Urgent Appeal! #GMB15
before it is too late, please tweet to @AsiwajuTinubu let him know
anyone advising him to run 4 VP is Nigeria’s enemy, if the former Lagos
State Governor should run he would have erased all the goodwill he
gained in the last one year as a result of his determination in building
a formidable opposition. It is time Tinubu should stop listening to the
hawks around him and concentrate on building a viable opposition behind
the scene. Nigeria can not afford to miss an opportunity for change and
progress.
~Kayode Ogundamisi (@Ogundamisi).
Etisalat
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
THE FAULT IS IN US NOT IN OUR STARS ~Dada Ajibola
it
is disheartening that government care not about these which has affect
majorly all sector of the economy. But by far, what happens to be the
greatest challenge in this country is the issue of conducting free and
fair election that is acceptable locally and internationally..
With all these manifestations, Nigerians often appreciated the essence of good governance, transparency and accountability. Despite all these blessings, corruption has pervaded all spheres of public. And private life with serious implications for service delivery without concrete efforts from government to fight this menace.
Political office holders do seldom want to leave office, they manipulate the electoral process and compromise the electoral process and electoral laws.
The electoral reform being articulated by well-meaning Nigerians centers on the following issues: Independent candidacy, membership of political party to contest election, restriction on political party formation, campaign finance, election funding, the immunity and overpowers of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and issue of gender.
On 29th may 2007 at the eagle square in Abuja, immediately after former president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua took oath of office he admitted that Nigeria elections must especially the one that brought him in was flawed.
The electoral reform is very necessary in Nigeria, if Nigeria wants to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy and achieve tremendously in her quest for development.
There has been struggle over the years to find ways to endanger confidence in the conduct of free and fair elections in Nigeria.
This struggle can be said to be two sided; first is how to design and ensure an efficient, effective, and politically non-partisan election management body; and second is on how to re-orient the country's political culture so that the political culture so that the political elite and general public (Nigerians) will show a genuine commitment to rules and regulations governing the electoral process in Nigeria in order to ensure free, fair, credible and competitive elections in Nigeria.
We need at this point to draw attention to some of the deficits in the country's electoral process that necessitated the need to reform Nigerian electoral process.
Among these deficits are; The abuse of power of incumbency which has become the major problem of electoral reform; severe financial and logistical constraint on the work of electoral management bodies thereby making these bodies to depend on state and local government for field offices of electoral bodies; ballot boxes stuffing or ballot paper manipulation; electoral violence before, during and after elections; the unwholesome role of security agencies to favor the ruling party.
What is to be done and what is at the bottom of electoral heist in Nigeria? Why is it almost impossible to hold elections that losers can accept without resort to the courts or the streets of protest.
In the last fifty four years we have not had any election that was not a subject of disputation and challenge and rather for the situation to improve, it is getting worse. One of the reasons is the structural imbalance in the country in which political power for long was located in one part of the country to the detriment of free access to power by others no matter how qualified or talented they may be.
Elections since 1951 to the present have not been able to foster a feeling of common destiny and if we are to remain together we must find ways and means to harmonize individual and group rights within an overarching federal architecture.
But the key to the removal of this curse of election lies in education, adoption of full-proof technological electoral machinery to minimize tampering with the electoral process.
We must also build a Nigeria economy in which people who wish to work would have work to do and in which politics will be a vocation rather than a profession. This was what it was in the past and we must go back to the past in order to guarantee our future. Dissolution of the federation will no guarantee fair election in the successor States..
I want my Children to inherit from my generation a country better than I met it. What presently exists is a travesty of governance and I am ashamed that this is all that resourceful and cerebrally endowed country has.
The fault is in us not in our stars. It will not matter where the President of the Country comes from if he performs well.
Our problem is that the routine performance of government duties (Such as road construction and potable water supply) by those in authority is celebrated as "achievements". Victory at a recent football competition has been made the opium of the people and money left from the denuded coffers of government is being frittered away as gifts to footballers without budgetary provision.
Governance has been shoved aside in parliament and in the executive to celebrate a mere football victory. This sterility of idea about what governance is the more reason why there must be a credible force and opposition to a long ruling party that has taken the electorate for granted.
