jos crisis, legislators from there who are at the federal level attracted the federal government’s attention to it.

The legislators from the South East, especially Anambra State, could not use their positions to get the federal government to address this security challenge in Anambra and its environs. So, it’s a failure on their part.

The South East governors have said none of them would run as president, none of them would run as vice president. A number of people from the South East are not very comfortable with that, how would you defend that decision of the governors?
Well, it is not a problem. I want to say that for the first time, Igbos are becoming more and more directional in our approach to national politics. I will describe that as a beginning of the political emancipation of Ibo land in national politics.

When these governors sat, they did something very noble because for the first time, the unity among these governors is highly commendable. The drive and direction they are giving to Ibo people is highly commendable. What they have said is a very simple thing; five of us are not contesting this election either as Vice President or President because it will be a distraction, there are certain things we believe that we can use our position to do for our people to be better positioned in the context of Nigerian politics. In other words, there are several things we need to address, we need to bring to national focus to address.

There is no way you can come and explain to your son that out of the six geo-political zones in the country, it is only the South East that has five states, the rest has six, even one has seven. That is a major problem facing the South East and I think that is a structural difference that must be addressed. You cannot address this when you are allowing the presidency to distract you.
There is enormous erosion problem, major erosion challenge in the South East. So, people keep talking about infrastructure. Look at Onitsha, from Bridge Head to Enugu is a federal road, look at the mess. There is also the second Niger Bridge.

So, these are the things that you need to get together, get yourselves together and then psychologically get your people motivated to begin to work as a team just like the governors are working as a team now. Ensure that at the end of the period, you would have repositioned your people in a better position to make that presidential demand. So, together you can now go into necessary alliances with fellow Nigerians on how to produce the president.

So, the most important thing is to get your house in order. When your house is in order, then you can discuss with other core interest groups. But as long as the people are like this, it will be wrong for the state governors to start embarking on actualisation of the presidential ambition or vice presidential ambition. I think it is a very noble thing because for the first time, leaders are thinking beyond themselves. That is what we call selfless leadership.
Now, APGA rules Anambra, do you think that party is strong enough to make more impact politically?
Well, it is a very simple thing, that is part of the things we are talking about. If you watch the whole South East, you’ll discover that APGA won the election in all the South East states in 2003.

Are you making a definite statement?
That was the way it was and that is why anywhere the governors are, we are challenging them. And if you watch the ruling in the tribunals, they are more of technical matters and all that. But the report being made here is that the whole of South East is essentially APGA, you can feel it in the street, you can feel it in the people because it is their own party.

Granted that we have electoral challenges that enthroned PDP leadership here and there in the South East, that is beginning to phase out because as long as votes count in the South East, APGA will win election any day, anytime.

APGA’s fortunes have been improved by Obi’s excellent governance. He has led an exemplary governance for the people of Anambra and then neighbours have seen what is happening and said, yes this is what we mean by the kind of leadership that we should have everywhere in the South East. So, we are going to join that party that Obi is in. And you know our national leader remains the father of everybody. He is one man no Ibo man will say he doesn’t know anytime; that is Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Governor Obi’s relationship with the state House of Assembly used to be so turbulent but in recent time, we have not heard much of restiveness between the House and the governor. What is the secret?
Well, it is a very simple thing. I hope you remember that song: We are the world (A song by Michael Jackson and other artistes performed by USA for Africa). In fact, it tells you that there comes a time when we heed a certain call, when the whole world must come together as one.

There is a new spirit in Anambra State introduced by the vision and style of leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Obi. He has taught our people about statesmanship. I have said it severally that he’s not a politician, that he’s a statesman because a politician thinks about the next election, a statesman thinks about the next generation.
So, when initially the leaders of the House of Assembly were scuffling with him, people were actually protecting their party, their various group interests. That was when we had that problem.

When everybody started seeing that this governor meant well, that he’s taking a step ahead, they saw the international acclaim of the government, they saw the progress being made, of course they are from Anambra, they all like good things. So they quickly keyed into the vision of new Anambra State and that vision has permeated everywhere.

