₦airaland Forum

Peter Obi Is Perfect For Atiku, But Bad For Ndigbo And Nigeria
By SKC Ogbonnia
October 23, 2018

The excitement flowing behind the choice of Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential nominee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is a teachable moment. It shows that the Nigerians still appreciate good people. Overall, Obi acquitted himself credibly enough as governor of Anambra State. At least, he is one the very few former Nigerian governors without a litany of corrupt marks.

The former Anambra governor is also humble man. A self-made multibillionaire, through dint of hard work, Obi does not flaunt affluence, as most of them do, by acquiring private jets, chieftaincy titles or fake degrees. And, in case you have never taken notice, the man has chosen to remain a Mister: Mr. Peter Obi. Simple! His selection has, therefore, proven to the political class, particularly those of the Igbo stock, that the society at large looks beyond primitive accumulation of wealth and bogus titles.

Sum it this way: Peter Obi is certainly not the best the Igbo and Nigeria can offer, but he is he is perfect for Atiku Abubakar as an individual. The reason is plain: The heaviest baggage of the former Vice President is the prevailing perception that the man is virally corrupt. Atiku, remember, is a high priest in the billionaire club of ex-civil servants, most of who met their wealth through illegitimate means. Thus, it would have been very impolitic for him to field Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the preferred VP choice of the South-East PDP leaders.

Get this clear, Ekweremadu is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic that has distinguished himself. He is very dynamic and could have made a better VP than Peter Obi—by far; but Nigerians are becoming wiser. Before dreaming of any future national elective office, the ebullient senator should hurry up and explain in clear terms how he amassed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to over 30 choice properties in three continents without any traceable commercial enterprise.


At this juncture, I must join to publicly rebuke the cuckoo governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his South-East PDP cohorts who, because Ekweremadu was not selected, have been peddling all the wrong reasons to deflate the choice of Peter Obi. The state of origin, for example, should not matter when choosing a presidential candidate or his running mate from Igbo land, especially where the chosen is heads and shoulders above his competitors.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

Leading the fanfare is the Ohaneze Ndigbo. But the socio-cultural group should tread very carefully. We must not appear to have forgotten so soon that the choice of an Igbo man as a vice-presidential candidate is far from historic. Actually, it was Muhammadu Buhari that led the way in the current Fourth Republic by nominating Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezuoke in 2007 while this same Atiku Abubakar fielded Ben Obi in 2007. Interestingly, however, the Ohaneze shunned those Igbo VP candidates, then in the opposition ranks, but opted for the PDP, the party then in power. This contradicting posture explains the disquieting suspicion that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization is the political oracle of the PDP.

Nevertheless, the Ohaneze must equally come to terms with the reality that the mere presence of the Igbo in important political positions has not always translated to public good in Igboland. Let me also add that, while Peter Obi might have performed well in Anambra, quite alright, he is not the kind of leader the Igbo need at the centre.

Obi’s leadership woes are apparent. The most mind-bugling is the failure to attract any meaningful federal project to Anambra state while in office. Lest we forget, as governor, Obi was the much-beloved close ally of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during the recent oil boom when the Igbo dominated virtually every important portfolio in the country.

Yet, there is nothing concrete to show in South-East for such powerful positions occupied by the Igbo, particularly in Anambra, where Peter Obi held sway. For instance, the major thoroughfare in the state, the Onitsha-Enugu Highway, remained a death trap while Peter was governor. The mass deceit on the 2nd River Niger Bridge during the Obi tenure has continued to beg the attention of Guinness World Records. Needless to mention how Goodluck Jonathan connived with the governor to declare open the Orient Petroleum Refinery in 2012 when the facility was not even halfway completed. The plot was to quell tension in the country by appearing as if Jonathan had solutions in the wake of the 2012 fuel crisis.

The failure with the Orient Petroleum Refinery, a PPP project, is deserving of curious attention. When my team inquired about the refinery in 2014, the management was seeking $100 million dollars to get a portion of the $660 million facility to truly come on stream. Yet, Governor Obi had Anambra billions glued in commercial banks. A visionary leader would have committed part of the savings for the completion of the refinery which could have provided employment to youths in the region. Or, more appropriately, considering his role in the fake opening of the refinery in 2012, Obi ought to have been able to influence President Jonathan for any federal support needed to rescue the refinery.

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

The answer is this: The ideal VP of Igbo extraction is a transformational leader with the ability to maximize available resources to not only perform assigned tasks but one who can also influence others towards the attainment of greater golas. For an Atiku presidency, however, Nigeria needs a strong vice-president that can steadily motivate and influence him towards national goals and objectives. Peter Obi is none of the above.

