₦airaland Forum

Yar'Adua himself didn't stand a chance, until Obasanjo and the PDP decided to back

Well, it seems the south east is also gunning fot the vp slot. I won't put anything past Obj, even Andy Uba.

The tribune has already written their news for tomorrow:
http://www.tribune.com.ng/17122006/news/news1.html

On further though, maybe we should not be too quick to conclude, when I remember how Saul and David where chosen by God it amazes me how inappropriate they seem for the throne. Even they themselves thought they were not worthy. I am prepared to give Yar'Adua the benefit of the doubt, but only if he picks the right VP, Donald Duke. I will reserve further conclussions until then.

To be honest it has been a waste of time and money, even at $3.50 because all I hear is Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Gusau, Marwa, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Yar'Adua, Gana, Gusau.

It is so boring. Yar' Adua must have won over 90% of the votes. What on earth did they say, do or give to the delegates to make them vote so overwhelmingly for Yar'Adua? Shame on the PDP, party of robots.

There may well be a backlash against Obasanjo which could enable Buhari win. If Buhari picks a good running mat he could well win. Yar'Adua needs to pick his running mate very careful otherwise it could be disasterous. Duke as his VP wiould mobilise the progressive and youth vote.

It is going to be an interesting election. The PDP election was a charade but the general election will be a real ccontest of heavy weights and it will be difficult for the PDP to rig.

This is a joke. Yar'Adua must have won over 90% of the votes counted so far. If this were a boxing match it would have been stopped by now.

Don't the delegates have a mind of their own. Even if Obj and the PDP directed to vote for Yar'Adua could they still vote based on their conscience. They may have been massively bought over with cash

It is looking like a landslide for Yar'Adua, all the ballots are counted out aloud and so far most have been for Yar'Adua. Gasau seems to be a distant second.

The votes are about to be sorted, there is a box for each candidate. Everyone is looking nervous

Voting has ended and the stage is now set for the counting of the votes. This is exciting stuff, anyone else watching?

I don't believe this, NTA transmission don cut. They are now showing Oruka. I hope this is not deliberate to allow rigging out of live TV viewing

For those living abroad who are interested in watching the PDP convention, you can watch it live at http://www.africast.tv for a subscription fee of about $3.50

Very well said Ioyika. Very wise and impressive words.

Buchi07, You can vie for the Governor position without relevant experience which is where most people start, however the Presidency is the highest job in the land and requires experience. All the serious contenders for president have experience, you can't compare running for Governor with running for President.

If EFCC were to probe Okotie's, do you think he will be cleared as clean? The man is very wealthy, why has the money come from? Probably the same way many Nigeria pastors get their money. Please don't get me started.

Buchi07, I disagree. All the front runners in the race a re better qualified than Okotie, who has no political experience or any other experience that qualifies him for the highest office in the land. I totally agree with Obasanjo that the next President should be a Governor because state Governance is a mini model of national governance. Let okotie vie for Governor of Delta State, which I don't think he will win, before thinking or becoming President.

TayD, to say Duke is not passionate about the presidency becuase he has withdrawn is a joke. Duke said he will not withdraw for anyone and he hasn't, the party has zoned the presidency to the North, that is an entirely different thing. Duke is a loyal man and even though it was stupid of the PDP to zone the presidencuy at the eleventh hour, after all the southern candidates had spent millions and wasted time and energy, Duke will not be a rebel. Are you saying that all the other candidates like Odili, Markafi etc who have also withdraw were not passionate because they withdrew. Nonsense! Politics is about compromise and were there is no compromise it could lead to civil war.

If Duke is given the Vice Presidential ticket and the PDP wins then it is almost certain that Duke will become the next President of the country by or before 2015, in my mind that is much better that nothing. If he chose to rebel and refuse to step down he would loose the support of the party and many northerners which would make him unsellable in the future i.e. he would loose everything. A Vice President Duke, especially if Yar' Adua is President, would shine brighly and make his eventual crowning inevitable.

Keep Dreaming about Okotie. Yeah right! Okotie has vision that is why he started as a lawyer, then became a musician, then a pastor and now wants to become President. If his vision/prophesy that God said he will be president in 2003 never came to pass, why should anyone believe in his vision for Nigeria? I am not even sure he is qualified to be the Governor of Delta State. The man is a joker and will never be President.

Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State today formally withdrew from the Peoples' Democratic Party presidential primaries scheduled for Saturday, December 16, 2006, in Abuja. Governor Duke's decision to withdraw from the race is in line with the decision of the leadership of the PDP to zone the presidency to the North.

Mr. Donald Duke was, until his decision to withdraw from the race, a frontline candidate for the ticket of the PDP. His presidential campaign had been anchored on the platform of visible and credible achievements of his administration in Cross River State. This message of Duke's platform had resonated well with Nigerians' burning desire for change and credible leadership for the country.

In spite of his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, Mr. Duke intends to continue to preach the message of hope and a credible and effective transformation of the country. Governor Duke is grateful to all his supporters and the multitude of Nigerians who believe in his message and support his candidacy for the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Clem Baiye
Director-General
The Donald Duke Campaign Organisation
Abuja.
http://www.donaldduke4president.org/

EFCC probes Odili over corruption
By Jibola Oyekunle
Published: Sunday, 10 Dec 2006
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed that it is investigating Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State over allegation of corruption.