It is however heartening that even members of the ruling party have welcomed the formation of a virile opposition party strong enough to be a government-in-waiting. It is in the interest of all politicians to make sure that peaceful change through electoral politics is possible. The alternative is so ghastly that it is unmentionable.
We cannot continue like this, we must change course lest the American prediction that Nigeria will disintegrate in 2015 become a self-fulling prophesy.
I thank you.
Dada Ajibola is a graduate of Bio-chemistry, he writes from Lagos State. Follow him on twitter @i_otunbaola
With all these manifestations, Nigerians often appreciated the essence of good governance, transparency and accountability. Despite all these blessings, corruption has pervaded all spheres of public. And private life with serious implications for service delivery without concrete efforts from government to fight this menace.
Political office holders do seldom want to leave office, they manipulate the electoral process and compromise the electoral process and electoral laws.
The electoral reform being articulated by well-meaning Nigerians centers on the following issues: Independent candidacy, membership of political party to contest election, restriction on political party formation, campaign finance, election funding, the immunity and overpowers of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and issue of gender.
On 29th may 2007 at the eagle square in Abuja, immediately after former president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua took oath of office he admitted that Nigeria elections must especially the one that brought him in was flawed.
The electoral reform is very necessary in Nigeria, if Nigeria wants to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy and achieve tremendously in her quest for development.
There has been struggle over the years to find ways to endanger confidence in the conduct of free and fair elections in Nigeria.
This struggle can be said to be two sided; first is how to design and ensure an efficient, effective, and politically non-partisan election management body; and second is on how to re-orient the country's political culture so that the political culture so that the political elite and general public (Nigerians) will show a genuine commitment to rules and regulations governing the electoral process in Nigeria in order to ensure free, fair, credible and competitive elections in Nigeria.
We need at this point to draw attention to some of the deficits in the country's electoral process that necessitated the need to reform Nigerian electoral process.
Among these deficits are; The abuse of power of incumbency which has become the major problem of electoral reform; severe financial and logistical constraint on the work of electoral management bodies thereby making these bodies to depend on state and local government for field offices of electoral bodies; ballot boxes stuffing or ballot paper manipulation; electoral violence before, during and after elections; the unwholesome role of security agencies to favor the ruling party.
What is to be done and what is at the bottom of electoral heist in Nigeria? Why is it almost impossible to hold elections that losers can accept without resort to the courts or the streets of protest.
In the last fifty four years we have not had any election that was not a subject of disputation and challenge and rather for the situation to improve, it is getting worse. One of the reasons is the structural imbalance in the country in which political power for long was located in one part of the country to the detriment of free access to power by others no matter how qualified or talented they may be.
Elections since 1951 to the present have not been able to foster a feeling of common destiny and if we are to remain together we must find ways and means to harmonize individual and group rights within an overarching federal architecture.
But the key to the removal of this curse of election lies in education, adoption of full-proof technological electoral machinery to minimize tampering with the electoral process.
We must also build a Nigeria economy in which people who wish to work would have work to do and in which politics will be a vocation rather than a profession. This was what it was in the past and we must go back to the past in order to guarantee our future. Dissolution of the federation will no guarantee fair election in the successor States..
I want my Children to inherit from my generation a country better than I met it. What presently exists is a travesty of governance and I am ashamed that this is all that resourceful and cerebrally endowed country has.
The fault is in us not in our stars. It will not matter where the President of the Country comes from if he performs well.
Our problem is that the routine performance of government duties (Such as road construction and potable water supply) by those in authority is celebrated as "achievements". Victory at a recent football competition has been made the opium of the people and money left from the denuded coffers of government is being frittered away as gifts to footballers without budgetary provision.
Governance has been shoved aside in parliament and in the executive to celebrate a mere football victory. This sterility of idea about what governance is the more reason why there must be a credible force and opposition to a long ruling party that has taken the electorate for granted.
It is however heartening that even members of the ruling party have welcomed the formation of a virile opposition party strong enough to be a government-in-waiting. It is in the interest of all politicians to make sure that peaceful change through electoral politics is possible. The alternative is so ghastly that it is unmentionable.
We cannot continue like this, we must change course lest the American prediction that Nigeria will disintegrate in 2015 become a self-fulling prophesy.