SKC Ogbonnia, Erstwhile 2019 APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Abuja; Email: SKCOgbonnia1@aol.com

Another trash from a demented Apc chieftain..

Wetin the pain this politician be say.. Peter no go gree give them chop .. that's all.

He no go gree share the money with them ... no be dia person .. and they thing dey pepper den for body..

Atiku too get sense.. ahswear..

This Peter Obi choice eh Kwa.. finish Igbo politician.. none of them go fit go Abuja collect free egunje on top Igbo man head..

Time to develop the country ..

Na R
Okoroocha .. Uba family.. kalu ..and dia associate the thing go pain pass..

Nigeria must be great..

Atiku Obi.. sure banga..

Bannylove13:
Another trash from a demented Apc chieftain..

Wetin the pain this politician be say.. Peter no go gree give them chop .. that's all.

He no go gree share the money with them ... no be dia person .. and they thing dey pepper den for body..

Atiku too get sense.. ahswear..

This Peter Obi choice eh Kwa.. finish Igbo politician.. none of them go fit go Abuja collect free egunje on top Igbo man head..

Time to develop the country ..

Na R
Okoroocha .. Uba family.. kalu ..and dia associate the thing go pain pass..

Nigeria must be great..

Atiku Obi.. sure banga..

You could not even muster any intelligent response to the points raised, rather you proved the OP right in his factual assertion quoted below.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

He was chosen to announce Atikus' Obi - tuary

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

This is what some refer to as ododo oro.

Throwback:
You could not even muster any intelligent response to the points raised, rather you proved the OP right in his factual assertion quoted below.

This is Igbo man speaking and we know his grouse..

Beg just free my mention..
Hear say fashola don give una tribal call to vote in the dullard so that a Yoruba man can be president 2019..

Go heed that call and allow my view on skc .. he go cry tire because nothing for him .. after 2019..

All greed Igbo politician go just self retire..

Thank you..


Fashola need your vote more.. the yorubas elites .. even San's pastors doctors professors .. has gone tribal ..

But that won't save the dullard from returning back to aura..

Nigeria as a nation has had enough.. another four years on buhari is a suicide sentence on Nigeria citizens ..

M.j.. mayunwa my friend told me to vote buhari.. that he will die and osibanjo will take over like Jonathan ..

Honestly I don't wish him death.. but Safe retirement.. his grand children needs him now.

Bannylove13:
This is Igbo man speaking and we know his grouse..

Beg just free my mention..
Hear say fashola don give una tribal call to vote in the dullard so that a Yoruba man can be president 2019..

Go heed that call and allow my view on skc .. he go cry tire because nothing for him .. after 2019..

All greed Igbo politician go just self retire..

Thank you..


Fashola need your vote more.. the yorubas elites .. even San's pastors doctors professors .. has gone tribal ..

But that won't save the dullard from returning back to aura..

Nigeria as a nation has had enough.. another four years on buhari is a suicide sentence on Nigeria citizens ..

M.j.. mayunwa my friend told me to vote buhari.. that he will die and osibanjo will take over like Jonathan ..

Honestly I don't wish him death.. but Safe retirement.. his grand children needs him now.

Igboman crying about tribal support of Buhari and Osinbajo by Yoruba, as though your opposition to them is not partly tribal, while your demand on Atiku and celebration of his eventual selection of an Igbo running mate is itself not for tribal considerations for your political future?

Or do we quickly forget that Buhari is primarily hated by Igbos for the coup that removed Shagari, not because the Igbos loved Shagari, but as expressed till this very generation, that he prevented Ekwueme who was Vice President from succeeding Shagari as President by the next presidential poll.


I always tell Igbos that the mistake they continually make with the Yorubas, is to think they are stupid while they are wise. We prove to you that we are not stupid, then you begin to throw puerile tantrums.

Pursue your tribal political aspirations, while Yorubas pursue their own too. The political field is wide enough for every player to have an agenda, but only the Igbo feels threatened that others are pursuing the same agenda as they are also doing.

Throwback:
This is what some refer to as ododo oro.

We don't deal on propaganda from hungry men..
Is the man from anambra.. big no...

Has he any interest in anambra .. no..

You self wey dey read and quote the man .. you suppose get sense pass this man.. abi na cheap propagnda you dey look for?

Don't mention me again .. will advise you to start marketing buhari than looking for. Way to demarket people wey God don already position.

Sell buhari no dey attack ..

