₦airaland Forum

I don't think it was rigged by the organisers but probably was manipulated by some people i.e. by getting their supporters to vote several times if they have multiple phones, or it could be simple that the people who bothered to vote where mainly Okotie's supporters.  I definitely don't think the sample of people who voted is representative of the Nigerian electrorate and that's why they are reluctant to tell us how many people voted.

The best way to do a poll is to chose a random sample of 1,000 accross the nation and ask them the relevant questions. If you wait for people to phone in only people interested in that poll will bother and that means the proresult will not be accurate. The only poll I have seen that was done this way and may have credibility was the one Marwa won, but that was before Duke declared so he wasn't included.

I have no doubt it was mainly people from Okotie's church, or other christians who like him, who voted inSilverbird poll. I find it embarrasing that embarrassing that in a country like Nigeria there are no true opinion poll organisations like Mori. Opinion polls are cruicial in a democracy because it would help the party delegates decide who the people really want. However in Nigeria they are usually organised by a politicians campaign and rigged to suit him and that's why all the various polls show different voting intentions. Only the internet polls have been consistent so far and that says something.

I find that hard to believe that Okotie will top any poll that accurately reflects the will of Nigerians… I think he most have mobilized his entire church to vote. They didn’t say how many people voted in total… if the total number of votes was low then you can easily see how his church members would have made a difference.

The only thing this proves is that the silverbird/vanguard poll was inaccurate and skwed and did not get the involvement of a wide spectrum of Nigerians. A true opinion poll should approach a variety of people for their fews rather than wait for people to give their views, otherwise a certain type of people only may express their fews. Also many people have more than 1 phone

The Silverbird/Vanguard search for the people's president continues and will end at the end of November. Have those of you in Nigeria voted yet? Duke must make the last four to be included in a televised debate which will generate lots of publicity.

Text ' duke for president' to the number 937 on the Globacom network. Get voting.

The Silverbird/Vanguard search for the people's president continues and will end at the end of November. Have those of you in Nigeria voted yet? Duke must make the last four tobe included in a televised debate which will generate lots of publicity.

Text ' duke for president' to the number 937 on the Globacom network. Get voting.

Please visit Donald Duke's blog at http://donaldduke..com/ to watch a brief video of his declaration last week in Abuja.

Duke is currently campaigning in Northern Nigeria but will soon be available to answer some of your questions so please stay tuned to the blog to ensure you don't miss the opportunity.

Streetcyph, I don't understand your point. Duke is from the South-South so if you are saying the North or the South-South will get the presidency then that means Duke could become president. The whole of the south-south are minorities so you are contradicting yourself.

Big B1, I suggest you start off by reading Duke's interview with Tell Magazine just before his declaraion. http://www.donaldduke2007.com/Tell%20Magazine%20X-Rays%20Duke's%20Achievement.htm

There are lots of impressive facts and figures there,  including some of these:

1) There are over 1,000 hotel rooms under construction in Cross River simply because of the sheer volume of traffic of people going there. Hotels in CR have a 70% occupancy rate, one of the highest in Nigeria. The Metropolitan Hotel was a relic when Duke came in but now it is being re-developed by its new owners, the Chagouri Group, into a four star hotel
2) There are over 7,000 people currently employed at Tinapa and this will rise to 10,000 at the end of this year. Think of the multiplier effect this has on the people living around there
3) CR is the largest producers of oil palm in Nigeria
4) CR is the second largest producer of Cocoa in Nigeria after Ondo. Not many people know that
5) CR is the largest producers of banana and plantain In Nigeria
6) 75 per cent of Cross River is on the national electricity grid. This figure is by far the highest in the country. When Duke came in it was about 15%
7) The privatisation programme in Cross River can easily be adjudged as the most successful in the country. For example, Calcemco was bought over by Flour Mills for about N1.2bn after it ceased functioning for about 10 years before. They have turned it around and it is working at 100 per cent production capacity.  It is also an ecologically-friendly cement factory. Duke is trying to make it the most ecologically-friendly factory in the world. The cement required in Tinapa was obtained from that factory. Today, the cement factory has gone into partnership with Orascom, an Egyptian company. They are building the biggest cement factory in the world This means more jobs
8. Cross River has one of the best urban infrastructure in Nigeria today; all the urban roads have sidewalks
9) Before Duke came to power there were no direct flights to Calabar but now there are at least 3 flights a day including Aero Contractor. Virgin Nigeria is too start flying there soon. Why? Because CR has the fastest growing economy in the country.
10) CR has one of the lowest crime rates in Nigeria because of Duke's insistence on using unemployed people in the execution of contracts

There are a lot more. If you doubt any of the facts then I suggest you pay a visit to Calabar and see for yourself,  I am sure that will convince you.