You could see the same spirit throughout in the February 6 election; there was no violence anywhere. If anything, people had civilised debate and immediately after the election majority of the contestants went to congratulate the victor; that is a new Anambra State. In the past, we were known for violence, thuggery, Okija shrines and all that, but today we have come back as a light of the nation courtesy of Peter Obi because he has introduced a lot of decency into our politics.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/powergame/2010/aug/08/powergame-08-08-2010-002.htm

afam4eva:
@ Onlytruth

[b]Why do keep belaboring on the fact that an Igbo president must learn how to speak Yoruba and Hausa. How many of these none Igbo candidates could speak Igbo. When did that become a criteria for garnering votes from other regions. [/b]I still maintain that people like Pat Utomi, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Chukwuma Soludo should be a the forefront of these. Personally i think i'll go for Pat Utomi because he's Igbo and will also be voted for by the Nigerian elites.

Thank you for that question, I expected it.

For you to understand this question, you need to go back in Nigeria's history to identify the most powerful political parties and politicians that came out of the east, and find out what they did at the federal level.
NCNC was led by Zik and won elections outside of the eastern region. NCNC even won in the west! NPP won in Kano and Plateau states. Zik could speak all three major languages.

No matter what people say these days, only a fool would believe that Nigeria is not a country controlled by these three tribes one way of another.

The aim is to have something that your opponents don't normally have, and therefore set yourself apart from the rest of the competition. That is the Igbo way. That is how we have always done it.

One of the most powerful lies and weapon ever deployed against us in Nigeria is this talk that tend to make us the same as other Nigerians. If that is true, how come NONE of the leading politicians in the north and west can speak fluent Igbo?

So my friend, you use what you have to get what you want.
I know for a fact that majority of northerners understand Hausa. All westerners understand Yoruba, and a super majority of easterners understand Igbo. In the south south areas of edo, you can speak english and get away with it. That is a fact.

So to recap, the reason is that we Igbos are gifted in ways that others are not, e.g mastering other peoples language. Why should we not deploy it to maximum benefit?

Israeli MOSSAD is a feared organization because they are the best in language abilities. They speak Arabic better than arabs. Just one example.

So let those competent Igbo materials like Ngozi Iweala, Charles Soludo, and Pat Utomi add language abilities to their cap and let me see who can stop them.

[size=14pt]Opposition Will Win in 2011 - Tinubu[/size]

Former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday that the Action Congress is working towards ensuring that the opposition takes over power at the centre from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2011 election.
Speaking to journalists yesterday at the Presidential Lounge of Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, Tinubu condemned those calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to contest in 2011.
“That is their problem. We will not allow this country to become a one party state. That is the problem. I don’t want to talk about Jonathan running or sitting down. That is the problem of the Peoples Democratic Party, ” Tinubu said.
Tinubu, who described the ruling party as “Poverty Development Party” which has not done Nigeria any good, and which has drifted completely from government activities.
“It is all about zoning and running. They have personalized Nigeria,” he said of the PDP.
“We are looking at a country that is stable and progressing and we want to work hard as the opposition party to wrest power from this Poverty Development Party that has not done any Nigerian any good.”

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=180124

chyz:
I agree. I think alot of african countries are in need of one. However, i think african countries are in need of a female president that carries core african values and afrocentric. We do not need women like those in the united states who are solely bent on being higher than men and vengeance against them. No feminist like Hilary Clinton. African women are the best in the world if kept away from from evil ways of western women ideology.

We just need a good and capable leader irrespective of sex.
Women are women, trust me on that, especially where politics is concerned. There have been very successful women presidents in the world, and Nigeria would not be the first.

Our women know their stuff, at least the Ngozi Iwealas of this world does.

chyz:
I truly believe that the Igbo are the single largest ethnic group in nigeria i have many reason to support that but let me give one. When ojukwu ran for president he had the second largest amount of votes. This is in a country where Ojukwu is hated by majority of the company for "starting" the civil war. There is no way he could have got that many votes if he was not from a tribe that is majority. And on top of that the election was rigged in his opponents favor. imagine if that would have not happened. That im sure is the reason why OBJ didnt allow tribe to be included in the census.


The facts have to be stated that nigerians as a whole mentally arent ready for a female president. this is a country that bases choices off of emotions for gods sake.

You are 100% correct on the bolded quote.

Frankly, I think Nigeria is ready for a female president. They just don't know it yet. A very smart, politically savvy, charismatic and courageous woman will shock people. There are lines she can use and use it effectively.

So I think we should go for it next year. At least we would secure our political ideology in Nigeria. We need to market that ideology to the rest of Nigeria. We did it before under NCNC and even NPP (NPP won Kano state in 1979). We can repeat it.
PDP plans for Ndigbo is evil.