Throwback:
Igboman crying about tribal support of Buhari and Osinbajo by Yoruba, as though your opposition to them is not partly tribal, while your demand on Atiku and celebration of his eventual selection of an Igbo running mate is itself not for tribal considerations for your political future.

Oga I stand for. Better Nigeria.. I have relatives from middle belt.. igala.. idoma.. I have them from amassoma bayelsa. Ijaw..
I hustle wella for naija ..

Economy is down.. nothing is moving .. everywhere is tight.. everybody is complaining.. relatives go ask for funds .. family dey..

People dey die plenty on weekly bases.. no dey we no dey read evil for front page..

And you sit for your house they yarn tribe .. who tribe help in government ..

Wake and smell the coffeee.. don't know how you make your money... in Nigeria of today..
but will tell you majority of Nigerians ain't finding it funny..

Even the trade money people and npower humans ..
Life in naija now na stone..
if you dey get am free .. Oga pm. Me.. as long as e legit.

But what about millions of my fellow country men.
Another four years of buhari ..throwback, forget sentiments and be honest with your sef.. another four years.. god help us

Bannylove13:
Oga I stand for. Better Nigeria.. I have relatives from middle belt.. igala.. idoma.. I have them from amassoma bayelsa. Ijaw..
I hustle wella for naija ..

Economy is down.. nothing is moving .. everywhere is tight.. everybody is complaining.. relatives go ask for funds .. family dey..

People dey die plenty on weekly bases.. no dey we no dey read evil for front page..

And you sit for your house they yarn tribe .. who tribe help in government ..

Wake and smell the coffeee.. don't know how you make your money... in Nigeria of today..
but will tell you majority of Nigerians ain't finding it funny..

Even the trade money people and npower humans ..
Life in naija now na stone..
if you dey get am free .. Oga pm. Me.. as long as e legit.

But what about millions of my fellow country men.
Another four years of buhari throwback forget sentiments and be honest with your sef.. another four years.. god help us

I would have believed that your aspirations are noble and patriotic, if for all your criticisms that are both partisan and objective at times, you were parroting the emergence of the new breed of patriotic and corruption-free politicians to attain leadership.


Rather, you are championing the return of a 16yr failure PDP that never allowed Nigerians to benefit basic human rights guaranteed in a democracy, or the infrastructure for which funds were budgeted. To add salt to injury, you put your hopes in a corrupt billionaire civil servant who has already attained legendary status as a political prostitute, who had already been indicted of corruptly enriching himself some more as a Vice-President, and gained infamy for buying primary elections with unending dollars, as he moves about from party to party to achieve his unbridled quest for power.

Throwback:
I would have believed that your aspirations are noble and patriotic, if for all your criticisms that are both partisan and objective at times, you were parroting the emergence of the new breed of patriotic and corruption-free politicians to attain leadership.


Rather, you are championing the return of a 16yr failure PDP that never allowed Nigerians to benefit basic human rights guaranteed in a democracy, or the infrastructure for which funds were budgeted. To add salt to injury, you put your hopes in a corrupt billionaire civil servant who has already attained legendary status as a political prostitute, who had already been indicted of corruptly enriching himself some more as a Vice-President, and gained infamy for buying primary elections with unending dollars, as he moves about from party to party to achieve his unbridled quest for power.

Being true and honest is the game.. those people you claim.. can't win election in Nigeria of today.. maybe next decade..

2019 election is between Apc and pdp ..

I won't and will never go with Apc .. I know buhari from 84 and I know he has nothing .. I mean absolutely nothing to offer.. not even the intergrity .. buhari don't have it.. any sincere senior human can tell you that.. not kids oh ..

Atiku might be a thief .. corrupt .. killer or whtever you might call it.. but right now.. honestly he's a VERY necccesary EVIL.. he's the only candidate strong enough to send buhari back to daura.. and to a limit quickly change the fotunes of this country ..
Nigeria is going down.. real down and very fast.. both locally and globally.. were retrogression.. not even stagnant .

Let's try another hand .. at least another four years with a different captain ain't bad. Let's Balance things up.

There's no time for trial and error..
We must push hard .. forwardly as a country ..
let hope be restore. Like this many of our youth don't have hope or future.. look around you .. and judge honestly.. things are turning worst.

As Burna Boy, 2face and Dbanj would say ~ "Baba nla nonsense"

SKCOgbonnia:
Peter Obi Is Perfect For Atiku, But Bad For Ndigbo And Nigeria
By SKC Ogbonnia
October 23, 2018

The excitement flowing behind the choice of Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential nominee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is a teachable moment. It shows that the Nigerians still appreciate good people. Overall, Obi acquitted himself credibly enough as governor of Anambra State. At least, he is one the very few former Nigerian governors without a litany of corrupt marks.