Watch out for the Obudu mountain race, which is now an offical IAAF event, on the 25th of this month. The event is even bigger this year with 20 of the top mountain race countries including the New Zealand, USA, Colombia, Australia, Czech Republic, South Africa, Austria and Kenya. The reigning world mountain race champion, Orlando Ortiz from Colombia and the women's champion, Andrea Mayr from Austria will also be attending. This will generate lots of publicity for Cross River State and will bring more tourists.

Big B1, again I say I have nothing against traditional dress,  I actually encourage it but it has to be appropriate. Let me give an example. I saw pictures of some of the politicians at the recent 'This Day' Independence dance attended by Beyonce etc and they were still wearing babanriga. Ah ah. They wear the attire all day long,  even at a western pop concert.

Again I say I really like your signature,  all I am saying if they have to hear traditional attire let them wear it at the appropriate time and do it in style. Here is a picture of Duke in traditional attire. That is style.

As for pot belles,  I take your point but I have never seen anyone who went to the gym and ate right who was unable to shed a pot belle. My own father has a pot belle,  a few year back he stopped drinking and his pot belle went down quickly. Unfortunately he started drinking again and it came back. The point here is that it is a choice. Too much pounded yam does not help either 

Tyrex, please explain.

No, I am not mising the point, far from it. I take your point about ability but my point is about charisma and professionalism which highly impacts your ability to motivate and convince people. It is a known fact that leaders with charisma achieve more results where negotiation is involved. Presentation and appearance is very important in politics and this is something Nigerians have failed to realise. Why is it in the western world people are expected to dress smart to work; does how you dress affect you abilities? No, but most companies know that your appearance is key to how people perceive you and could affect your ability to close a key deal.

The same applies to overweight. I think it sets a bad example for a leader to get overweight to the point where he looks pregnant. It is also a bad example, healthwise. In the world we live in appearnace matters; that is a fact.

You are missing the point if you thing I am insulting the agbada or Nigerian culture. The point is it is not appropraite for all occassions. Take the tuxedo suit for example; it is fantastic when worn to dinner parties but would look stupid and inappropriate if worn to work everyday.

The same applies to speaking. Leaders who speak well achieve better results motivating people e.g. Clinton campared to Bush. Does how you speak affect your abilities? No. Does it affect your effectivies? Absolutely. We have never had a motivation leader in Nigeria. Ghana has had Nkrumah and Rawlings. That tells you something about why we are were we are today.

A leader who is not motivated enough to go to the gym and keep in shape or dress appropiately for all occassions will probably not be motivated enough to lead properly and face the difficult tasks that he/she will face. Think of all the great leaders you know,  I can think of Mandela, Martin Luther king, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair etc all of them looked good and spoke well.

I strongly believe it is a mentality thing and often these Agbada Nigerian leaders often have a different mentality from the Dukes and Soludos, Rufai etc. If Nigeria elects Duke President you will be amased the difference his charisma, style and youth will make in what he achieve on the international stage. You will also be amased how much easier he will motive the people in Nigeria to follow him.

Big B1, I have just seen your signature: It's not what you do, it's how is done:::::Style is a KING. So I am sure you understand what I mean.

Big B 1, I actually love Agbadas. The people I call Agbada boys are 1) those who are so out of shape, i.e. pot belle and all, that the only thing that fits them is an agbada 2) Those politicians that wear them all the time even when they invited to plant trees or lay the foundation of a building. You see them struggling to do things properly because of the bulk of the agbada. Agbada is a ceremonial attire and so should be won on ceremonial occassions rather than wearing it everyday to the office, it will only get in the way.

