What the PDP knows best in Nigeria - with the connivance of some client media outlets and unwitting ordinary-citizen collaborators like Adebayo Adejuwon and Dominic Ogbonna on these forums, I am sorry to say - is to SOW an image of CONFUSION in the "enemy camp" (opposition parties) in the minds of even non-partisan Nigerians, hoping and trusting that they (the citizens) will forget their own PDP confusion and ineptitude in governance since 1999, so that when (perchance) they rig themselves back into power, enough Nigerians will say that it was because of the confusion and unseriousness of the opposition, that is why PDP might have "won".
This game/trick happens ALL OF THE TIME towards election time.
But the tendency to PANIC also sets in to the PDP at election time, because they are really NEVER sure that the citizens will back the party SUFFICIENTLY at the polls without "motivation", causing the PDP to often "over-rig" even in places where it might be safe. However, provided the opposition does its homework well, that rigging becomes clear to every eye, and can be fully challenged in court. Witness Ekiti State, Osun, Edo, Ondo, etc., even Ogun in 1999.
Let this be clear There will be a Ribadu candidacy come high noon or high water; there might be a Buhari candidacy or might not be, that is up to him, but the possibility is strong that there will be. There will be a GEJ candidacy and so let us all go to the polls. The important thing is that we should begin a culture of one-person-one-vote, starting with credible registration (if the registration hits 40 individual million people (after filtrations), fine, let us accept it.) Whoever wins, fine for the next four years let him be president, and if he does not do well, let us vote him out in 2015.
All this Ribadu/not Ribadu, Buhari/Bakare/Tinubu, etc. is just IDLE TALK. Let Ribadu choose who he wants; let Buhari choose who he wants - and let us go to the polls. Let the facts be laid out - including geopolitical sentiments, including Danjuma's panel indictment, manifestoes, etc. - and let all go to the polls.
We must also remember that there are National Assembly and state assemblies to populate. All this over-fascination with just the Presidential level feeds into the frenzy of disappointment in governance that we get in our country.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
--- In NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@...> wrote:
>
> Adebayo,
> could you please explain why you see Ribadu this way?
>
> i am curious.
>
> thanks
> toyin
>
> On 28 January 2011 01:26, Adebayo Adejuwon adeadejuwon@... wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Stale news.
> >
> > Ribadu was never a serious contender in the ACN arrangement.Whereas he is a
> > serious individual those who encouraged his aspiration under the ACN banner
> > knew what Ribadu did not know even before he returened from exile. And
> > Ribadu too did not help matters as he allowed his ambition to prevent him
> > from reading the signs of what was to come.
> >
> > When the history of the 2011 presidential race will be written, it is
> > certain that Ribadu will fit the description of a good candidate without
> > foresight. He remains a man of the future nonetheless. He however needs to
> > become a good student of political history.
> >
> > And talking about hegemony and with specific reference to Nigeria, Nigeria
> > was never a Fulani-Yoruba hegemony and its not about to become one on
> > account of Buhari/Bakare combination.
> >
> > What I see is the emergence of a Pan Nigeria hegemony where the
> > six-geopolitical region will determine what it is best for them at regional
> > level and negotiate equal level of participation at the centre.
> >
> > This is what allowing a Buhari/Bakare combo will allow and what a GEJ/Sambo
> > will prevent.
> >
> > The choice is for Nigerians to make.
> >
> > Buhari Tinubu combo is not in the horizon.It is dead. Buhari/Bakare is a
> > possibility. We already have a GEJ/Sambo ticket. And we may
> > have other peripheral combo such as Dele Momodu/somebody.
> > I do not see a Nuhu Ribadu presidency taking root.
> > At least not in 2011.
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > *From:* Dominic Ogbonna summadom@...
> > *To:* vincent modebelu vin_modebelu@...
> > *Cc:* OBSERVE YOURSELF NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com;
> > naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com;
> > igboevents@yahoogroups.com; topcrest topcrestt@...; eric <
> > ericayoola@...; nowa_o@...; lawalishaq_66@...
> > *Sent:* Thu, January 27, 2011 5:08:52 PM
> > *Subject:* [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: ACN Pressures Ribadu to withdraw for
> > Buhari / hehehhe
> >
> >
> >
> > Mazi Modebelu:
> >
> > Poor Ribadu!! How do you ask a man to withdraw, just one week after he
> > cornered the party ticket? Ribadu is learning the same lesson that Atiku
> > learnt -that some people do not believe in anything, or think of anybody
> > else other than themselves.
> >
> > Barely four years after Obasanjo left office, the war for Vice Presidency
> > is now a do-or-die affair between two Yoruba people, Tinubu and Bakare, with
> > people like Ribadu used as dispensable pawns to be used and discarded at
> > will.
> >
> > *IS NIGERIA A FULANI-YORUBA HEGEMONY?*
> >
> > Nnaa, this our Nigeria er, e get some serious K-leg!
> >
> >
> > Dominic
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 7:19 PM, vincent modebelu vin_modebelu@...wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Confusion in ACN over Ribadu, Buhari •Govs, Tinubu part ways •Pressure
> >> mounts on Ribadu to withdraw
> >>
> >> | Print |<http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/16804-confusion-in-acn-over-ribadu-buhari-govs-tinubu-part-ways-pressure-mounts-on-ribadu-to-withdraw?tmpl=component&print=1&page=>
> >> E-mail<http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3RyaWJ1bmUuY29tLm5nL2luZGV4LnBocC9mcm9udC1wYWdlLW5ld3MvMTY4MDQtY29uZnVzaW9uLWluLWFjbi1vdmVyLXJpYmFkdS1idWhhcmktZ292cy10aW51YnUtcGFydC13YXlzLXByZXNzdXJlLW1vdW50cy1vbi1yaWJhZHUtdG8td2l0aGRyYXc%3D>
> >>
> >> Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja Friday, 28 January 2011
> >>
> >>
> >> A huge crack has developed in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
> >> following moves by loyalists of former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola
> >> Tinubu, to get the party's presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to
> >> withdraw from the presidential contest.