The former Anambra governor is also humble man. A self-made multibillionaire, through dint of hard work, Obi does not flaunt affluence, as most of them do, by acquiring private jets, chieftaincy titles or fake degrees. And, in case you have never taken notice, the man has chosen to remain a Mister: Mr. Peter Obi. Simple! His selection has, therefore, proven to the political class, particularly those of the Igbo stock, that the society at large looks beyond primitive accumulation of wealth and bogus titles.

Sum it this way: Peter Obi is certainly not the best the Igbo and Nigeria can offer, but he is he is perfect for Atiku Abubakar as an individual. The reason is plain: The heaviest baggage of the former Vice President is the prevailing perception that the man is virally corrupt. Atiku, remember, is a high priest in the billionaire club of ex-civil servants, most of who met their wealth through illegitimate means. Thus, it would have been very impolitic for him to field Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the preferred VP choice of the South-East PDP leaders.

Get this clear, Ekweremadu is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic that has distinguished himself. He is very dynamic and could have made a better VP than Peter Obi—by far; but Nigerians are becoming wiser. Before dreaming of any future national elective office, the ebullient senator should hurry up and explain in clear terms how he amassed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to over 30 choice properties in three continents without any traceable commercial enterprise.


At this juncture, I must join to publicly rebuke the cuckoo governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his South-East PDP cohorts who, because Ekweremadu was not selected, have been peddling all the wrong reasons to deflate the choice of Peter Obi. The state of origin, for example, should not matter when choosing a presidential candidate or his running mate from Igbo land, especially where the chosen is heads and shoulders above his competitors.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

Leading the fanfare is the Ohaneze Ndigbo. But the socio-cultural group should tread very carefully. We must not appear to have forgotten so soon that the choice of an Igbo man as a vice-presidential candidate is far from historic. Actually, it was Muhammadu Buhari that led the way in the current Fourth Republic by nominating Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezuoke in 2007 while this same Atiku Abubakar fielded Ben Obi in 2007. Interestingly, however, the Ohaneze shunned those Igbo VP candidates, then in the opposition ranks, but opted for the PDP, the party then in power. This contradicting posture explains the disquieting suspicion that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization is the political oracle of the PDP.

Nevertheless, the Ohaneze must equally come to terms with the reality that the mere presence of the Igbo in important political positions has not always translated to public good in Igboland. Let me also add that, while Peter Obi might have performed well in Anambra, quite alright, he is not the kind of leader the Igbo need at the centre.

Obi’s leadership woes are apparent. The most mind-bugling is the failure to attract any meaningful federal project to Anambra state while in office. Lest we forget, as governor, Obi was the much-beloved close ally of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during the recent oil boom when the Igbo dominated virtually every important portfolio in the country.

Yet, there is nothing concrete to show in South-East for such powerful positions occupied by the Igbo, particularly in Anambra, where Peter Obi held sway. For instance, the major thoroughfare in the state, the Onitsha-Enugu Highway, remained a death trap while Peter was governor. The mass deceit on the 2nd River Niger Bridge during the Obi tenure has continued to beg the attention of Guinness World Records. Needless to mention how Goodluck Jonathan connived with the governor to declare open the Orient Petroleum Refinery in 2012 when the facility was not even halfway completed. The plot was to quell tension in the country by appearing as if Jonathan had solutions in the wake of the 2012 fuel crisis.

The failure with the Orient Petroleum Refinery, a PPP project, is deserving of curious attention. When my team inquired about the refinery in 2014, the management was seeking $100 million dollars to get a portion of the $660 million facility to truly come on stream. Yet, Governor Obi had Anambra billions glued in commercial banks. A visionary leader would have committed part of the savings for the completion of the refinery which could have provided employment to youths in the region. Or, more appropriately, considering his role in the fake opening of the refinery in 2012, Obi ought to have been able to influence President Jonathan for any federal support needed to rescue the refinery.

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

The answer is this: The ideal VP of Igbo extraction is a transformational leader with the ability to maximize available resources to not only perform assigned tasks but one who can also influence others towards the attainment of greater golas. For an Atiku presidency, however, Nigeria needs a strong vice-president that can steadily motivate and influence him towards national goals and objectives. Peter Obi is none of the above.