Oracle, I support Duke 100%

Big B1, listen if you loved Nigeria like you say you do you would NEVER even suggest that IBB became President. If you knew Nigeria like you say you do then you would also realise that Gowon, who still holds the record for the longest period of time as head of state i.e. 9 years, was only 32 years old when he came into power and at that age successfully lead the nation through the civil war. OBJ himself and M. Muhammad were both about 37 when they became head of state. IBB was about 44 years old, even younger than Duke is, when he became head of state,  so to say Duke does not have the experience is absolute NON-SENSE. It is because of people like Nigeria is backward,  you can never look forward.

IBB had about 8 years experience when he annulled June 12. If his experience counted for anything then he should have known that was a stupid idea. ObJ has ruled Nigeria for a total of 11 years and yet he is still making stupid mistakes like allowing the unconstitutional impeachment of Governors etc. Don't tell me nonsense about experience.

Nigeria has had a string of stupid, incapable, illiterate leaders since independence and here we are with the opportunity to get probably the best leader ever and you say he is not yet ready. Non-Sense,  the man Governed Cross Rivers State firmly and ordered the arrest of several top politicians who tried to cause chaos. So don't mistake the peace and tranquility in CR state with it being an easy state to govern, it was simply that Duke was a very good governor.

away with the agbada boys, bring on the contemporary politicians.

Listen, you don't need no oyibo or Nigerian living abroad. You need an intelligent Nigerian. In any case if you really think a Nigerian who has lived abroad for a while is the answer then my man Duke also fits that profile. The man is very much like Clinton and even plays Jazz music on the sax like Clinton. So I don't agree with your criteria but if you insist then look no further than Duke.

See the attached photo evidence,

Nigeria currently has over $40bn in the reserves, if iBB become president it will disappear

Duke's personal Blog: http://donaldduke..com/

Official website: http://www.donaldduke4president.org/

This is your opportunity to send Duke personal messages. The website is now up and running receiving lots of updates so keep checking it for daily news.

Duke's personal Blog: http://donaldduke..com/

Official website: http://www.donaldduke4president.org/

This is your opportunity to send Duke personal messages. The website is now up and running receiving lots of updates so keep checking it for daily news.

ATTAHDYE, you make me laugh   If the presence of poverty is yardstick for success then there is no successful government anywhere in this world. Tell me one state, including Abuja, where there is no poverty. None. US has poverty, the UK has poverty, China the fastest growing econmy in the world has poverty by the bucketloads, are you saying China is a failure because of the presence of poverty? It takes a very long time to reduce poverty significantly and in many cases it can't be eradicated. Most state governments in Nigeria are not financially equiped to significantly fight poverty so for Duke to have achieved what he did with the limited resources he should be given credit. It is also important to note that it takes years for the benefits of investment to trickle down to the poor; Tinapa hasn't even be commissioned yet. In a few years we will all look back and realise how much of an impact these Duke project and policies had.

Noby says Duke is perfect; all we say is he is the best of the pack. If you disagree or choose to criticise him then please tell us who you think is better for 2007 and please provide proof of why you say or think so. Please don't mention Utomi and people like that who have no track record.

Gomer, are you still having problems viewing dukeforpresident.com?

Regarding your question about getting people to vote, I think it will be very different this time. People usually don't bother voting because of the quality of candidates available but with Duke in the pack I believe lots of people will be inspired to vote. Also women are usually inclined to vote more than men; you will see lots of women turning out to vote for duke because he is handsome, which of course is the wrong reason but we don't care how Duke gets to Aso Rock, as long as he gets there.

Gomer, which website are you referring to? The new official website is: http://www.donaldduke4president.org/

Amen to that.

I have said it before and will say it again. The next president of Nigeria will be Donald Duke.

Let the battle begin. For the first time in the history of Nigeria we would have a president who went through the Nigerian University system and thus would show more interest than the military leaders who don't care.

