AN OPEN LETTER TO DONALD DUKE

by Deji Yesufu

Last week in my column here https://www.nairaland.com/4321313/gleaning-wisdom-obasanjos-letters, I endeavoured to glean wisdom from three letters that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had written to three former Nigerian heads of state: Ibrahim Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan and now Muhammadu Buhari.

While many have regarded the words of Obasanjo with disdain and have characterized it as exhuming from a messianic mentality, you, former Governor Donald Duke, and a few others have seen the wisdom in his words and have decided to throw in your support for the movement Obasanjo called for, by joining to inaugurate the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM).

I have decided to write to you this open letter to express my concern over your association with this group as it does not seem to tally with your ambition – that of seeking to be President of Nigeria in 2019.

Media reports in recent times have continued to quote your statements concerning your desire to run for the presidency in 2019. The Social Media is awash with pictures of you indicating interest to run for the exalted office in 2019. Yet, we see you with CNM.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the brain behind the CNM, has not hidden his disdain for partisan politics. Since he tore his PDP Party membership card, it was obvious to everyone that he was done with partisan politics. When he registered to be a member of CNM, he also made this point and added that he would be leaving the movement the moment it turns partisan. Yet, you, my dear sir, are seeking to be president. Are your ambitions, as leading members of this movement, not at cross roads?

I am making this point because I wish to inform you that though I have not met you before, I am hereby throwing the weight of my support behind your ambition to be president. And I will tell you how I reached this position.

First, I used to be a die-hard supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. I campaigned for him and used all the resources at my disposal to see him elected to office in 2015. At that time, I professed a political ideology called “Buharism”. I was earnest about promoting this ideology; I had hoped to even write a book on it and show the world that Nigeria could produce a workable political ideology as visionary and enduring as that of Buhari.

However after assuming office, little by little, the President continued to disappoint all of us who supported his presidency. We made all sort of excuses for him until we ran out of them. The day the Nigerian President chose to look the other way when a member of his own party, Abdulmumunin Jibril, was being persecuted for speaking against corruption in the lower house of assembly, was the day I renounced Buharism. And I have not looked back since then.

After Buhari disappointed me, the next option was to immediately find a replacement for him. Atiku was not an option. One day, while on a trip from Abuja in October 2017, I met a young woman who hails from Cross River. Our discussion touched on many issues. Then I asked about governance in Cross Rivers State. I will just paraphrase her words here:

“Cross River State is not what it used to be. Like many things in Nigeria, the state is deteriorating. The two governors that succeeded Donald Duke have simply refused to build on the worthy legacy that young man left behind in that state. Rather than build on it, they are just feasting away...”

As of the time she was saying this, there was not yet a media report of your desire to run for presidency. The moment I however read in the media that you had intentions to run, I knew immediately you were the option to follow.

Now, there are a couple of challenges with supporting your desire to run for presidency. I will conclude this letter by listing them and I sincerely do hope that you will be kind enough to respond to this letter by answering these issues.

First, the issues of your involvement with CNM: The lead visionary of the CNM, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said he would not be involved in partisan politics. However, you are involved with this movement despite your much publicized desire to run for presidency. How do those of us who have a desire to support your ambition marry these two issues? Do you have plans of resigning your membership of the CNM at some point and joining partisan politics? I believe a clear, straight to the point answer to this question will put one’s mind at rest and help the public begin to weigh its options better.

Second, If, per chance, despite being a member of CNM, you desire to run for presidency come 2019, when do you think it is most appropriate to begin to put in place the political structure that can beat already established parties like the PDP and APC at the poles? I make this point based on recent political experiences that Nigeria has undergone.

In 2010, the Muhammadu Buhari team hastily put together the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and headed to the poles against Goodluck Jonathan. Despite his popularity and all, Buhari’s main loosing point was the lateness of forming that political party.

Candidate Buhari and his supporters did their home work and immediately joined hands with the ACN and some other political parties to form a grand alliance that they christened the All Progressive Congress (APC). They began their political manoeuvring early and headed to the poles in 2015 to beat the incumbent President Jonathan.

Following this simple indices alone, it is almost too late for you to form a political party; except, of course, you wish to run on the platform of the PDP or some other existing political party. The point however is simple: whatever you are doing, do it quickly! I personally do not think that a person who wishes to run for presidency in 2019, should be investing his time and resources in the CNM. While it is good and fine that you join such a pressure group, I think you should be spending more time to actualize your ambition of ruling Nigeria.

So my second question is simply this: when do you want to start?

The last question to you, sir, is this: what do you plan to offer Nigerians? I understand that this will come in a formal manifesto from your party. But even at the moment, you should be able to enumerate a few core issues that you intend to tackle if the leadership of this country is thrust in your hands. Please, sir, articulate for us what your plans for Nigeria are.

Let me conclude this letter with a warning: it is the warning that Japhet Omojuwa gave the just elected President Buhari in 2015, after he came to office. Omojuwa told the President then that if he fails in office, Nigerian youths will simply remove him. It sounded like a laughing matter then, but it is no longer so today.

There is a legion of young bloggers in Nigeria today who are fast becoming the opinion moulders of our nation. If, maybe in response to this letter, you impress us and promise us good governance when you get to power, this army of young people will canvass the length and breadth of Nigeria and bring you to power.

However, when you get to Abuja and you choose to do like the others: you allow the perks of office to blind you to the demands of being fair, equitable, transparent and sensible in your service to this country, we would vote you out of office and replace you with another.

The victory of Muhammadu Buhari was not his own victory; it was the victory of good over evil. The victory of a workable democracy over and above that of godfatherism and nepotism. Buhari’s victory showed Nigerians that we could remove an incumbent by voting en-masse against him. The 2015 presidential electoral victory said essentially that Nigerians can put who the popular votes want in the highest office in this country.

