₦airaland Forum

A beg where all those sai Ribadu PDP guys. Eeyah I pity this man now. This PDP can deceive somebody ooo. Chai There is God oooo.
The Stepping down for candidates in Adamawa, there is God oooo

Eight of the fourteen aspirants jostling for the Adamawa State Governorship ticket
under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stepped down from the race in the early
hours of Friday.
Following the impeachment of the former Governor, Murtala Nyako, October 11
has been fixed for election to get a substantive governor for the state.
After about four hours meeting with the aspirants that started by 9.06 p.m on
Thursday and ended around 1.00 a.m on Friday at the Banquet Hall of the State
House, Senate President, David Mark along with other officials of the party were
able to reach a compromise with the aspirants and pruned down the number of
those contesting to six.
The six aspirants still in the race for the party’s ticket on Saturday are Ahmed
Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Modibbo, Dr. Umar Ardo, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri,
and Jerry Kumdisi.
Those who have withdrawn from Saturday primary election include Nuhu Ribadu;
Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa; James Barka; Gen. Aliyu Kama;
Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei.
It was agreed at the closed-door meeting that the six aspirants contesting for the
party’s ticket on Saturday will not contest for the position in 2015.
The meeting also agreed that only those stepping down now can contest for the
party’s governorship election ticket in 2015, with more consideration in 2015 for
Adamawa Central that has never produced a governor.
Any aspirant who fails to win the party’s ticket in Saturday’s primary election, the
meeting, also agreed must support the party’s flag bearer towards the 11th
October election.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Chairman of
the Adamawa State chapter of the party, Joel Madaki said: “Fourteen aspirants
contesting for the position earlier has now reduced to six aspirants due to this
meeting. It is a very welcome idea. Nobody was forced to step them. Those who
stepped down did so voluntarily in order to wait to contest for the position in
2015.”
“The six aspirants contesting this election are Ahmed Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed
Modibbo, Dr. Umar Ardo, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, and Jerry Kumdisi,” he
added
The former Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, who
is contesting for the ticket on Saturday, said: “The outcome of the meeting was
fantastic. We met as family members of PDP, even before coming here all the
aspirants in Adamawa have unanimously resolved that after the primaries, in a free,
fair primaries, anybody that emerges will get our support.”
“Today, in this meeting, the number of the aspirants has been drastically reduced
to six, which is manageable. I am contesting, Gen. Marwa is contesting, Ahmed
Modibbo is contesting, Dr. Umar Ardo is contesting, Hon. Jerry Kumdisi is
contesting, and Acting Governor Fintiri is contesting.”
“And we have resolved to go into the primaries without rancour, without acrimony
and to come out of it as peaceful co-existing members.
“And at the end of it all, anybody that emerges, we will all queue behind him. And if
I emerge as the candidate, they will all queue behind me. It is going to be a family
affair and there will be no losers.”
On his chances of getting the ticket as Ribadu and others are now out of the race,
he said: “Nuhu Ribadu or not, you know, I prepared for this election. Even, if 14 of
us are going into this election, I am confident of my ability, of my capability, of my
mobilization, of my sensitization that the delegates will select me.”
Aliyu Idi Hong, who is among those who withdrew from the race, said: “Peace-
building, negotiation, give-and-take, everything went well. We have been given a
caveat and one thing we have succeeded in extracting from this meeting is that the
meeting started with a preamble that whoever is going to contest and if he
happens to win as a governor, he will not have the right to contest the 2015
election.”
“Some of us think that our aspirations, our ambition, our vision for Adamawa is a
long term and more articulate vision and not a stop-gap six months aspiration.”
“For that reason, we saw it is wiser that if you are going to do something to
change the fortune of Adamawa, you need a longer period of time. So, we decided
that it is not wise for you to go into this aspiration for six months,” Hong said.
“Two, we have also been able to have on record, that whoever is going to emerge
as governor will not contest in 2015 and it has also been unanimously agreed that
because Adamawa Central has not been able to produce governor of the state
before, it is on record that the Presidency and the party have accepted that the
aspiration for the PDP nomination for 2015 will be strictly for contestants from
Adamawa Central. It is not negotiable.”
“So most of us from Adamawa Central have agreed to this position and about eight
of us have withdrawn from the race. We are going to remain members of the party
and we are going to contest in 2015 because it will give us the opportunity to
make that transformation that we want to change Adamawa into,” he stated.
Those who attended the meeting included the PDP National Vice Chairman, Uche
Secondus and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali.
Also at the meeting are two governors, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Isa
Yuguda (Bauchi).
The Secretary of the Adamawa state PDP, Barrister Ati Shehu and the former
governor of the state, Wilberforce Jutta were also at the meeting.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/adamawa-poll-ribadu-seven-others-step-down-for-2015/

PDP removing its chairmen since 1914.
Soon, they will remove muazu and his cohorts.

The People’s Democratic Party in the South West has passed a vote of no
confidence on its Chairman, Mr Ishola Filani, replacing him with Lanre Orimoloye
who until his appointment was the Treasurer of the zone.

This was the outcome of its zonal meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Addressing journalists after the closed door meeting at the zonal office of the party
at Paul Hendricks Avenue Bodija, Ibadan, Ex Officio Member, Ayotunde Olowofoyeku,
who read the communique, explained that the zone could no longer tolerate the
irresponsible manner Mr Filani had been handling issues of administration, finance
and other critical issues affecting the party.

The communique signed by 13 members of the executive also compelled President
Goodluck Jonathan to come out openly about his ambition to contest in 2015.
Olowofoyeku also added that the two-third majority, who acted in conformity with
the PDP constitution, authorises Lanre Orimoloye to assume acting capacity as the
Chairman of the zone with immediate effect.

http://www.channelstv.com/2014/09/04/south-west-pdp-removes-chairman/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

This op is very funny, after all what ochendo did to Abia you still had the courage to say he left a legacy.
This is my worst fear for Abia state, most people there are politically naive and don't give a damn about who rules them.
I can bet it, if Ochendo contests again in Abia he will carry the day.

This metuh is a big tout, who doesn't even know how to do his job well rather resorts to abuse.
Imagine this man calling APC a supporter of APC party, If Lai Muhammad talks now they will start making noise.
No matter how this guy wants to lie to us, the fact still remains that PDP sponsors Boko haram and they have been exposed.