SKC Ogbonnia, Erstwhile 2019 APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Abuja; Email: SKCOgbonnia1@aol.com

Throwback:
I would have believed that your aspirations are noble and patriotic, if for all your criticisms that are both partisan and objective at times, you were parroting the emergence of the new breed of patriotic and corruption-free politicians to attain leadership.


Rather, you are championing the return of a 16yr failure PDP that never allowed Nigerians to benefit basic human rights guaranteed in a democracy, or the infrastructure for which funds were budgeted. To add salt to injury, you put your hopes in a corrupt billionaire civil servant who has already attained legendary status as a political prostitute, who had already been indicted of corruptly enriching himself some more as a Vice-President, and gained infamy for buying primary elections with unending dollars, as he moves about from party to party to achieve his unbridled quest for power.

I have been watching your correspondences for a while now and this very one struck gold with me because I agree with the fact that we are currently suffering from the sins of yesterday and looking at the swing of the pendulum, the future aint promised. This is why a political movement that is willing to challenge the status quo is on the underway to come erode the current political elements from their roots and implant new able hands who would be subject to the movements check and balance.
I mean, at this juncture of our national history, it's pertinent on elites to come to the rescue. We cannot continue to siddon look while some otherwise fools plunder away the future, snap us of hope, zap us of our energy as they continue giving us undue headache... Minding the public nature of here, you can pm me if you're interested in details...

Bannylove13:
Being true and honest is the game.. those people you claim.. can't win election in Nigeria of today.. maybe next decade..

2019 election is between Apc and pdp ..

I won't and will never go with Apc .. I know buhari from 84 and I know he has nothing .. I mean absolutely nothing to offer.. not even the intergrity .. buhari don't have it.. any sincere senior human can tell you that.. not kids oh ..

Atiku might be a thief .. corrupt .. killer or whtever you might call it.. but right now.. honestly he's a VERY necccesary EVIL.. he's the only candidate strong enough to send buhari back to daura.. and to a limit quickly change the fotunes of this country ..
Nigeria is going down.. real down and very fast.. both locally and globally.. were retrogression.. not even stagnant .

Let's try another hand .. at least another four years with a different captain ain't bad. Let's Balance things up.

There's no time for trial and error..
We must push hard .. forwardly as a country ..
let hope be restore. Like this many of our youth don't have hope or future.. look around you .. and judge honestly.. things are turning worst.

IMHO, Things have always been 'worst'. Buhari or Atiku, Nothing changes. Worst can only get worse or better still remain worse. What I think instead is that we are doomed until we agree to defer. How do we defer? By deliberately believing that what works is not going to work anymore, working in a different direction instead. Isn't it possible for all well meaning Nigerians who already know that the politicians are investors patiently waiting for the plums to ripe, stage a counterattack and besiege power from them? As situations stand, Nigeria is at war with itself . The politicians the villain, citizens, victims. Go figure.

SKCOgbonnia:
Peter Obi Is Perfect For Atiku, But Bad For Ndigbo And Nigeria
By SKC Ogbonnia
October 23, 2018

The excitement flowing behind the choice of Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential nominee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is a teachable moment. It shows that the Nigerians still appreciate good people. Overall, Obi acquitted himself credibly enough as governor of Anambra State. At least, he is one the very few former Nigerian governors without a litany of corrupt marks.

The former Anambra governor is also humble man. A self-made multibillionaire, through dint of hard work, Obi does not flaunt affluence, as most of them do, by acquiring private jets, chieftaincy titles or fake degrees. And, in case you have never taken notice, the man has chosen to remain a Mister: Mr. Peter Obi. Simple! His selection has, therefore, proven to the political class, particularly those of the Igbo stock, that the society at large looks beyond primitive accumulation of wealth and bogus titles.

Sum it this way: Peter Obi is certainly not the best the Igbo and Nigeria can offer, but he is he is perfect for Atiku Abubakar as an individual. The reason is plain: The heaviest baggage of the former Vice President is the prevailing perception that the man is virally corrupt. Atiku, remember, is a high priest in the billionaire club of ex-civil servants, most of who met their wealth through illegitimate means. Thus, it would have been very impolitic for him to field Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the preferred VP choice of the South-East PDP leaders.

Get this clear, Ekweremadu is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic that has distinguished himself. He is very dynamic and could have made a better VP than Peter Obi—by far; but Nigerians are becoming wiser. Before dreaming of any future national elective office, the ebullient senator should hurry up and explain in clear terms how he amassed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to over 30 choice properties in three continents without any traceable commercial enterprise.