I thank you.
Dada Ajibola is a graduate of Bio-chemistry, he writes from Lagos State. Follow him on twitter @i_otunbaola
IF IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF NIGERIANS: CHOICE OF APC VP CANDIDATE ~ 'Deolu OYEBODE
IF IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF NIGERIANS: CHOICE OF APC VP CANDIDATE
14th December 2014.
The National Chairman,
All Progressives’ Congress, Abuja.
Through: The APC Deputy National Chairman (South)
Your Excellency,
IF IT IS ABOUT CHANGING NIGERIA; THE CHOICE OF APC AND GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI’S VP
1. I am humbled to join my voice with many Nigerians and party faithful on the need for our great party to consider some very pivotal points on the selection of who is best to be the running mate of our great leader and mentor, the standard flag bearer and candidate of our great party APC, HE General Muhammadu Buhari (retd). It is a statement of fact that the party will present to Nigerians sooner than later, the anticipated VP candidate having sought the opinions of Nigerians and the country’s Statesmen in the next few hours, I have thus decided to share my very little opinion as a party man; A Party that recognises the wishes of her members, and poised on CHANGING the Nigeria State.
2. The good people of Nigeria are eagerly anticipating who will be unveiled. I have taken my time to study the antecedents of these distinguished personalities and I must confess that nobody out of the shortlisted (as circulated on social media) isn’t worthy to occupy the seat and perform well. Be it: HE Babatunde Raji Fashola (Governor of Lagos), HE Rotimi Amaechi (Governor of Rivers and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum), HE Comrade Adams Oshiomole (Governor of Edo, Labour President Emeritus), HE Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Former Governor of Ekiti, Security Expert and Chairman APC Presidential Primary Election & 3rd National Convention), and Prof. Yemi Oshibajo SAN (Former Attorney-General and Professor of Constitutional Law).
3. My Leader Mr. Chairman, even though Religion is supposed to be a private affairs and not supposed to be a serious issue of public concern, but the previous statements credited to our Candidate and his unflinching faith in Islam which is being politicised by the ruling PDP has heaten the polity on the need to field a Christian by faith and practise as the running mate to our flagbearer, putting into consideration that President Goodluck Jonathan got some sympathy votes in 2011 having knelt down before a respected cleric in Pastor EA Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, as a ‘faithful Christian’. It is on this premise that I humbly propose that being a Muslim, our visionary HE Babatunde Raji Fashola as running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari may be a political suicide for our great party.
4. With every form of modesty and due regards Sir, YE Mr. Chairman is holding a very sensitive position as the anchor and captain of the #ChangeTeam. You are from the South East and it will be unfair in the principle of political power sharing to also have the Vice President from that zone, let alone having our comrade governor and NLC President (emeritus) as the most preferred. I humbly opine that you put this into consideration also as at when the final resolution will be made.
5. Even though politics is about been calculative, I don’t think it will be very judicious for our great party to field the VP from the South-South Zone simply because it is against the principle Strength Maximization to field a South-South VP to trade away a South-South President. Also, it is a known fact that the 2015 Presidential elections will be more of individual political parties holding firmly their strongholds and trying to pinch little votes from the weak zones. Choosing the very outspoken and charismatic HE Rotimi Amaechi of the South-South (Rivers State) as VP won’t mean that it will be a creep into the zone. The fact is we (APC) have only Rivers State in the entire zone. Therefore, the best option for our party is to choose a candidate from the South-West. Please put this also into consideration!
6. Coming to take a look at the remaining shortlisted distinguished personalities: HE Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Intellectual Prof. Yemi Oshibajo SAN, both Christians, well read, from the South West and capable to occupy the seat of the VP of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Sincerely, apart from the fact that Dr. Kayode Fayemi had lost the recent Ekiti election in a mysterious way, having lost in all the 16LGAs of the state, he stands tall to fit in into the position. Prof. Oshibajo is a Pastor of the RCCG, where President Goodluck Jonathan went to seek for God’s ‘good-luck’ in 2011. Political history of this nation has shown us that the title of being a ‘pastor’ doesn’t add any value, if the likes of Pastor Chris Okotie couldn’t even pull all the votes of his worshippers during the 2007 and 2011 Presidential Elections, Pastor Tunde Bakare didn’t garner more votes for GMB (retd) in 2011 even though he was a Pastor from the South West.