MaziUche0:
None of this can happen unless someone gets control of the military and send them to their barracks. I fear the Nigerian military more than anything else which is slanted to the North. A leader that is too progressive will end up being ousted.

In fact, for making this observation, I now think that Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is arguably the leading candidate for me, at least for now. She has the necessary international connections to keep Nigeria's military in check. I don't need to say more.
She has more connections than almost all contestants in the south east and south south except Jonathan.
So don't worry yourself about the military.

I don't know if she can speak fluent Hausa and Yoruba though. She can take a crash course on that, but next year is almost here.

MaziUche0:
Now that is a super woman!

I know she has the credentials. And she is an Iron lady who doesn't care who the person is. But is Nigeria ready for her? She can be sort of a firebrand as well. Northern leaders would feel threatened!

She does not need to worry about northern leaders. She only needs to build a grassroot political movement using local activists and women groups. Majority of northerners are poor. She needs to show them how she can change their lot and give them hope for a better future. Those talakawas would dump the so called northern leaders at the polls.
Everybody wants a better future. It is the duty of a politician to demonstrate ability to provide that better future, and I believe this woman can do it.

chyz:
When is the next census?

I don't know. The last census was rigged as usual, and frankly without a tamper proof national ID card, it would be nearly impossible to conduct a credible census in Nigeria, thanks to the Obasanjos of Nigeria.

But we can beat all those tricks by picking a powerful candidate and voting massively for him/her next year.

MaziUche0:
We have to be honest with ourselves. Nigerians are not as progressive as you think.

A female running for president would make the Northerners go crazy, an Igbo man would be shocked, and a Yoruba man will wonder if she is available. Just joking.

But seriously, we are not that progressive. Just look at how some Nigerian men treat there wives. You think they will support a woman?

Believe me, I don't want to go into the sexist thing. All I know is that women held powerful political positions in Nigeria even in the 50s and 60s. We beat even western countries in that.
So don't mistake our domestic lifestyle with our national politics.
In a free and fair elections, let everyone come out and make his/her case, and let the voters decide.

I tell you that if Ngozi for instance can speak all three major languages, she can get support from all parts of Nigeria.
She will need the money to run, and that is where we come in. By "we" I mean Igbo youths and organizations, we can even raise $ 1 billion if necessary.

This is a serious thing.

mikeansy:
Onlytruth

Nobody is more Nigerian than anyone else. Chukwuma Soludo just came out on the back of an election defeat in his own State. As good and qualified Presidential candidate as i think he is, I don't think the time is right for him to dabble into Presidential run. If he is lucky to be hand the VP slot in PDP good for him, otherwise he has no business running for President now.

The Governors have also made the right choice to face their state and ignore Presidential politics for strategic reasons. If Chekwas Okorie and Rochas Okorocha and co have enough money to throw around thats up to them. But I will rather not have a Presidential candidate from the SouthEast for the sake of it.

I don't think we need to send a message to anyone that we are Nigerians. Anybody who does not know that is simply delusional and mad.
We are as Nigerian as everyone else and don't have to prove it by fielding candidates in every election. We have produced Nigerian leaders like
Jonny Ironside and Zik to VP like Alex Ekwueme. We have had Senate Presidents, Business Leaders, representatives in National Sports or in any sphere of life you can think of. So I really don't see how fielding a candidate for the sake of it proves anything.

Mike

That is where you and I differ.  Take a simple trip down the memory lane in Nigeria and tell me (in all honesty) whether we Ndigbo have gotten what we deserve in Nigeria. You and I know that only Ironsi wielded power at the center and it was for 6 months only. If the Jan 1966 coup did not happen, by now we would have produced many Nigerian presidents. That is a fact. So, we cannot be happy with our state in Nigeria, especially when we can do something about it.
Your membership of PDP is blinding you to a whole lot of possibilities for Ndigbo. Your partys vision is Obasanjos vision, and it is not good for Ndigbo. Obasanjo resolutely rejected calls to allow tribal demographics to be collected in the census forms (something that is common all over the world) because he was afraid that Igbo population would be known.

So, please spare me that thinking that Ndigbo don't need to contest because we do, and thank God we have a ready platform for it called APGA.

If Soludo is not ready (which I may agree), we have others like Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.

Yes, we must contest, and now is the time!

MaziUche0:
But the simple fact she is a woman, cause problem for her candidacy. Especially with the North and elements in Igbo society. I would definitely support her though. We need an Iron Lady in Nigeria.

However, many Nigerian men would feel threatened. Even among the Igbo!

lol @ Ezeuche.