This president never stops to amaze me. Now because his cronies have been exposed he's now denying the man.
Why not critically assess the issues raised by the man, and address it appropriately.
The lives of Nigerians is at stake here and you take this information with a pinch of the salt.
The president is supposed to know that this information can not just be cooked up, he really needs to look into it and do the needful.

PDP has always been known for misleading the public and trying to curry favor from the people. Yes, the APC is challenging INEC to come with facts and tell us what really transpired. We are fed up with the cock and bull stories from unknown sources.
The truth must be said and that's what we demand.

Yes, let the politicking begin.
APC is poised to take over Adamawa come October 11th.
SAI APC!!!
SAI CHANGE!!!

Leading opposition party, The All Progressives
Congress (APC) National Screening Committee
has cleared seven aspirants for the party
primaries ahead of the Adamawa Oct. 11
gubernatorial bye-election.

Chairman of the committee, Mr Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu, made this public when he briefed
newsmen in Yola on Tuesday.
Akeredolu, who is a senior advocate of Nigeria
(SAN), said the aspirants satisfied the
requirements laid down by the party to participate
in the primaries.

“Going by the guidelines of our party all the seven
aspirants screened had been cleared having
satisfied all the requirements contained in the
guidelines.
“We are now going to communicate the report to
the party headquarters in Abuja’’.


The aspirants include Alhaji Dahiru Bobbo, Mr
Yakubu Tsala, Mr Emmanuel Bello, Sen. Bindo
Jibrilla, Sen. Ahmed Barata, Alhaji Ibrahim
Mijinyawa and Mr Boss Mustafa.
The party primary is scheduled to hold on
September 7.


http://aitonline.tv/post-adamawa_governorship__apc_clears_seven_aspirants

Hmm Na Wa. Akala contesting in Oyo, well i don't like the idea but it's really gonna make the election, a hard and tough one.
Oyo state is one of the major states to watch out for in 2015. Promises to be intriguing.

I don't know why it's very difficult for some people to read and comprehend. Don't be surprised some PDP posters will be celebrating this mediocre news now.
As far as we know, an allegation remains same until proven otherwise.
We await INEC's investigation and expect them to do a good job.
In case you are living in fool's paradise, the osun state election has been won and lost.
And omisore is in court with his 7 SANS and 850 page petition and we are gladly waiting for him.
But before then, No PDP sympathizer or e-poster should quote me, or else....

Ngwakwe: You know I detest PDP after the party was hijacked in 1999 away from what Abubaka Remi, Audu Ogbe, Ekwueme etal had in mind.

Though a staunch APGA supporters, I registered my family in APC while preaching to my wife (who is now disappointed) that a credible alternative is what we need, not just only us including our children.

APC just like PDP has also been hijacked.

There is a hidden transformation going on under Goodluck Jonathan and I plead with every Nairalander to support him till 2019 as to have our freedom intact while we institutionalize democracy and establish Federal presence in every part of Nigeria at same time.

Bros wetin you dey talk sef.
To me, your statement is full of contradictions. How can a staunch APGA man register with the APC.
We are talking about change, you're saying transformation. So far, there nothing as such in Nigeria.

PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu,
who led a delegation of party leaders to
meet Ikimi in Abuja on Friday evening
to finalize arrangements for his formal
declaration, said that the PDP was happy
that Ikimi has decided to return to its
fold.
Mu’azu described Ikimi as a highly
organized and patriotic Nigerian who
has the interest of the nation at heart,
adding that such qualities made it hard
for him to be in a party like the APC. He
said that the PDP would immensely
benefit from Ikimi’s “wealth of
experience, strong political structure and
massive followership across the
country”.
The National Chairman praised the Edo-
born politician for his courage in
deciding to return to the PDP, while
giving assurance that the party, under
the new leadership, recognizes and
rewards loyalty, commitment and
experience.
In the same vein, Chairman of the PDP
Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih,
commended Ikimi for his decision, which
he said was in the overall interest of the
nation.
Responding, Ikimi, who restated that he
dumped the APC due to its deep-seated
anti-nationalistic and discriminatory
tendencies, said that he was ready to
join the PDP and use his political
structures especially in the South-South
to ensure that it emerged victorious in
the 2015 general elections.
“I look forward to bringing value to the
PDP. I believe that my contributions will
again be noteworthy. By my joining PDP,
we are assured of victory, not only in
Edo State, but in the entire South-South
geopolitical zone”, Ikimi said, noting that
he was ready to serve the party in any
capacity deemed appropriate by the
leaders.
Stating that the visit has laid to rest,
speculations and arguments regarding
where he has resolved to pitch his tent,
Ikimi said that he would transmit the
outcome of the meeting to his
constituency and he was sure that the
response would be favourable.
He also said that he desires to work with
Tony Anenih so as to move the party and
the nation forward and bring about the
much expected development to Edo State
and the South-South geopolitical zone.
“I believe that our people are looking
forward to this reunion because they will
benefit the most from it. When I and
Chief Tony Anenih work together, I do
not think we can have any obstacle we
cannot overcome”, he said.
Also at the meeting were PDP Deputy
National Chairman, Prince Uche
Secondus, Secretary of the PDP BoT,
Senator Wali Jibril, former FCT Minister,
Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, as well as political
stakeholders from the South-South.