7. The fact remains that there is a clear-cut difference between Politics and Governance. While everyone are still expecting the last to be said about the 21st June 2014 Ekiti election, issues such as Thermo and Photochromic Ballot have become an issue to inwardly look into. The prompt sensitization and public vigilance guided against another fraudulent defeat in the State of Osun. Up till now, the international community and elites of the nation are still trying to unravel to puzzle of how a well-performed man like Dr. Fayemi could have lost the election. Dr. Fayemi might have lost because he couldn’t fulfil all ‘political requirements’ in the Nigerian ways but he satisfied virtually all yardsticks of ‘Good Governance’.
8. Those who fight corruption must be ready to face the repercussion, which to me, was what cost the re-election of Dr. Fayemi at the poll. He is a better person in Governance than the dirty mulk of politics. Good, the likes of HE Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, and host of others are in the zone can cover up for him during the election before the act of governance is faced come May 29 2015.
9. Another advantage that the party APC and Nigerians will benefit from is the fact that a combination of a Retired Military General and a Civil-Military Relations Security Expert will not only bring an end to the unending spate of terrorism (Boko Haram) but will also nip in the bud permanently any threat to our internal and external security at the short and long run. Dr. Fayemi is a scholar, who has practically addressed and postulated the solutions to virtually all the problems facing the country, as a lecturer-governor, while he was the spokesperson of the Progressive Governors’ Forum. Dr. Fayemi was very active in the formation of the Regional Roadmap to development under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria.
10. If it is about CHANGING Nigeria for better, where there shall be zero-tolerance to corruption, insecurity and unemployment, where there shall be good governance and the ideals & manifestoes of the party shall be religiously implemented; the best opportunity for our party to indeed influence genuine fiscal federalism is having a General Muhammadu Buhari/Dr. Kayode Fayemi ticket come 2015.
11. Adeolu OYEBODE is my name, a registered member of the All Progressives Congress (EK/01000311). This letter is STRICTLY my perspective as I speak for myself.
12. Thank You.
Adeolu OYEBODE
(APC/EK/01000311)
@adeoluoyebode
14th December 2014.
The National Chairman,
All Progressives’ Congress, Abuja.
Through: The APC Deputy National Chairman (South)
Your Excellency,
IF IT IS ABOUT CHANGING NIGERIA; THE CHOICE OF APC AND GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI’S VP
1. I am humbled to join my voice with many Nigerians and party faithful on the need for our great party to consider some very pivotal points on the selection of who is best to be the running mate of our great leader and mentor, the standard flag bearer and candidate of our great party APC, HE General Muhammadu Buhari (retd). It is a statement of fact that the party will present to Nigerians sooner than later, the anticipated VP candidate having sought the opinions of Nigerians and the country’s Statesmen in the next few hours, I have thus decided to share my very little opinion as a party man; A Party that recognises the wishes of her members, and poised on CHANGING the Nigeria State.
2. The good people of Nigeria are eagerly anticipating who will be unveiled. I have taken my time to study the antecedents of these distinguished personalities and I must confess that nobody out of the shortlisted (as circulated on social media) isn’t worthy to occupy the seat and perform well. Be it: HE Babatunde Raji Fashola (Governor of Lagos), HE Rotimi Amaechi (Governor of Rivers and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum), HE Comrade Adams Oshiomole (Governor of Edo, Labour President Emeritus), HE Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Former Governor of Ekiti, Security Expert and Chairman APC Presidential Primary Election & 3rd National Convention), and Prof. Yemi Oshibajo SAN (Former Attorney-General and Professor of Constitutional Law).
3. My Leader Mr. Chairman, even though Religion is supposed to be a private affairs and not supposed to be a serious issue of public concern, but the previous statements credited to our Candidate and his unflinching faith in Islam which is being politicised by the ruling PDP has heaten the polity on the need to field a Christian by faith and practise as the running mate to our flagbearer, putting into consideration that President Goodluck Jonathan got some sympathy votes in 2011 having knelt down before a respected cleric in Pastor EA Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, as a ‘faithful Christian’. It is on this premise that I humbly propose that being a Muslim, our visionary HE Babatunde Raji Fashola as running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari may be a political suicide for our great party.