At this juncture, I must join to publicly rebuke the cuckoo governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his South-East PDP cohorts who, because Ekweremadu was not selected, have been peddling all the wrong reasons to deflate the choice of Peter Obi. The state of origin, for example, should not matter when choosing a presidential candidate or his running mate from Igbo land, especially where the chosen is heads and shoulders above his competitors.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

Leading the fanfare is the Ohaneze Ndigbo. But the socio-cultural group should tread very carefully. We must not appear to have forgotten so soon that the choice of an Igbo man as a vice-presidential candidate is far from historic. Actually, it was Muhammadu Buhari that led the way in the current Fourth Republic by nominating Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezuoke in 2007 while this same Atiku Abubakar fielded Ben Obi in 2007. Interestingly, however, the Ohaneze shunned those Igbo VP candidates, then in the opposition ranks, but opted for the PDP, the party then in power. This contradicting posture explains the disquieting suspicion that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization is the political oracle of the PDP.

Nevertheless, the Ohaneze must equally come to terms with the reality that the mere presence of the Igbo in important political positions has not always translated to public good in Igboland. Let me also add that, while Peter Obi might have performed well in Anambra, quite alright, he is not the kind of leader the Igbo need at the centre.

Obi’s leadership woes are apparent. The most mind-bugling is the failure to attract any meaningful federal project to Anambra state while in office. Lest we forget, as governor, Obi was the much-beloved close ally of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during the recent oil boom when the Igbo dominated virtually every important portfolio in the country.

Yet, there is nothing concrete to show in South-East for such powerful positions occupied by the Igbo, particularly in Anambra, where Peter Obi held sway. For instance, the major thoroughfare in the state, the Onitsha-Enugu Highway, remained a death trap while Peter was governor. The mass deceit on the 2nd River Niger Bridge during the Obi tenure has continued to beg the attention of Guinness World Records. Needless to mention how Goodluck Jonathan connived with the governor to declare open the Orient Petroleum Refinery in 2012 when the facility was not even halfway completed. The plot was to quell tension in the country by appearing as if Jonathan had solutions in the wake of the 2012 fuel crisis.

The failure with the Orient Petroleum Refinery, a PPP project, is deserving of curious attention. When my team inquired about the refinery in 2014, the management was seeking $100 million dollars to get a portion of the $660 million facility to truly come on stream. Yet, Governor Obi had Anambra billions glued in commercial banks. A visionary leader would have committed part of the savings for the completion of the refinery which could have provided employment to youths in the region. Or, more appropriately, considering his role in the fake opening of the refinery in 2012, Obi ought to have been able to influence President Jonathan for any federal support needed to rescue the refinery.

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

The answer is this: The ideal VP of Igbo extraction is a transformational leader with the ability to maximize available resources to not only perform assigned tasks but one who can also influence others towards the attainment of greater golas. For an Atiku presidency, however, Nigeria needs a strong vice-president that can steadily motivate and influence him towards national goals and objectives. Peter Obi is none of the above.

SKC Ogbonnia, Erstwhile 2019 APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Abuja; Email: SKCOgbonnia1@aol.com

Who is this hungry wailer called Ogbonnia? He is a nonentity even in his family.


Pm me so I can connect you to Atiku's camp. You will be settled with beating.

SKCOgbonnia:
Peter Obi Is Perfect For Atiku, But Bad For Ndigbo And Nigeria
By SKC Ogbonnia
October 23, 2018

The excitement flowing behind the choice of Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential nominee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is a teachable moment. It shows that the Nigerians still appreciate good people. Overall, Obi acquitted himself credibly enough as governor of Anambra State. At least, he is one the very few former Nigerian governors without a litany of corrupt marks.

The former Anambra governor is also humble man. A self-made multibillionaire, through dint of hard work, Obi does not flaunt affluence, as most of them do, by acquiring private jets, chieftaincy titles or fake degrees. And, in case you have never taken notice, the man has chosen to remain a Mister: Mr. Peter Obi. Simple! His selection has, therefore, proven to the political class, particularly those of the Igbo stock, that the society at large looks beyond primitive accumulation of wealth and bogus titles.

Sum it this way: Peter Obi is certainly not the best the Igbo and Nigeria can offer, but he is he is perfect for Atiku Abubakar as an individual. The reason is plain: The heaviest baggage of the former Vice President is the prevailing perception that the man is virally corrupt. Atiku, remember, is a high priest in the billionaire club of ex-civil servants, most of who met their wealth through illegitimate means. Thus, it would have been very impolitic for him to field Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the preferred VP choice of the South-East PDP leaders.