Therefore, when we bring you to power, we shall be demanding that you serve us, the common people and not your ethnic group, or people in your party, or people who gave you money to campaign, or your own bondage to your prejudices. We shall be demanding that you serve the common, unknown and powerless person on the street in all fairness.

If you do not do this, we shall simply remove you from office as we shall have done to two of your predecessors.

I thank you for taking the time to read my letter and do sincerely hope to hear from you.

(Deji Yesufu is blogger. He resides in Ibadan. He may be reached on newdejix@gmail.com)

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1530907966985408&id=1505609702848568

CC: Seun, Lalasticlala, Mynd44

hahahahaha!

ndi oru egoroego(Igbo)

meaning:hired labourers

DED isnt just vibrant but a visionary... Cross River state had little or nothing to show off until DED took over power.


He single handedly revamped the health sector, as well as making Northern Cross River a major yam producer in Africa during his time.


Cross River State became a tourism home for foreigners. CRS internal revenue generated an all time revenue during his time.

CRS became colourful...

DED converted Polycal to CRUTECH, Built GSS across all the LGAs...


Duke will make the best president that Nigerians have been dreaming of!!!

I look forward to that day when people like Donald duke will be brought forward for Nigerians to choose from..we are tired of mediocre parading themselves as leaders but have nothing to offer and tuning this great nation into a comedy show and a laughing stock

I have it on good authority that Donald Duke has seen this letter and shall be replying it soon

Seun, Lalasticlala, Mynd44

VBCampaign:
I have it on good authority that Donald Duke has seen this letter and shall be replying it soon

Seun, Lalasticlala, Mynd44

I think you should post the response to the letter here as well.

MrPristine:

I think you should post the response to the letter here as well.

RE: AN OPEN LETTER TO DONALD DUKE

by Donald Duke

Dear Deji,

Thank you for your letter, albeit an open one, but certainly the sentiments stated therein largely reflect the thoughts and views of several others. So I assume you speak for a large segment of concerned Nigerians as it were.

I recently wrote an op-ed published in several dailies titled the “The Urgency of Now,” (http://www.championnews.com.ng/93449-2/), which largely addresses the issues you raised in your letter. The concept of a movement is a non-partisan group of people sufficiently concerned about the politics and direction of our country without necessarily wanting or desiring to get involved in partisanship, that is, plotting one group against another.

I understand and appreciate that my association with the Coalition for Nigeria Movement and, to some, association with President Obasanjo, is both confusing and disturbing. I get it. Others have said to me, “Why don’t you just run on the platform of the PDP?” After all, the structure already exists. But the question is: Whose structure is it? How viable are my chances and how is the party perceived generally? Let me start from the latter.

The PDP failed woefully to rebrand itself at its last party congress. It squandered an opportunity to embrace a new generation of electorates that have been locked out of the political sphere. Secondly, it has unconstitutionally zoned its presidency; and third, the party’s structure has been privatized. The party is essentially owned by a few who have failed to learn the lessons of their immediate past history and folly.

The same few who foisted the failed immediate past leadership on the party have now foisted the current. It’s not about what suits the party, but what suits a few. Logically, you have wondered how a movement formed at this time can metamorphose into a winning platform. Firstly, should the movement gather the necessary momentum, it ought to transmute into a party.

All parties or political platforms are movements of some sort. I’m betting on the disenchantment of a significant section of our population who would like something different and the sizeable number that I am aware can no longer find accommodation within their existing parties. By this I mean those whom the current political space has no plans to accommodate. Can we coalesce in sufficient numbers and spread to make an impact? I do not have the answer to that question as it may require a crystal ball.

But I’m inspired by a quote from the Rev. Jesse Jackson when asked by a reporter during the 1984 Democratic National Convention whether he thought he stood a chance at winning, and he replied, “If I run I might lose; if I don’t, I’m guaranteed to lose”. My point here is simple. We, a whole lot of us, that is, sit back and whine but end up doing nothing. Some do not even bother obtaining a voters card, a basic currency for a political transaction. Yet we complain. We obviously are the losers, as the real winners are those who wish to maintain the status quo knowing that we, the losers, are too lethargic to do anything about it.

With respect to your question about my plans for the country, my plans are predicated on vision and more importantly the WILL to effect the vision. Visions can be adopted but WILL is innate. Whatever success we achieved in Cross River despite extremely lean finances was born of the will to succeed. My plans for Nigeria are encapsulated in one phrase, “enhanced productivity of the Nigerian.” This will be achieved primarily through skills enhancement; broader than basic education; accessible and affordable healthcare; world class infrastructure; and embracing technology. When the average Nigerian is productively engaged, security is enhanced. This letter does not afford adequate space for elucidation and elaboration.

In my inaugural address as governor, I stated that public office is a trust and the highest calling that could be afforded one. That has been my creed of service. Besides, all I have, which I inherited, is my name without stain. I intend to bequeath same without blemish unto my heirs. To the best of my estimation, I have, to date, done so.

For the purpose of clarity, yes I intend to offer myself to serve our Nation and you should too. Service to our nation surpasses being on the ballot paper alone; it entails a conscious sense of ownership. We cannot sit on the sidelines anymore. The stakes are just too high to do that.

My regards,

Donald.

Postscript:

Mr. Donald Duke was the former Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria, from 1999-2007. He was a two term Governor. He is today vying to be President of Nigeria. In this letter, sent privately to me by email, he replies an earlier open letter I wrote to him. Here is a link to that letter: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1530907966985408&id=1505609702848568

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1541407089268829&id=1505609702848568

CC: Seun, Lalasticlala, Mynd44