You need to drop your sexist worldview. You'd be surprised that Nigerians know what is good for them irrespective of sex.

OAM4J:
She is more than Good. that woman has balls. better than all the clueless heads we have in government today

I used to listen to her speak as then financed minister, how she used to tutor those dumb-heads politicians.

Ngozi is good because she is intelligent and courageous and have handled leadership positions at the highest levels. She is not some theorist or educationist. She has solved Nigeria's biggest problem once (the debt cancellation was negotiated by her), so, she needs to bring her expertise to solve other problems facing Nigeria.

She is also even a better candidate in a weird way because she is a woman. If she knows how to speak these languages, she can appeal to her fellow women across Nigeria, who by the way make up more than 50% of Nigeria's population.

She really stands a chance, but she has to demonstrate "political abilities" on the Nigerian turf.  Remember she has to campaign nationwide. If she knows how to go about it, she can make a real impact and even win. It all depends on how she plays it.

mikeansy:
I thank God our Governors are standing by at this time. This will give them a stronger bargaining chip in the process.

Its also nice to have a neutral position on zoning while the debate rages.

I don't think it is necessary to present Presidential candidates for the sake of it.

[b]However if someone like Soludo is able to lobby for a VP Position should the next PDP flag bearer come from the North good for him. [/b]However I do not think Soludo should run for President. I also hope all other politicians join forces with others to negotiate for strategic positioning instead of producing a Presidential candidate for the sake of it.

Negotiating a guarantee for dredging Onitsha watersways, electing a leader that can guarantee things like State Policing and devolution of powers to State and LGA is of more use to the SouthEast than producing the occupant of Aso Rock.

I don't think we should run as vice presidential candidate to anybody. That would defeat the aim of the whole thing. We need to send a powerful message to other Nigerians that we are equal stakeholders in Nigeria and not second fiddlers.
At least that is one area the governors were right. Even if the candidate fails to win, the message will be powerful if he nearly beats the winner, and I know it will be that close if we put our minds to it.

That second fiddle mindset is part of why PDP will never serve our interests in Nigeria. The PDP has an already mapped out national vision designed by Obasanjo which schemes to turn Ndigbo into a minority tribe in Nigeria.

That is why I advise all discerning Igbo politicians to leave the PDP en masse.

OAM4J:
The major challenge of Ndigbo up until now is their inability to speak with one voice and rally round one formidable candidate.

Every time a position is zone to Ndigbo, you'll find 50 or more candidates ready to battle it out.

Also Ndigbo has to present credible candidates with good track records, if you keep throwing up candidates like Orji Uzor Kalu, other zones will have no choice but to look the other way.

That is why I specifically suggested APGA as the platform. There are too many hot heads in PDP and other parties.
APGA remains the only party that can command Igbo support almost up to about 90%.

Yes, we can speak with one voice under APGA.

IbrahimB:
What of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo or Francis Arthur Nzeribe? My Igbo brethren, what do you think of the suitability or otherwise of these two Gentlemen for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

Soludo would have been PERFECT if he can speak Hausa and Yoruba. I really insist on that multilingual ability. That is how our most powerful national players made head way. Arthur Nzeribe is a very intelligent man (perhaps the most intelligent Igbo politician I know), but he has a bad reputation in other parts of Nigeria.

There is something about Soludo that is golden and was truncated abruptly by his failure in Anambra state gubernatorial elections. Be that as it may, he still has an opportunity to remake himself by leaving PDP (I really believe that PDP is living on borrowed time) and joining APGA. He has the energy, the intelligence, the youth and the charisma to run a national campaign. I would suggest he takes a crash course on Hausa and Yoruba.

Believe me I know where I'm going with this thinking.

Ndigbo, in my view, have the best presidential materials for Nigeria. We just have to project them forward.

MaziUche0:
We just need to throw PDP out. President Jonathan is still a part of that horrible part, so why would people expect change.

Pat Utomi has my vote. He has widespread support due to him being from the South-South region, and many ethnic groups feel safe voting for him.

Yes we need to throw PDP out. I don't see how that party can ever do the right thing.

I'm really only looking for the best Igbo candidate based on the criteria I set forth earlier. I don't care if he is from south east or south south. I see that some folks are quick to exclude the south east. If you do that, the project will fail even before it starts. Other ethnic groups will feel safe when they see that our candidate is one of the leading contenders. They have to learn to be comfortable with the fact that we are equally entitled to vie for the presidency of Nigeria.
So all Igbo must be in play. Any Igbo who is not sure of his "Igboness" will not be considered because he will sell us.