http://www.channelstv.com/2014/08/30/ikimi-meets-pdp-leaders-expresses-readiness-join-ruling-party/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Fellow Nigerians, let me start by quickly stating
my admiration for the person and personality of
Chief Tom Ikimi. As a celebrity reporter, Ikimi is
every journalist’s dream. He’s charismatic,
charming, lively, debonair, suave, oratorical,
worldly, creative, affable and absolutely political.
I’ve had the privilege of spending time with him
at home and abroad and found him very warm
and affectionate. Despite our sharp political
differences in those days when I used to visit him,
he never appeared an intolerant soul. He was too
cosmopolitan to disallow a healthy debate. He
never denied being overly conservative or adroitly
capitalistic in nature.
Chief Ikimi could not have been otherwise. He’s a
very successful architect. His profession thrives
on uncommon creativity and some splash of
eccentricity. I’m not sure if he still puffs his
Havana cigars but I certainly recollect the vivid
picture of the cigar-chewing fashionista. I was
surprised when he sauntered from the
conservative party of PDP to the relatively
progressive party of ACN which later
metamorphosed into APC. He was in fact one of
the arrowheads that midwifed that miraculous
birth. Many had dismissed the idea of such a
merger as near-impossible but Ikimi and his team
worked assiduously to make the impossible
possible and they were well applauded for their
brilliant efforts.
One would have thought the ovation received by
the team would suffice and make them work
harder on taking this hybrid party to the next level
but the ways of our politicians are not the ways
of ordinary mortals. In Nigeria, nothing goes for
nothing. It is always a matter of what’s in it for
me and my home. Tom Ikimi, who was Chairman
of the bigger National Republican Convention over
20 years ago wanted to come back in 2014 as
Chairman of APC. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
who was a young Senator over 20 years ago and
a Governor as recently as seven years ago would
love to run as Vice Presidential candidate to
whomever in 2015. Chief Bisi Akande who was
Deputy Governor to Chief Bola Ige over 30 years
ago in old Oyo State and Governor of Osun State
in 1999, returned as Chairman of ACN after and
almost became a substantive Chairman of APC
having been its interim Chairman. Chief John
Odigie Oyegun was Governor of Edo State over 20
years ago and Vice Presidential candidate (to
former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State
under ANPP in 2011 and now Minister of
Education under PDP in 2014) and is now
Chairman of APC out of the blues.
I’m sorry if it sounds all confusing, intertwined
and sticky like cobweb but such is the political
incongruity we are saddled with in our dear
beloved country. Nothing is as straight-forward
as ABCD even if we all we all went through
Primary schools and memorised it off-handed. I
was shockingly astonished that APC never
thought of handing over their party to modern,
colourful, energetic and populist politicians or
technocrats like Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Nasir El-
Rufai, Demola Seriki, Nuhu Ribadu, Dino Menaye,
Dele Alake, just to name a few, to run some
offices at the national secretariat. I thought the
world has moved beyond putting hard-core and
possibly tired politicians to run a party that
requires agile workaholics. Just imagine the aura,
influence and instant recognition that would have
accrued to the new party had a Bukola Saraki
been made the Chairman of APC with his pedigree
as former Chairman of the Governor’s Forum and
a two-term Kwara State Governor. The
Chairmanship of a political party is never a joke.
The world is moving in modern directions and
demands those who understand the new lexicon
of Leadership. That is why the British Labour
Party picked a young bachelor, Ed Miliband as its
Leader. But APC could not identify its first eleven
and put them forward. Today we are left with
mostly unknown and lacklustre players in the field
of play. That is the tragedy of its strategy.
The aborted bid of Chief Ikimi should not have
been contemplated in the first instance. He should
have remained a statesman to the end. The
moment he attempted to run the race, he should
have known anything could happen. Only one
man can win in an election. I’m surprised that as
a seasoned politician, he expected Senator Bola
Tinubu to abandon his old allies and support him
just like that. Politics is always about caucuses
anywhere in the world. I don’t see what Tinubu
has done wrong by supporting his own person for
whatever reason. As a matter of fact, nothing
precluded Tinubu himself from running. Tinubu as
Chairman would have driven the fear of God into
PDP. I shall come back to Tinubu shortly.
My epistle today is largely triggered by Ikimi’s
recent long-winding and well-publicised gospel to
God-knows-who. The epistle was clearly bitter
and written to damage Tinubu and APC to boot.
Ikimi started by stating his credentials, which I
seriously enjoyed. He is a man who served
himself, his nation and his God most meritoriously
and fervently. He stated the reason he decided to
abandon his conservative friends to join forces
with members of the opposite camp. He worked
actively with his new allies to form a new alliance
as a counterforce to those hoping to foist a one-
party State on Nigeria. All well and good up to
then.
Chief Ikimi claims he abhorred the idea of a
Unitary Government but yet exploded just because
he failed to secure Tinubu’s blessing, and he’s
willing to abandon the struggle and head back to
where he came from and work for the
establishment of that same system he claimed to
loathe. I simply find this logic utterly cruel and
ridiculous. As an architect, I won’t expect the
great Chief to demolish his magnificent home just
because a supposed mad man strayed into it.
I’m finally tired of all the attacks against the
person of Bola Tinubu. Tinubu is far from being a
saint but he has definitely contributed immensely
to the Democracy we all seem to enjoy today.
The man has wisely invested whatever he is said
to have acquired on building solid monuments in
the media, business empires and philanthropy,
which most politicians have never been able to
achieve.
Tinubu is often credited with the attributes of a
King Kong and I’m sure the man himself enjoys
the unsolicited appellation and coronation. I really
don’t know how one man can wield so much
power and none of the several Draculas in his
party would be able to confront him. No one
should blame Tinubu for the timidity of his co-
travellers. I know Tinubu fairly well. I virtually
lived and operated with him in our exile days.
He’s a man who enjoys healthy debates. He’s a
master thinker who’s brave enough to match his
thinking with action. He and Lt. General Alani
Akinrinade stood out in the fight against military
tyranny in Nigeria. They spent themselves blind
and did not shirk from selling off their properties
in their pursuit of democracy and justice in
Nigeria. Tinubu gained the upper hand against
most of his contemporaries because he was
ready to gamble his entire life for the sustenance
of civil rule in our country while others played
safe.
I’ve had cause to disagree with him in the past
and he never took it personal against me. One of
such occasions was when I challenged him for
not supporting the candidacy of Tokunbo
Afikuyomi and I blasted him in a newspaper
interview. He invited me over to his house in
Ikoyi. He wondered why I was kicking against his
support for Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola and I
replied that I was never against Fashola who was
also our friend and saw me anytime he came to
play soccer in Ghana; but I was opposed to the
way he led Afikuyomi on when he could easily
have told him of his choice. I realised one secret
about Tinubu that night. Contrary to the
allegation of being bullish, he finds it hard to hurt
any of his close lieutenants. It is this coyness
that gets him into constant trouble; the inability
to boldly and openly say No to people.
The second and most recent disagreement I had
with him was when rumour came out that he was
plotting to be a Vice Presidential candidate to
General Muhammadu Buhari. Once I confirmed
that it was a credible speculation, I wrote an
article against a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2015 for
the following reasons. One, most of our mutual
friends was opposed to it but none could tell
Tinubu not to try. This is the problem with our
people who are mostly waiting on Tinubu for a
favour now or/and in the future. Those who can
talk are those who expect nothing. Two, a
Muslim-Muslim ticket is presently inconceivable
with the current religious configuration and
conflagration in our country. Even if the ticket has
the chance of winning, we should be sensitive
enough to balance the religious equation.
Three, I believe a slot must be automatically
given to the South-South region that lays the
golden eggs for all of Nigeria. It would be wicked
and dangerous to remove President Jonathan and
also selfishly take away the number two position
from them immediately. If the clamour is that
North has been deprived of its number one
position by the accident of the death of President
Yar’Adua then the same argument holds true for
the South South who would thus be deprived of
the number two position by the providential
accident that is the Presidency of Dr Jonathan.
Also, the tenuous permutation that the Yoruba
would not vote unless there is a Yoruba man on
the ticket is self-serving and debatable. What
makes my position even more compelling is the
fact that the Yoruba are always champions of
equity and fair-play. How can Obasanjo spend
eight years as President and another Yorubaman
comes out of the shadow as Vice President eight
years after?
Tinubu never complained. He took the public
missive to heart like a true democrat, made wider
consultations and decided to shelve his ambition
for the sake of his party and the nation. Unlike his
traducers Tinubu has a great empathy for
Nigerians and Nigeria. He has always been willing
to sacrifice his personal ambition for the sake of
the development of democracy and the future of
his country. That he wields tremendous power
and influence in whatever party he has midwifed
in this political era goes without saying. Yet, he
has never sought to be Chairman of such a Party.
In 2011 he saw the wisdom in eventually
plumbing for the candidature of Nuhu Ribadu
whom he thereby rescued from political oblivion
rather than pursue his ambition to be Vice
President or even President. Even if he dumped
Ribadu for Jonathan, he’s said to have seen that
Ribadu was not accepted by his people and thus
opted for a minority candidate.
It is amazing that it is to Tinubu that all those
who demand justice and equity turn when they
have been oppressed and abased by the PDP.
However as soon as they obtain that which they
seek they immediately turn against their
benefactor and rush headlong back into the arms
of their abuser. Tinubu’s has been a thankless job
but it is the measure of this remarkable man that
he continues to open his arms wide to embrace
all those who seek justice and equity not only
because of his love for democracy but also in true
spirit of a man who adheres to the holy injunction
to love his fellow man as himself. The list of
those who have benefitted from Tinubu’s
legendary largesse to retrieve their stolen
mandate or seek retributive justice for perceived
wrongs yet subsequently turn around to betray
him is lengthy and is like a Who is Who of
Nigeria.
It is said against him that he imposes candidates
on his Party and is despotic and nepotistic.
However, it is only fitting that someone who has
deployed such huge and significant personal
resources to the cause when others have shied
from doing so should at least be allowed to
influence the selection of those who would guide
and lead that cause. This is particularly more so
as he has had the singular opportunity of
observing most of the contenders firsthand
because of his ability to sacrifice his time and
person and travel far and near to meet with party
members and interact with them. None of those
who fault him have remotely done a fraction of
what he has done in this regard and if truth be
told his choices have always been quite
successful. Governors Fashola, Adams
Oshiomhole, Abiola Ajimobi, Rauf Aregbesola,
Ibikunle Amosun, and Kayode Fayemi; Aminu
Tambuwal and Abike Dabiri, to mention a few,
have been particularly outstanding.
Tinubu’s monumental work to further ensure the
future of democracy in present day Nigeria is
most laudable and he should indeed be dubbed
‘Defender of the Faith’ and encouraged to do
more.