I believe Duke is the official PDP candidate,  but they are keeping quiet in order not to seem biased.

dblock, it is a completely different website with it's own forum; see www.dukeforpresident.com

Enjoy!!

http://www.dukeforpresident.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=24

Enjoy!!

http://www.dukeforpresident.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=24

TayoD, I am aware that the gens don't run 24/7, that would be far to expensive to maintain and would push up the price of staying at the ranch. The lack of stable electricity in Nigeria is disgraceful and further underlines how poorly our leaders have done since independence and that is why we need a revolutionary like Duke for President in 2007.

Regarding your comment - "I do not intend to step into any Airplane in Naija ever again"; what were you taking a taxi to the airfield for if you don't fly in Nigeria? Were you going to the airfield to get a bus back home?

Also, have you never lost a relative in a road accident? If so, then how come you still use the roads. The truth is as bad as Nigeria's air industry seems it is still much safer than Nigeria's roads. The probability of dying in a plane crash in Nigeria, or anywhere in the world for that matter, is much slimmer but because of the press coverage that accompanies a plane crash it seems worse. If all road accidents received the same attention then maybe you will only be treking or using bicycle to your destinations.

TayoD, your analogy is like someone saying I got to Murtala Muhamed airport and the escalotors, lifts, airconditioning were not working therefore I am not going to board any plane there because it may crash.

There are different operators at the Obudu ranch; the cable car was built and is operated by a foreign firm, the hotel is operated by a South African international standard hotel chain and I am sure the shuttle bus that coveyed you to the airfield had a completely different operator from the cable car and hotel. Therefore don't link the two because they are unrelated.

The ranch/cable car does not depend on NEPA or Power Holdings Company; it has it own brand new generators.

Enjoy!!

http://www.dukeforpresident.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=24

If someone changes his/her Nigerian surname to an english surname that is one thing but if he/she was born with an English surname then that is a totally different thing. Donald Duke was born with that surname so please let's focus on real issues.

not always, certainly not even most time,  most people from Cross River have Nigerian surnames and since when did Askia become an English name?

In any case it does not matter, Why do Yourubas answers Williams, Taylor etc? Who cares.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=56887

Arewa Democratic Youth Forum have described Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State as the best and suitable presidential candidate from the South-south, for the 2007 election.
Secretary-General of the group, Mallam Salim Abdullah, said at the weekend in Abuja, that the forum carried out an assessment study of all those aspiring to lead the country next year, and concluded that Duke fits the bill.
According to a statement signed by Abdullah, “our assessment was based on the main fact that we are in total support of power shift to the South-south, coupled with the fact that we are strongly in support of generational change and Duke is a bridge builder,” Abdullah said, adding that the forum, which is a coalition of youth associations from the 19 northern states and the FCT, was proud of Duke’s record of achievement as governor.
“He is one state Chief Executive we can confidently say has done creditably well in terms of performance in office.”
The Forum said this time around, Nigeria needs a young, vibrant and resourceful person as President, to catapult her to the next level of socio-political and economic development.
While noting that Duke had received N126 billion from the Federation Account which places the state in the bottom of the table of states in the Niger Delta, it said “we are proud to announce that this young man has utilised the money judiciously, we were in Cross River State, we saw the happiness on the faces of the people. Duke invested heavily in Tourism and Agriculture, there is Tinapa which is so far the biggest project embarked upon by a state government in the whole country.”
They expressed optimism that Duke, if given the opportunity, will sustain the economic reforms of President Olusegun Obasanjo, and sustain the current fight against corruption.
“We also wish to use this medium to call on the people of South-south, particularly the wise men saddled with the task of picking candidates, to throw sentiment aside and endorse Duke for the 2007 Presidential race.
“We caution that only the best should be selected, because if power eventually shifts to the South-south and a lame duck or corrupt person from the zone is picked, future generations will not forgive South-south elders,” the Forum said.

Revolution: I remain convinced that Donald Duke is the next president of Nigeria. Any comments?

When I saw this photo of a Govenor exchanging greetings with an African head of state (Kaigama of Rwanda), with a beaming President Obasanjo in the background the first thought that came to my mind was, Duke may indeed be the annointed successor hence OBJ's smile, like a proud father imagining what it will be like when his son becomes President and hosts other heads of state.

What is your own interpretation, if you have one? Do you see what I see?