Get this clear, Ekweremadu is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic that has distinguished himself. He is very dynamic and could have made a better VP than Peter Obi—by far; but Nigerians are becoming wiser. Before dreaming of any future national elective office, the ebullient senator should hurry up and explain in clear terms how he amassed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to over 30 choice properties in three continents without any traceable commercial enterprise.


At this juncture, I must join to publicly rebuke the cuckoo governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his South-East PDP cohorts who, because Ekweremadu was not selected, have been peddling all the wrong reasons to deflate the choice of Peter Obi. The state of origin, for example, should not matter when choosing a presidential candidate or his running mate from Igbo land, especially where the chosen is heads and shoulders above his competitors.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

Leading the fanfare is the Ohaneze Ndigbo. But the socio-cultural group should tread very carefully. We must not appear to have forgotten so soon that the choice of an Igbo man as a vice-presidential candidate is far from historic. Actually, it was Muhammadu Buhari that led the way in the current Fourth Republic by nominating Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezuoke in 2007 while this same Atiku Abubakar fielded Ben Obi in 2007. Interestingly, however, the Ohaneze shunned those Igbo VP candidates, then in the opposition ranks, but opted for the PDP, the party then in power. This contradicting posture explains the disquieting suspicion that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization is the political oracle of the PDP.

Nevertheless, the Ohaneze must equally come to terms with the reality that the mere presence of the Igbo in important political positions has not always translated to public good in Igboland. Let me also add that, while Peter Obi might have performed well in Anambra, quite alright, he is not the kind of leader the Igbo need at the centre.

Obi’s leadership woes are apparent. The most mind-bugling is the failure to attract any meaningful federal project to Anambra state while in office. Lest we forget, as governor, Obi was the much-beloved close ally of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during the recent oil boom when the Igbo dominated virtually every important portfolio in the country.

Yet, there is nothing concrete to show in South-East for such powerful positions occupied by the Igbo, particularly in Anambra, where Peter Obi held sway. For instance, the major thoroughfare in the state, the Onitsha-Enugu Highway, remained a death trap while Peter was governor. The mass deceit on the 2nd River Niger Bridge during the Obi tenure has continued to beg the attention of Guinness World Records. Needless to mention how Goodluck Jonathan connived with the governor to declare open the Orient Petroleum Refinery in 2012 when the facility was not even halfway completed. The plot was to quell tension in the country by appearing as if Jonathan had solutions in the wake of the 2012 fuel crisis.

The failure with the Orient Petroleum Refinery, a PPP project, is deserving of curious attention. When my team inquired about the refinery in 2014, the management was seeking $100 million dollars to get a portion of the $660 million facility to truly come on stream. Yet, Governor Obi had Anambra billions glued in commercial banks. A visionary leader would have committed part of the savings for the completion of the refinery which could have provided employment to youths in the region. Or, more appropriately, considering his role in the fake opening of the refinery in 2012, Obi ought to have been able to influence President Jonathan for any federal support needed to rescue the refinery.

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

The answer is this: The ideal VP of Igbo extraction is a transformational leader with the ability to maximize available resources to not only perform assigned tasks but one who can also influence others towards the attainment of greater golas. For an Atiku presidency, however, Nigeria needs a strong vice-president that can steadily motivate and influence him towards national goals and objectives. Peter Obi is none of the above.

SKC Ogbonnia, Erstwhile 2019 APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Abuja; Email: SKCOgbonnia1@aol.com

He is right. Most Igbo politicians won't like obi because he does not share money. And they won't want to have an igbos as VP that will not share money as usual. Me too don't like obi, because I know he won't share money.

But I have to put National interest first, because I know the ordinary Nigeria will have a chance to smile for once with obi as VP. Jobs will be created, cost of governance reduced, we will have a productive nation .

[s]

SKCOgbonnia:
Peter Obi Is Perfect For Atiku, But Bad For Ndigbo And Nigeria
By SKC Ogbonnia
October 23, 2018

The excitement flowing behind the choice of Peter Obi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential nominee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is a teachable moment. It shows that the Nigerians still appreciate good people. Overall, Obi acquitted himself credibly enough as governor of Anambra State. At least, he is one the very few former Nigerian governors without a litany of corrupt marks.

The former Anambra governor is also humble man. A self-made multibillionaire, through dint of hard work, Obi does not flaunt affluence, as most of them do, by acquiring private jets, chieftaincy titles or fake degrees. And, in case you have never taken notice, the man has chosen to remain a Mister: Mr. Peter Obi. Simple! His selection has, therefore, proven to the political class, particularly those of the Igbo stock, that the society at large looks beyond primitive accumulation of wealth and bogus titles.