http://naijaobserver./2014/08/30/the-gospel-according-to-tom-ikimi-by-dele-momodu-delemomodu/

As I have always maintained and has been opinionated by most here, Buhari remains the best man for the job. Apart from his tenacity, ability, honesty, pedigree, above all he is still the most popular candidate that can pull through the votes from the north which is really essential.

The only issue I have might be the vice presidential candidate, before I usually recommend the likes of Oshiomole/Amaechi, so as to garner enough votes in the south south.
But since the party's chairman is from that zone, I will strongly recommend a very strong candidate from the south west.
Fayemi, or even Bakare comes to mind here.
in any case, this 2015 election is a make or mar one, no matter what the APC must never take chances.

Hmmmm. Just watching as things will finally work out.

The scramble for the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) ticket for the October 11 governorship bye-
election in Adamawa State has taken a new twist.
Seven of the 14 aspirants have called for the
disqualification of five of their co-aspirants from
the race, alleging that they are not members of
the PDP.
The petitioners are – Umar Ardo, Ahmed Gulak,
James Barka, Andrawus Sawa, Abubakar Girei, Idi
Hong and Awwal Tukur.
In their petition, dated August 28 and addressed
to the leadership of the party, they listed Mallam
Nuhu Ribadu, Buba Marwa, Mohammed Modibbo,
Marcus Gundiri and Aliyu Kama.
The petitioners stated that the five aspirants are
not members of the party and therefore should
not be allowed to contest the election.
They said, “While on personal level we have
absolutely no reason to wish to inhibit them from
contesting the governorship of our state under
the platform of our great party – for they are all
eminently qualified.
“But on the principle of playing a healthy political
game, everybody must play according to the rules
of the game. On this ground therefore we object
to their contest as their participation will be an
aberration to the election process. The issues
against them are both constitutional and moral.
“Constitutionally, Mallam Ribadu, Engr. Gundiri
and Dr. Modibbo joined the PDP for the first time
only recently, while Marwa and Kama returned to
the PDP also only recently after earlier defecting
from PDP to other political parties.
“Going by the provisions of Sections 50 (9) and
(10) and 8 (b) of the Constitution of the PDP
2012 (as amended), Ribadu, Gundiri and Modibbo
are required to sustain continued membership of
the PDP for a minimum of two years to be eligible
to contest for the post of Governor; while Marwa
and Kama remain on probation for at least one
year, during which they will not be eligible to vote
or be voted for except they are granted waivers
as stipulated.
“Both sides have not met the requirements. The
purpose of the waiting period, subject to waiver,
is to test the fidelity of persons who have joined
or decamped to the party.
“These provisions are important as they are
actually meant to ensure that only credible and
loyal members of the party are allowed the
benefits and privileges of the party and also to
ward off the proclivity of Nigerian politicians to
defect from one party to the other at will without
consequences.”


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/adamawa-seven-aspirants-move-to-stop-ribadu-marwa-three-others/

This is long over due. The TAN rallies must stop now as a precautionary measure to curtail the further spread of Ebola virus, if indeed Mr president Is sincere with his promises.