AjanleKoko:
Ironically, I met a rather influential Nigerian in Dubai earlier in the year, who told me he was there earlier with Obi. Obi was so impressed that he told the man that 'as soon as he gets the next Anambra allocation, he was going to come and invest in some properties'.

A friend of mine was used by Olusegun Obasanjo as a conduit to siphon $100 billion from Nigeria too.

The guy na my pally, so I sabi.
Nigerians and their low intelligence sef.

Tell your sender that Anambra people made their choice loud and clear.

And like I said earlier, the least we can get is control over our sub-region and our lives. We would at least have representatives who would represent us well at the center, and also remind other Nigerians about our strength in Nigeria lest they forget.

ChinenyeN:
Some questions.
[list]
[li]Why such high interest in presidency?[/li]
[li]What is the aim?[/li]
[li]What are the supposed benefits? [/li]
[li]Why are people making this a priority?[/li]
[/list]

Thank you for the questions!

Nigeria is like a field of boxing for instance. All sections of the country are the competing boxers. While other sections are busy engaging in physical exercises e.g. running, punching bags of sand etc, the Igbo are sitting idly on the sidelines hoping that when the real boxing match starts, they will come out and be handed the title one day. Unfortunately, when we come out then, all we will likely get is a knock out because we never exercised and therefore physically UNFIT. No one knows what we can do in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a constant boxing ring. If you make out yourself to be a weak boxer by sitting idly by, you will not even be ranked as a contender to the title. Ever.

It is time we show that we are not only interested in the title, but that we are one hell of a boxer!

Kobojunkie:
Give him a chance in what sense? I think you are jumbling this one up with your Jonathan issues again. Jonathan is PDP and has yet to show himself capable of handling the job. I am sure these Ibo governors and states men know this and are wise to the situation.

Contrary to what you think there, I do not believe it was made about JOnathan. I want to believe Ibo leaders(well the current batch)  are  now waking up to the truth which is that Ibos have not had good representation in the past and it is time for them to clean house and work to present better reps in the future. Enough of the halfwits coming out to represent IBos(people with next to no achievement/accomplishment/record of service which ought to matter when it comes to leadership).

Yes, they are trying to clean house, but it can be done in a more powerful way. Simple abstinence from the presidential electon is NOT the solution.
They have to do more than that. Basically they have to remember that Ndigbo are one of the three biggest tribes in Nigeria, and learn to assert ourselves as such. They need to get out of their comfort zones and work to topple the PDP marginalizing applecart. Bulk Igbo voting is the key.
We are moving forward, though slowly, because at least we have not given up on APGA, and the party remains one of the few trusted (at least by Ndigbo) parties in Nigeria. Other parties are gatherings of thieves.
All we need now is a charismatic, intelligent, energetic and tri-lingual candidate who can take APGA message to all parts of Nigeria.
Knowing Ndigbo well, I believe we have that candidate. All we need is to find him, empower him and unleash him on the polity, and I can assure you that all things are possible next year.

OAM4J:
What about supporting Pat Utomi, or is he not Igbo enough?

or if you can get Ngozi Iweala to contest, I will relocate back to naija temporarily to campaign and vote for her.

I can tell you that is not why he has not won Igbo support yet. He needs to prove himself. Let me tell you, if he can approach Igbo bodies like Ohanaeze (his fellow delta Igbo is president of ohanaeze), Igbo youth movement (IYM) and others like them, and convince them of his competence and suitability, he will get Igbo support.
Mind you that there are other Igbos who may be more qualified as well, he has to prove that he is the best. If he can speak Yoruba and Hausa fluently, and can demonstrate ability to give a budding party like APGA the required national spread, he would get Igbo support nationwide.

I think that Ndigbo are underestimating themselves in Nigeria. If we sponsor one of such charismatic candidate, we can campaign for him using Igbo associations scattered all over Nigeria to give him a national presence. We can market him in our places of residence and that will solve half of his problem.

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala would have been good, but Nigeria is still a conservative country. Soludo would have been perfect if he could speak those languages (Hausa and Yoruba) and if he didn't mess himself up by contesting the Anambra gubernatorial elections. Still, he is a rabble rouser  and can shake the stage if he can demonstrate practical leadership by planting APGA nationwide. APGA is a raw gem that needs to be refined.