Skip to next paragraph

File
Peter Odili

Its Director of Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, exclusively told Sunday Punch this, during a walk it organised to mark the World International Day Against Corruption, on Saturday.

He stated that the investigation of the governor came on the heels of a report of the Sahara Reporters, based in New York in the United States.

Part of the report described as questionable an alleged payment of the sum of N2 billion to a little known consultancy company, Rockson Engineering Company Limited (with Corporate Affairs Commission registration number RC380929).

It alleged that the company, which was registered on May 16, 2000, had floated an airline (name withheld).

“In a release letter dated November 21,2000, Dr. Odili caused a bank (name withheld) to deposit the sum of N2.0 billion into the accounts of Rockson Engineering, barely six months after the company was incorporated,” the report said.

Also contained in the report is a breakdown of 7 different accounts operated by the Rivers State Government, alleging that “the account opening documentation showed weak compliance with Section 3 of the ML (P) Act 2003.

It alleged that none of the accounts had evidence of identification provided by their signatories.

Lamorde, however, declined comments on how far the commission had gone in the investigation.

He said, ”It is too early to comment on the matter because the investigation has just started. As soon as it is concluded and we have a proven evidence of corruption against the governor, we will call a press conference.”

He added that the commission would make sure that INEC screened out anyone the commission had proven evidence of corruption against, from the contestants for the 2007 elections.

He urged Nigerians to develop the courage to abhor and say no to corruption.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is still keeping the officials of the Enugu State Government who were arrested two weeks ago on allegations of corruption, in spite of the ruling of a Federal High Court in Enugu on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, which ordered their immediate release.

Lamorde told Sunday Punch that the commission had not received any official order to release the detained officials. ”As I am talking to you, no written order has been received by the commission. We will not release them until we get an official order to do so,” he disclosed.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200612101364723

Donzman, corruption na corruption. period. In fact the reason why, if indeed Odili ineed stole and set up the airline, he probably didn't take the money abroad is because it is becoming more difficult to stash money away in developed countries. He could have been arrested for money laundering but I bet he has millions abroad already.

This is why I love Donald Duke. Here's what he said when asked about corruption and people who abuse their position of trust. Duke: , I talked about the elites who are in positions of trust and authority; that is criminal. That is not even corruption. That is pure crime. When someone in a position of trust confiscates the resources of the people entrusted to him for his personal use, then that is not just corruption; it is outright crime. Yes they say corruption is a crime, but it is as criminal as armed robbery.

I totally agree with Duke, it is as criminal as armed robbery.

Coco, Nigeria is a fantastic country to visit. It has got everything. There are some 15,000 britons living in Nigeria and many don't want to leave.

Nigeria is so large that many Nigeria haven't more than 10% of the country. There are many other beautiful locations to see other than Lagos and Abuja, including Jos, Calabar and Obudu. I think you should go.

By the way there is also a large number of west indian women living in Nigeria, most married to Nigerian men. You'll throughly enjoy Nigeria, especially is you are just visiting for a short stay.

Enjoy!!!

http://www.dukepac.biz/110601.html

The leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), worried over the number of presidential aspirants, has now pencilled in governors of Katsina and CrossRiver, Umar Yar’Adua and Donald Duke, for the presidency.
Tunji OLAWUNI, Abuja

The PDP had been worried sick over those jostling to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo ahead of next month’s national convention. At the last count, no fewer than 15 aspirants including state governors had picked the nomination form on payment of the mandatory N5-million Naira.

One of the governor aspirants, Peter Odili of Rivers, will today submit his form at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja before addressing a world press conference to unfold his plan for the country.

Sources disclosed over the weekend that while the leadership of the party led by its national chairman, Amadu Ali was busy on how to prune the list, the presidency might have penciled in Yar’Adua and Duke.

According to a source, the two have been pencilled in to pair each other following the prudent ways they managed state resources and not known to be frugal with state funds.

It was learnt that a governor from the South-South actually picked nomination form for Yar’Adua to contest the presidential polls and this might have explained the unusual silence of the governor in recent times.

Governor James Ibori after the national executive committee of the party in Abuja last month gave vent to this arrangement when he told journalists that the successor of Obasanjo would come from among the governors.

Sources disclosed that even with the weekend declaration of the vice president, Atiku Abubakar, to contest the presidential election, the PDP seemed not bothered and had concluded plans to ensure only anointed candidates emerge.

Meanwhile, the party has empowered its presidential screening committee to disqualify any aspirant found to have been indicted for corruption or any financial impropriety or abuse of office.

Date for the collection of nomination forms from the PDP will close next week December 5 and in time for screening before the national convention December 16.

Source: http://www.businessdayonline.com/?c=45&a=9855

Revolution: I will only accept this if Duke is the President and Yar'Adua the vice. Any comments?

BY Leadership     
DATE : Thursday, 16 November 2006 
Governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje of Gombe State has lauded his Cross River State counterpart Donald Duke on the economic and infrastructural transformation of Cross River State in the last seven years-plus.