Sum it this way: Peter Obi is certainly not the best the Igbo and Nigeria can offer, but he is he is perfect for Atiku Abubakar as an individual. The reason is plain: The heaviest baggage of the former Vice President is the prevailing perception that the man is virally corrupt. Atiku, remember, is a high priest in the billionaire club of ex-civil servants, most of who met their wealth through illegitimate means. Thus, it would have been very impolitic for him to field Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the preferred VP choice of the South-East PDP leaders.

Get this clear, Ekweremadu is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic that has distinguished himself. He is very dynamic and could have made a better VP than Peter Obi—by far; but Nigerians are becoming wiser. Before dreaming of any future national elective office, the ebullient senator should hurry up and explain in clear terms how he amassed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to over 30 choice properties in three continents without any traceable commercial enterprise.


At this juncture, I must join to publicly rebuke the cuckoo governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his South-East PDP cohorts who, because Ekweremadu was not selected, have been peddling all the wrong reasons to deflate the choice of Peter Obi. The state of origin, for example, should not matter when choosing a presidential candidate or his running mate from Igbo land, especially where the chosen is heads and shoulders above his competitors.

But that is where any sympathy for the Obi candidacy ought to end, especially for majority of the Igbo who have been jubilating as if, somehow, they had a sudden embrace with the Messiah.

Leading the fanfare is the Ohaneze Ndigbo. But the socio-cultural group should tread very carefully. We must not appear to have forgotten so soon that the choice of an Igbo man as a vice-presidential candidate is far from historic. Actually, it was Muhammadu Buhari that led the way in the current Fourth Republic by nominating Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezuoke in 2007 while this same Atiku Abubakar fielded Ben Obi in 2007. Interestingly, however, the Ohaneze shunned those Igbo VP candidates, then in the opposition ranks, but opted for the PDP, the party then in power. This contradicting posture explains the disquieting suspicion that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization is the political oracle of the PDP.

Nevertheless, the Ohaneze must equally come to terms with the reality that the mere presence of the Igbo in important political positions has not always translated to public good in Igboland. Let me also add that, while Peter Obi might have performed well in Anambra, quite alright, he is not the kind of leader the Igbo need at the centre.

Obi’s leadership woes are apparent. The most mind-bugling is the failure to attract any meaningful federal project to Anambra state while in office. Lest we forget, as governor, Obi was the much-beloved close ally of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during the recent oil boom when the Igbo dominated virtually every important portfolio in the country.

Yet, there is nothing concrete to show in South-East for such powerful positions occupied by the Igbo, particularly in Anambra, where Peter Obi held sway. For instance, the major thoroughfare in the state, the Onitsha-Enugu Highway, remained a death trap while Peter was governor. The mass deceit on the 2nd River Niger Bridge during the Obi tenure has continued to beg the attention of Guinness World Records. Needless to mention how Goodluck Jonathan connived with the governor to declare open the Orient Petroleum Refinery in 2012 when the facility was not even halfway completed. The plot was to quell tension in the country by appearing as if Jonathan had solutions in the wake of the 2012 fuel crisis.

The failure with the Orient Petroleum Refinery, a PPP project, is deserving of curious attention. When my team inquired about the refinery in 2014, the management was seeking $100 million dollars to get a portion of the $660 million facility to truly come on stream. Yet, Governor Obi had Anambra billions glued in commercial banks. A visionary leader would have committed part of the savings for the completion of the refinery which could have provided employment to youths in the region. Or, more appropriately, considering his role in the fake opening of the refinery in 2012, Obi ought to have been able to influence President Jonathan for any federal support needed to rescue the refinery.

Yes, leadership is all about influence. If Peter Obi could not influence Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, a very pliable and weak president, to attract projects to Anambra State; what are the chances then that he (Obi) can even gain the attention of a strong character like Atiku Abubakar who, as a Vice-President, was arguably more powerful and shrewd than his boss, a brutal four-star general?

The answer is this: The ideal VP of Igbo extraction is a transformational leader with the ability to maximize available resources to not only perform assigned tasks but one who can also influence others towards the attainment of greater golas. For an Atiku presidency, however, Nigeria needs a strong vice-president that can steadily motivate and influence him towards national goals and objectives. Peter Obi is none of the above.

SKC Ogbonnia, Erstwhile 2019 APC Presidential Aspirant, writes from Abuja; Email: SKCOgbonnia1@aol.com

[/s]

Crap from these hungry APC writers.

They are terrified that they have lost and they are seeking every gimmick possible to divide the PDP.