Well I hope he listens.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called
on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately
halt the rallies being
organized across the nation in his support by the
Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN),
saying the rallies
are jeopardizing Nigeria’s efforts to control the
spread of Ebola.
“Mr. President, you said your ambition is not
worth the life of any Nigerian. But the TAN rallies
for your re-election are endangering the lives of
thousands of Nigerians in these days of Ebola.
Some things must simply transcend politics. This
is one of them. Please stop the rallies now,” the
party said in a statement issued in Ilorin on
Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed.
It said the President must in particular ensure
that the rally slated for Port Harcourt on Saturday
is stopped, in view of the spread of the Ebola
virus to the Rivers capital and the fact that 100
people have been placed under surveillance there
following the death of a medical doctor from a
suspected Ebola disease in the city.
”If TAN goes ahead to organize its rally in Port
Harcourt, can anyone guarantee that none of
those who have had contact with the medical
doctor will attend? It can only be better imagined
the kind of danger that those who will attend the
rally will be subjected to. Therefore, President
Jonathan has a historic opportunity to put the
well being of his compatriots above politics, for
once,” APC said.
The party reminded President Jonathan of the
statement he made on Aug. 8th, 2014, when he
was declaring the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria a
national emergency, thus: ”Religious and political
groups, spiritual healing centres, families,
associations and other bodies should, in the
meantime, discourage gatherings and activities
that may unwittingly promote close contact with
infected persons or place others at risk.”
It also reminded the President that his
administration has postponed the resumption of
private and public primary and secondary schools
across the nation as part of the measures to
curtail the spread of the virus, wondering what
message the same government was sending to
Nigerians by allowing TAN rallies to continue.
”Mr. President, add this to the fact that Nigeria’s
economy is losing millions of dollars to the Ebola
disease, and you will realize that the need to
control the disease supersedes personal political
considerations,” APC said.
The party said the TAN rallies in Awka and
Ibadan, and the forthcoming ones in Port
Harcourt and elsewhere flout the advice by the
President against large gatherings that can
encourage the spread of the disease.
It described as untenable the argument that the
rallies are not being organised by the government,
hence the President has no control over them.
”Mr. President, you are the sole beneficiary of
these rallies. Top officials of your administration,
led by Secretary to the Government of the
Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, have been
attending the rallies. The signatures being
collected by TAN are ostensibly to encourage you
to run again. So this is your show,” APC said
The party wondered how President Jonathan can,
on one hand, be complaining about the
stigmatization of Nigerians by other countries
over Ebola and, on the other hand, turning a blind
eye when his supporters are doing things to flout
the Ebola control measures put in place by his
Administration.
”The embassies of the foreign nations in Nigeria
are seeing all that is happening. They are seeing
how the efforts of the federal government to
control Ebola are being sabotaged by the
supporters of the President. How then can we
complain when our citizens are stigmatized
abroad? How can we complain when the foreign
governments issue travel advisories to their
citizens coming to Nigeria? How can we complain
when they start barring Nigerians from coming to
their countries on account of the Ebola virus?
”This is why we are calling on President Jonathan
to call his supporters to order today. We are also
calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on
the President not to endanger the lives of
Nigerians simply because of his personal
ambition,” it said.


https://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/167447-apc-to-jonathan-tans-rallies-are-flouting-ebola-control-measures-stop-them-now.html

Salam alaikum brethren, going to the discussion proper this is my suggestions.
As Muslims we all know the implication of Zina and the goods attached to Nikkah, though reservations might arise in Match making nairalanders but sincerely it might be in evitable owing to the situation we find ourselves these days, so in making that realizable I advice all on the following.
1. There must be an intermediary who should be a respected and married nairalander, male/ female who should be responsible for getting the necessary information from intending brethren, and likewise been the one to match those suitable.
2. A thread can be created for this purpose solely, and there must be stringent rules regarding what those interested should post there. This should basically be for the necessary information needed and the intermediary can afterwards hook them up.
3. It should be discouraged that members who intend to get hooked up do so themselves without the intermediary's knowledge so as not to scuttle the whole process.

wishing to make more contributions later.

The governorship dreams of a former
chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu,
appears to have hit a bump as the Peoples
Democratic Party is demanding more information
from him before deciding whether to grant him
and two other aspirants waivers to take part in
primaries scheduled for September 6 to pick the
party’s candidate for the Adamawa State
governorship election.

After two contentious meetings over the last two
days, national officials the PDP were unable to
decide whether to grant waivers to Mr. Ribadu,
Brigadier General Buba Marwa (ret.), and Marcus
Gundiri to participate in the primary process. All
three governorship aspirants had requested the
waivers to enable them to vie in the primaries
after they recently defected from the All
Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP.
But after two marathon meetings that took place
at the national headquarters of the party in
Abuja and the Presidential Villa, the members of
the National Working Committee of the party
were unable to agree on whether or not to grant
the waivers.
Owing to the serious disagreements among the
NWC members, the screening of the aspirants,
which scheduled to take place in Abuja on
Thursday, has been moved to Saturday, August
30.
The PDP’s NWC set up a subcommittee that
includes the party’s national legal adviser,
national publicity secretary and national financial
secretary to demand more documentation from
the PDP’s vice chairman for the northeast zone.
The subcommittee was mandated to request
more information from Mr. Ribadu and other
recent defectors to demonstrate that they truly
qualify for waivers.
A source from the NWC told SaharaReporters
that the party must proceed cautiously on the
issue of extending waivers to the defectors in
order not to leave longtime and loyal members
of the party disaffected.
Last week, Mr. Ribadu created a media splash
when he announced his resignation from APC
and defection to the PDP as well as his desire to
seek his new party's nomination as the
governorship candidate.
Meanwhile, the PDP has yet to release the
names of members of its screening panel for the
Adamawa governorship.
The party’s national organizing secretary,
Abubakar Mustapha, defended the party's
position, telling reporters in Abuja that the
screening would now take place on Saturday
while the names of the screening panel members
will be released on Friday.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/08/27/pdp-officials-ask-ribadu-provide-further-evidence-earn-waiver

Good day guys.
The information at my disposal suggests that the list via jamb portal is from the school, which they mandatorily sent based on merit.
The quota for this Particular phase Is 2,000 candidates.
Thus anyone yet to be admitted shouldn't panic as there is no cause for alarm.
The admission list on the school portal should be out by next week.
Wishing you all the very best of luck.

Shehuaba, repping UNILORIN.