“If given the chance to rule Nigeria, such transformation would be replicated in the remaing states and that will translate to a better economy and living condition,” stressed Goje when he received Duke in Gombe.

The Gombe State helmsman expressed confidence in the ability of Donald Duke to salvage and take Nigeria to greater heights if elected come 2007.

He eulogised President Obasanjo for asking the governors to choose the next presidential candidate from their ranks, saying that nothing could be more visionary as the governors would always know where the shoe pinches if they became president.
“For instance, if Duke becomes the president, it would be easy for him to understand, if I go to him with the problem of youth restiveness or unemployment and the like because he had been there before,” explained Goje.

For his part, Governor Duke commended Goje for his efforts in Gombe State, describing him as one of the best performing governors whose works overshadowed his years in office.

Link: http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1426&PHPSESSID=e1f16924491a5c766bfef4e017

Ezeking, correction, Okotie did not win the Silverbird/Vanguard Poll, he only won that round. There is still the final round where the contestant have to debate against each other before the final round of voting and the winner is picked.

Correction no 2: The fact that an accounting firm did the counting does not make it valid or reflective of what will happen. Why do you think they never published the total number of people who voted? Because many people did not vote and most of the ones who did were probably from Okotie's Church. You only have to look at who came second, third, fourth etc in that poll to realise it was flawed. Are you seriously telling me Sam Egwu is more popular than the others on the list?

Final point: Duke had not declared by the time the poll ended. Remember it ended days before the results were anounced and Duke hadn't declared by then so people didn't think he will run.

In the mean time please enjoy some of Duke's campaign photos:

http://www.dukepac.biz/110601.html

Also, here are some of Duke's declaration photos: http://www.dukepac.biz/119801.html

http://www.dukepac.biz/110601.html

Also, here are some of Duke's declaration photos: http://www.dukepac.biz/119801.html

Enjoy!

For me it is very simple, if the PDP fails to pick Donald Duke as their presidential candidate I will use all the energy I currently use to campaign for Duke to campaign against the PDP. Only Duke can save the PDP from iminent defeat at the polls.

It is simple, No Duke, No PDP. I will immediate switch to supporting Pat Utomi if the PDP don't pick Duke. Wow! That is amazing and reminds me of the prophesy I read a while back that said Duke will become the next President of Nigeria, but if the PDP fail to pick him them Utomi will be President, See prophesy below, mmm, interesting:


Ibadan John the Baptist speaks
By GBENGA ABEGUNRIN, Ibadan
Thursday, July 6, 2006 National Index
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2006/july/06/national-06-07-2006-005.htm


Reverend Perez Iyiola Oluyemi is well known in Ibadan, Oyo State capital for many of his predictions that had come to pass.
Recently the man of God revealed that Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State would be President Olusegun Obasanjo's successor in year 2007.

The clergy further added that Nigeria would become a great nation that would give solace to other countries of the world, both spiritually and economcally in the year 2009 if the issue of 2007 general election is not allowed to divide he country.

Addressing a press conference at his Adamasingba, Ibadan church office recently, Reverend Oluyemi stated that northerners should forget about the presidency for now as power would not shift to the region in 2007 .

The man of God, however, added that if the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fails to pick Governor Duke as its presidential candidate in 2007, another person from the region would emerge as the next president from another political party, maintaining that Professor Pat Utomi is the only alternative to Governor Duke.

In his words "If the PDP would still remain as the ruling party, it has to pick Donald Duke. If it fails to do so, Pat Utomi would emerge from another party because the star of presidency is dangling on both of them. Either of the two can emerge, but Donald Duke is more favoured.

"The next president would be a nationalist and a patrotic Nigerian with disciplined background, who would be a father indeed for all the tribes in the country. A person that would prepare Nigerians for the economic boom the country would witness in 2009."

Reverend Oluyemi, however, added that like the voice of John the Baptist in the Holy Bible, his prophecies would surely come to fulfilment, maintaining that God has instructed him to blow the trumpet across the country.

Remember Nigeria is a democracy now. The next president can't abolish the EFCC without the approval of the National Assembly, who have demonstrated in the last few years that they are prepared to do their constitutional role of checking and balancing the executive.

Big B 1 or 2: have you been to Cross River State? If not please visit ASAP and then come back and tell us if you still think Duke is not ready.

There were a lot of doubters in CR when he was first elected but now all of them are convinced, so much so that he won 98% of the vote in 2003. Duke is a folk here in Cross Rivers because he has achieved what vew few, if any, Nigerian leaders have achieved before i.e. performed exellently and carried the people along with him.

I am not from Cross River or the South South yet I support Duke 100% because he is the man.

I think he should have run for Governor of Delta State, if at all.

Otokx, it is too late to vote in the silverbird poll, see https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-30701.0.html#bot

Big B1 you have nothing to worry about. Nobody can win the presidential elections without winning the north therefore Okotie has no chance. He can't even win in the south, the silverbird poll was very seriously flawed and they should admit that and cancel it rather proceed with the Presidential debate.