4. With every form of modesty and due regards Sir, YE Mr. Chairman is holding a very sensitive position as the anchor and captain of the #ChangeTeam. You are from the South East and it will be unfair in the principle of political power sharing to also have the Vice President from that zone, let alone having our comrade governor and NLC President (emeritus) as the most preferred. I humbly opine that you put this into consideration also as at when the final resolution will be made.
5. Even though politics is about been calculative, I don’t think it will be very judicious for our great party to field the VP from the South-South Zone simply because it is against the principle Strength Maximization to field a South-South VP to trade away a South-South President. Also, it is a known fact that the 2015 Presidential elections will be more of individual political parties holding firmly their strongholds and trying to pinch little votes from the weak zones. Choosing the very outspoken and charismatic HE Rotimi Amaechi of the South-South (Rivers State) as VP won’t mean that it will be a creep into the zone. The fact is we (APC) have only Rivers State in the entire zone. Therefore, the best option for our party is to choose a candidate from the South-West. Please put this also into consideration!
6. Coming to take a look at the remaining shortlisted distinguished personalities: HE Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Intellectual Prof. Yemi Oshibajo SAN, both Christians, well read, from the South West and capable to occupy the seat of the VP of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Sincerely, apart from the fact that Dr. Kayode Fayemi had lost the recent Ekiti election in a mysterious way, having lost in all the 16LGAs of the state, he stands tall to fit in into the position. Prof. Oshibajo is a Pastor of the RCCG, where President Goodluck Jonathan went to seek for God’s ‘good-luck’ in 2011. Political history of this nation has shown us that the title of being a ‘pastor’ doesn’t add any value, if the likes of Pastor Chris Okotie couldn’t even pull all the votes of his worshippers during the 2007 and 2011 Presidential Elections, Pastor Tunde Bakare didn’t garner more votes for GMB (retd) in 2011 even though he was a Pastor from the South West.
7. The fact remains that there is a clear-cut difference between Politics and Governance. While everyone are still expecting the last to be said about the 21st June 2014 Ekiti election, issues such as Thermo and Photochromic Ballot have become an issue to inwardly look into. The prompt sensitization and public vigilance guided against another fraudulent defeat in the State of Osun. Up till now, the international community and elites of the nation are still trying to unravel to puzzle of how a well-performed man like Dr. Fayemi could have lost the election. Dr. Fayemi might have lost because he couldn’t fulfil all ‘political requirements’ in the Nigerian ways but he satisfied virtually all yardsticks of ‘Good Governance’.
8. Those who fight corruption must be ready to face the repercussion, which to me, was what cost the re-election of Dr. Fayemi at the poll. He is a better person in Governance than the dirty mulk of politics. Good, the likes of HE Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, and host of others are in the zone can cover up for him during the election before the act of governance is faced come May 29 2015.
9. Another advantage that the party APC and Nigerians will benefit from is the fact that a combination of a Retired Military General and a Civil-Military Relations Security Expert will not only bring an end to the unending spate of terrorism (Boko Haram) but will also nip in the bud permanently any threat to our internal and external security at the short and long run. Dr. Fayemi is a scholar, who has practically addressed and postulated the solutions to virtually all the problems facing the country, as a lecturer-governor, while he was the spokesperson of the Progressive Governors’ Forum. Dr. Fayemi was very active in the formation of the Regional Roadmap to development under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria.
10. If it is about CHANGING Nigeria for better, where there shall be zero-tolerance to corruption, insecurity and unemployment, where there shall be good governance and the ideals & manifestoes of the party shall be religiously implemented; the best opportunity for our party to indeed influence genuine fiscal federalism is having a General Muhammadu Buhari/Dr. Kayode Fayemi ticket come 2015.
11. Adeolu OYEBODE is my name, a registered member of the All Progressives Congress (EK/01000311). This letter is STRICTLY my perspective as I speak for myself.
12. Thank You.
Adeolu OYEBODE
(APC/EK/01000311)
@adeoluoyebode
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