Drijawe: University of Ilorin 2014/2015 Post utme Cut off mark Animal science 40, Aqric Econs/Extension 40, Crop science 40, Enqlish 50, Modern Lanquaqe 40, ISD 50, Philosophy 40, Reliqious studies 40, Cultural Manaqement 40, Theatre& Media Arts 50, Medical Lab Sci 53, Physioloqy 40, Nursinq 59, MBBS 65, Archietecture 45, Buildinq 40, Fine & applied Art 40, Law 57, Civil Enqineern 53, Mech Enqineern 53, Elect/ Elect 55, Material& Productn Enq 40, Zooloqy 40, Computer science 45, Statistics 40, Mathematics 40, Physics 40, Geophysics 40, Bio chem 45, Industrial chem 45, Botany 40, MCB 45, Pub Admin 48, Bankinq & Finance 48, Bus Admin 53, Accountinq 55, Eco 48, Library& info Sci 40, Socioloqy 42, Psycholoqy 42, Political science 48, Geoqraphy & Reqional Planninq 40.. for admission processing or assistance please call 08104237888.

Some of the courses you mentioned are not even offered in UNILORIN. And besides the cut off mark this year is nothing less than 50
In fact courses like geophysics, psychology, pub admin, cultural management, botany, building, modern language etc. are not existing in UNILORIN.
I don't know where you manufactured that from

usermane: SALAT

1. Salat was prescribed for Abraham who passed it down to his descendants and this was continously passed to later generations. Muhammad already familiar with salat before Prophethood was simply ordered to perform it.[21:73]

2. Salat is performed daily at specific times. So contrary to the mainstream, it cannot be delayed or performed earlier. It is a compulsory rite in the sense that God punishes defaulters but non can be forced or penalise for not doing it.
The best a man can do for defaulters is to exhort them them[Quran 20:132]

3. Salat is performed to commemorate God alone. Uttering other names as Muhammad or Ali in salat, is wrong and idolatry[Quran 29:45, 20:14, 72:18].


4. States of impurities like urine, faeces, sex, orgasm or intoxication render one impure for salat untill he is purified. Note that God clearly listed out what impurities are in context of salat. Physical impurities differ from spiritual impurities. Many are ignorant of this.[4:43, 5:6]

5. Salat is proceeded with ablution[Quran 5:6].

It is performed facing the Sacred Mosque[2:142-150].
It involves acts like standing, bowing and prostrating. The scripture is recited, God is praised and glorified during it. Recitation is aloud.[Quran 17:110]

Personally, i perform mine as the mainstream do with variations though but i don't agree that other than that, any other interpretation of salat is wrong. Therefore, i believe that

1. There are no fixed numbers of rakas.
2. Recitation language doesn't matter.
3. There is no extra reward in performing it singly or in multiples.
4. Modest dress should be worn(Quran 7:31)

There is no point arguing with you, but I will advice you with an hadith of prophet Muhammad Which says:
Whosoever believes in Allah and the last day, should say that which is good or keep quiet.

I pray Allah guides you aright.

Well good luck to Ribadu, do not expect an easy ride in your new party's primaries. And if you eventually comes out successful expect an herculean task in defeating whoever the APC will field.

Let the politicking begin in Adamawa as we await October 11th.

Yola capital of Adamawa state was today
agog with a formal declaration of Malam
Nuhu Ribadu, a former police officer and
anti-corruption czar into the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). Ribadu also declared his intention
to run for governor in the upcoming
gubernatorial election in the state.
Ribadu, who was received by crowd at the Yola
Airport, proceeded to the PDP secretariat where
was received by officials of the party.
Several members of his former party, the All
Progressive Congress (APC) also decamped to
the PDP.
In his remarks at the party secretariat, he said,
“Today is a happy day for me. I am awed and
inspired even further by the cheerful crowd that
received me at the airport and which has come
with me to this place. Whatever way I turn, I feel
a sense of boundless happiness at coming home,
more so now with a mission to be
accomplished; a task dear to the hearts of all
the people of Adamawa State. This is, therefore,
not an ordinary day for me, and as indeed it is
not for the rest of the patriotic citizens of this
State – we are here on the march of history.
“I would like to appreciate those members of the
PDP who privately and publicly prodded me to
join this party. My appreciation also to the
leadership of our party (PDP) for the warm
reception accorded me deserving of any full-
fledged party stalwart. This kind reception did
not start today; it began from the day I signified
the intention of joining this great party. Today, I
come to you as a full blown party member which
defines himself in the spirit of community service
and party development.”
Ribadu, who said his ambition is tilted towards
service, also stated,
“The trigger of me being here today is the
passion to uplift that I have; it is that spirit with
which I am known, all my life. It is that zeal that
saw me going into the police, as against
obviously more lucrative career paths. My
philosophy, as we were taught, is that one
should put the interest of the public over any
other consideration. In life of service, one’s first
consideration should be the impact one makes
under the circumstance. It is, therefore, that
same will to serve that is responsible for me
respecting and answering to the people’s choice
to come back home and serve the people of
Adamawa State under the platform of the PDP.
“Let me declare that I am here as an ordinary
PDP member whose personal aspiration is
organically tied to the best aspiration and
progress of all people of this great state. I am
not here on anyone’s errand. I want to stress the
point also that I am here on my own and thus
prepare to subject myself to all norms and
protocols of the party. I preach respect of law
and order and the respect for constituted
authorities, anywhere I go. It is a template of my
action and conduct. I, therefore, cannot breach
the teachings of my gospel. I anticipate
participation in all democratic processes that
would lead to the emergence of a candidate for
the Party. What I would however appeal for is for
the party to also treat all of us as its members
with equal rights. We should all be treated with
fairness in a transparent manner that is the
hallmark of democracy.”
He also appeals to other contestants to play
issue-based politics saying, “I would appeal to
all political actors in the state, especially my
fellow aspirants to go into the field armed with
our rules of engagements. No one’s ambition is
worth the peace and stability of our people. We
should eschew antagonism or stoking primordial
sentiments. Elections would come and go, but
the people will always be together. Damaging
the harmony we enjoy as a people would have
dire consequences on all of us and is the gravest
disservice anyone can do for our dear state.”

http://saharareporters.com/2014/08/23/ribadu-formally-declares-pdp-adamawa

There goes governor fashola, he really made valid points as usual, it's Thus a clarion call for those concerned to take heed and do the needful.
Thumbs up governor fashola, may God bless you.

This is what he said in the book “MY
VISION: Challenges in the Race for
Excellence” at pages 44, 45, 46, 213 and
214. “Although Arab and world history
abound with numerous examples of such
leaders, if I were to review the history
that I stood witness to, the leader I
constantly think about is Sheikh Zayed”
“Sheikh Zayed earned the love of all
those around him, out of their great
respect for his hard work and
achievements. He was also frank and
expected people to be frank with him.
This is something he taught me and this
is how I came to respect him”
“How can I prove this? Well many
people, from the United Arab Emirates
and overseas, criticized Sheikh Zayed for
drilling artesian wells in the desert and
using the water for farming. They said
this would deplete a non-renewable
source, inflict heavy damage on the
environment and disturb its natural
balance. Although none of those critics
ever knew the actual size of the
underground water reservoirs, they
continually criticized the idea.
As time passed, water remained
abundant and none of the fears of critics
materialized, while Sheikh Zayed was
proven right. In the not-so-distant past,
people travelling between Abu Dhabi
and Al Ain would die of thirst if they did
not have enough water for the long
journey. Sheikh Zayed transformed the
same journey into a fascinating drive on
an ultramodern highway flanked by
farms, palm gardens and endless
greenery.
In fact, Sheikh Zayed transformed a
large area of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
into the world’s largest oasis in one of
the world’s harshest deserts. All this was
made possible by the huge water
reserves he put to good use and which
are now expected to last many decades.
“I will never abandon one opportunity
and wait for another. We have not
reached the goal we are striving for.
What you see now is nothing compared
to our vision…just tiny parts of what lies
ahead”
“I know the road to development and
modernization is difficult; I know that it
is long and I also know that the next
stages will be even tougher and longer.
But I have faith in God, I believe in my
people, in the wisdom of our leadership
and the future of our nation. I am
confident we will realize our goals. Our
vision is clear, our road is paved and the
clock is ticking. There is no more time
for hesitation or half-baked goals or
solutions. Development is an ongoing
process and the race for excellence has
no finish line”
So until we find that kind of leader that
believes in God and country, who truly
loves the people, the leader who
recognizes ‘service” not awards, self-
adulation and national honours as the
highest honour, until then will our
democracy remain un-developing.
Certainly, without subscribing to any
recklessness, I would think that if the
leadership of any country is worth living
for, it must be worth dying for.
Regrettably, such sterling leadership as
we now so desperately need is not given
to nations, frequently or in abundant
supply.
In 236 years of the USA, she has
produced 44 presidents (of which one
was elected for 4 terms) and in about
500 years of British democracy, she has
produced about 75 Prime Ministers.
How many of those Presidents or Prime
Ministers do you remember off hand?
Why?
Many were either not outstanding or
simply did not meet the developmental
aspirations of their people.
In just about a decade, Britain has
produced 3 (three) Prime Ministers,
Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David
Cameron. Who knows what will happen
in next year’s election?
This March 2014 in India, the ruling
party, the Congress Party was defeated
with the winning party, BJP having
31.4% of the votes against the then
ruling party’s 19.5% of votes. The
instructive message of this musical chair
of leaders is that their people have
always acted to vote out leaders who
were inefficient, not trusted or simply
unable to inspire their people. A number
of American presidents served only one
term, some voluntarily stepped down
(e.g. Nixon) others were voted out after
one term (eg. Carter, Bush
Snr.). Recently, Gordon Brown only
finished the term of Tony Blair and was
voted out in the first election he called.
Conclusion
So apart from building great parties,
finding good people, and so on and so
forth, the Nigerian people must find the
courage to vote out an un-performing
Government after its first term. This
must be the mood when a Government
lies about power, about security an
about the economy which are the
problems it was mandated to solve.
This is the strongest message of a desire
for development that the Nigerian people
can send to the incoming government as
well, that we will vote you out if you also
do not develop our lives. It remains or
me to wish Governor Timipre Sylva, at
whose behest this paper was written to
commemorate his birthday anniversary,
a very Happy Birthday and many happy
returns.
I thank you for listening.
Babatunde Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State


http://247nigerianewsupdate.co/explosive-must-read-for-all-nigerians-babatunde-fasholas-inspiring-speech-that-shook-presidency/#

It is important to repeat the codes here:-
“1. Our party considers the Nigerian
people as our nation’s greatest asset, and
will do everything to protect and
preserve human life and dignity.
2. Our party upholds a Nigeria bound by
the principles of freedom, justice, peace,
unity and the rule of law.
3. Our party upholds and respects every
individual’s choice of faith under God.
4. Our party has no tolerance for
corruption and will manage Nigerian
resources responsibly, with a
commitment to accountability and the
pursuit of the greatest good for the
greatest number of people.
5. Our party is committed to a strong
system of government at the federal,
state and local levels as the most
effective vehicle for harnessing the
diversity and preserving the unity of
Nigeria.
6. Our party rests on the foundation of
democracy, fairness and the pursuit of
opportunity for all citizens, predicated
on economic productivity, fair
competition and the bridging of
inequalities.
7. Our party pursues its objective of
increasing economic opportunity, social
welfare and progress through a
government-led and private sector
driven economy.
8. Our party upholds the principle of one
person, one vote grounded in free and
fair elections at all levels.
9. Our Party upholds and respects the
interests of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic
groups that constitute our Nation.
10. Our party recognizes Nigeria’s
strategic role on the African continent
and commits to the pursuit of a foreign
policy that promotes peace, security and
our national interest.”
The existence of these codes leads
inexorably to how the parties are
managed. Who leads them? What type of
experience do they have? When and
where are meetings held and how are
decisions taken? (Night meetings).
Finally, what is the process of choosing
representative of the party (officials) and
its flagbearers?
What role do debates play?
What is the efficiency of primaries?
Where do we draw the difference
between “godfatherism” and
“endorsements”?
I have taken the trouble, even if in
summary form, to highlight some of the
bridges we must cross in order to
deepen democracy.
These are only some of the challenges
that democratic governance faces.
It seems to me that the countries that
have managed to deliver development
with democracy got one thing right –
they built strong political parties (Not
one in four years parties).
The makings were appearing in SDP and
NRC until the annulment of June 12.
Thankfully, the APC provides the
opportunity for a rebirth, with the broad
base from which its coalition is formed.
That in itself is a challenge, which, if
overcome and harnessed, provides very
deep diversity from which to project
strength and national unity.
Leadership of Government
Until recently, we all used to think that
our national development was inhibited
by the fact that we never had a
university graduate as leader of any
national government in an executive
capacity.
This perhaps alludes only faintly to the
issue of the elite consensus, but it is not
the same.
Thankfully, the myth of graduate
leadership as desirable as it is, has been
exploded now.
We have two graduates (a zoologist and
an architect) at the helm of our National
affairs and I think the majority of
Nigerians will tell you today that their
lives are worse off today than they were
4 (four) years ago.
Clearly there must be more to leadership
than a university degree and educational
qualification.
There is character, vision, courage,
empathy, compassion and many more
attributes that you simply will not find
in a classroom or school.
They are in homes, in communities and
also in the value system of society.
Recently, our leadership has re-defined
empathy by inviting parents of abducted
Chibok girls, bereaved people, to the
presidential villa for commiseration. I
find this truly strange. Truly unAfrican.
How does this sound?
“I heard you lost your child to abductors.
Please come and see me at home so I can
sympathize with you”.
This is my paraphrasing of what has so
far transpired.
As if this was not bad enough, there is a
tissue of lies around whether or not they
tried to give the bereaved parents
money. It is a low point for leadership.
It suggests the lack of empathy.
This is not the first lie that surrounds the
unfortunate abduction of young girls in
Chibok.
The first statement was to say that they
had rescued the girls.
When pressed to show us the girls they
issued a statement casting doubt on
whether the girls were actually abducted.
The new story, is that they now know
where the girls are.
This is the same way they lied about the
unaccounted for $48 Billion; when they
say it was only $20 Billion as if it was
good not to account for $1.00.
They have turned around to say no
money was missing, but add that they
have appointed “forensic auditors” to
find out of the money was missing. It
seems strange and illogical to be
searching for what is not missing.
Where is courage?
The character to proceed even in spite of
fear.
I think we will all do well to remember
that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King led
from the front in the civil rights
movement, so did Mandela, so did Lee
Kuan Yew in the agitation for
Singapore‘s independence.
Barack Obama has been to the war
fronts in countries where American
troops (young men and women) are put
in harm’s way, to inspire them.
As racially divided as America was in
the days of Martin Luther King, he did
not seek to divide the country and
impose black rule over white.
He dreamt and worked hard to unify
divided people.
Mandela sacrificed personal liberty for
the emancipation of his people and
surrendered presidential power for a
higher power – a moral authority – that
made him the father of a continent and
a global leadership reference, when by
clinging to power he could not have been
more than a president of one of the
world’s 196 (One Hundred and Ninety
Six) countries.
Instead of dividing the ethnic Chinese,
Malay and Indians in Singapore, Lee
Kwan Yew united them by his housing
and education policies, built a nation,
and took them on a journey of dizzying
adventure and development.
What we are witnessing now is a daily
dishonor and discredit of the service of
previous Governments. They tell us now
that since Nigeria was created, no
Government has done for us what they
have done for us.
What would the nationalists who fought
for our independence say to these
inheritors? I wonder how the 7 surviving
formers Heads of State and Presidents
who attend the National Council of States
feel, when they hear this kind of talk.
Yet their unmatched achievements has
not delivered stable power whose
delivery date has not escaped their lies.
The date has shifted from month-to-
month to year-to-year since 2011. The lie
was even told to an International News
Agency.
Instead of boasting that no previous
leader of Government has done more for
the country as our Government does,
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the
leader of Dubai whose achievements far
surpass ours (at least for now) not only
acknowledges the service of those before
him, he sets new challenges for his
Government and dreams new dreams for
his people.

People and members
I will start here with the quote of Bertolt
Brecht who said:-
“The worst illiterate is the political
illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing,
takes no part in political life. He doesn’t
seem to know that the cost of living, the
price of beans, of flour, of rent, of
medicines, all depend on political
decisions. He even prides himself on his
political ignorance, sticks out his chest
and says he hates politics. He doesn’t
know, the slowpoke, that from his
political non-participation comes the
prostitute, the abandoned child, the
robber and, worst of all,
corrupt officials, the lackeys of
exploitative multinational corporations”.
It seems that when opposition does its
job will the Governmet panic and resort
to a propaganda of lies. It is part of the
lies they have told us about the
mismanagement of our National
Security. Their first story was that those
behind it were within the Government.
When the opposition pushed them to
identify those people they have turned
around to say it is the opposition.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is
still regrettable that the majority of the
members of our political parties and
politicians do not yet include the critical
elite of our society.
They still see politics as something too
dirty. Whether we like it or not, history
has shown that the elite of any society,
especially its professional cadre, and the
very best of them decide the direction of
the nation when they come to a
consensus about the pathway for their
nation, even if they belong to different
political parties.
Where are all the people who have built
things with their hands in our society?
What are they doing outside of
Government?
Where are the founders of the big banks,
businesses, telecoms in our body politic?
Are they just content to finance and yet
remain unwilling to take the plunge?
There is unverifiable talk that they are
willing to identify with the ruling party
when they are in Abuja, and with the
party in Government in their states
when they get to their bases for fear of
reprisals?
What do our elite believe?
It is only by their belief, that
contributions can come in to fund
parties, where members pay dues, where
strong values restrain people from
decamping whenever the grass in not
green on their side again.
Truth be told, opposition politics is tough
and only the committed and true
believers see it through.
Opposition politics carries its own pain
everywhere and has been the subject of
a book called “How to be in Opposition.
Life in the Political Shadows”, where
Nigel Fletcher provides useful insight
into the challenges of being in
opposition and also profers useful tips.
The one I will share with you is sub-titled
“choose your weapons wisely”, and this
is what he says:-
“An opposition cannot compete with the
Government on resources, so you must
be inventive. In what is a David and
Goliath contest, you can use the
advantages of greater agility to aim your
slingshot where it can do the most
damage. Parliamentary ambushes,
media attacks and effective research will
wear down Ministers and help expose
their mistakes”
As you may have also heard in this part
of the World, the party in power will
accuse you of trying to bring down the
Government.
This is certainly not the same thing as
bringing down the Country because the
Government can be removed by
LEGITIMATE and CONSTITUTIONAL
means at the ballot box.
According to Nigel Fletcher:- “…bringing
down the Government was a peculiar
day job and it is. But that is really only
the negative side of the job description.
With equally lofty ambition, the positive
side of opposition could be summed up
as ‘trying to change the World’. This is
surely something worth doing…”
Perhaps when all these issues have been
put in proper place, can we then begin
to talk of the people of the party and
what defines it. This is different from a
manifesto, which can change (discuss)
easily.
It is the ideology of the party (what the
Americans call the platform statement )
and what I call the DNA of the party that
is very difficult to change. The nearest to
it since the Action Group was formed in
1951 is the All Progressive Congress Code
of Ethics unveiled at its inaugural
summit on the 6th of March 2014.