> >>
> >> Sources close to the party said that pressure had been mounted on the
> >> former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to
> >> withdraw from the race and concede the seat to the presidential candidate of
> >> the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari, in line
> >> with the ongoing alliance talks between the CPC and the ACN.
> >>
> >> It was confirmed that the pressure being mounted on Ribadu to quit the
> >> presidential race was at the instance of former Governor Tinubu, who is
> >> hopeful of picking the vice-presidential slot of the CPC/ACN alliance.
> >>
> >> Investigations revealed that Ribadu was almost falling for the bait to
> >> withdraw from the race, especially after his meeting with General Buhari
> >> last week, but some governors of the ACN were said to have insisted on
> >> having his name on the ballot.
> >>
> >> It was gathered that the governors, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State;
> >> Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Mr Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State,
> >> were said to have insisted that they wanted the party to field Ribadu,
> >> irrespective of whatever any sector of the polity would say.
> >>
> >> The governors were said to have insisted that the ACN should not fall into
> >> the same pit which consumed the Alliance for Democracy (AD) when it failed
> >> to field a presidential candidate in 2003.
> >>
> >> A source knowledgeable about the development said that one of the
> >> governors argued that the ACN should learn from the mistakes made by the AD,
> >> when it failed to field candidates for the presidential slot in 1999 and
> >> 2003.
> >>
> >> "In 1999, the AD went into alliance with the APP and in 2003, its name was
> >> not on the ballot at all and that led to the extinction of that party.
> >> Today, we are trying to build a new structure out of the ashes of the AD,"
> >> the source quoted one of the governors as telling the leaders of ACN.
> >>
> >> The position of the governors was also said to tally with that of the
> >> national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, who was also said to have
> >> argued in favour of Ribadu.
> >>
> >> The decision on Ribadu's candidature was said to have negatively affected
> >> the push for an alliance between the CPC and the ACN. It was gathered that
> >> while Tinubu had sanctioned the alliance with the aim of neutralising Ribadu
> >> and then clinching the vice-presidential slot, the governors, who influenced
> >> Ribadu's entry into the presidential race, believed that his name could be
> >> used to popularise the party among a new set of Nigerian voters, the youth.
> >>
> >> It was learnt that Tinubu initially did not oppose the bid to recruit
> >> Ribadu into the presidential race as a result of his belief that the former
> >> EFCC boss could bolster his (Tinubu's) credibility and withdraw some
> >> negative comments he made about the former governor when he was EFCC
> >> chairman.
> >>
> >> But it was further learnt that Tinubu knew Ribadu might end up being used
> >> if his own vice-presidential bid sailed through.
> >>
> >> It will be recalled that when Ribadu held sway as the boss of the EFCC,
> >> Senator Tinubu, who left office in 2007, was one of the governors alleged by
> >> the EFCC boss to have corruptly enriched themselves. He said then that
> >> Tinubu's case had international dimensions as he made no bones about his
> >> readiness to prosecute all corrupt governors.
> >>
> >> A source explained that Senator Tinubu, being a very shrewd and
> >> calculating politician, did not forget the role of the former EFCC boss in
> >> the corruption issue and part of his plan was to gain some level of
> >> credibility by associating with the former EFCC boss.
> >>
> >> This claim was corroborated by Saharareporters, an online news blog which
> >> recently quoted Senator Tinubu as telling some of his close associates that
> >> with his association with Ribadu, he had gained a "clean bill of health
> >> regarding the allegations of corruption against him as governor of Lagos and
> >> his continued dominance of the financial and political scenes."
> >>
> >> A source said that Tinubu's ambition to be vice-president, is "partly the
> >> reason he wants to form an alliance with CPC of General Muhammed Buhari.
> >> Even after Mallam Ribadu was picked as the presidential candidate of the
> >> ACN, the party leadership, at the insistence of Senator Tinubu, was still
> >> holding alliance talks with the CPC."
> >>
> >> Sources said that the alliance talks were ongoing at press time on
> >> Thursday but it was learnt that fundamental differences about party platform
> >> and choice of running mate had stalled the talks.
> >>
> >> While Tinubu's camp is pressurising Buhari into joining the alliance and
> >> fly the ACN flag, Buhari's loyalists are afraid that if he dumps the CPC,
> >> his supporters in the North could have serious problems tracking him.
> >>
> >> It was also gathered that Buhari's men are already pointing to the way
> >> former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was shoved aside by Tinubu in the AC as
> >> an example of what could befall Buhari if he joined the ACN.
> >>
> >> Another source said while Ribadu was aware of Tinubu's plot, he was
> >> uncertain of broad support in the party until the governors decided to back
> >> him.
> >>
> >> "Mallam Ribadu was aware of the plan to dump him. That is the reason he
> >> refused to sign the clause in the form that says the ticket can be withdrawn
> >> from him at anytime, which candidates for other positions were made to
> >> sign," said the source, confirming also a meeting between General Buhari and
> >> Mallam Ribadu in Kaduna, where the former EFCC boss bluntly refused to step
> >> down for the former military head of state.
> >>
> >> "Ribadu is aware of the game plan of Senator Tinubu and is ready for a
> >> counter move of his own," he said.
> >>
> >> But the spokesman for Ribadu campaign organi-sation, Alhaji Ibrahim
> >> Modibbo, in a telephone interview, said his team was going ahead with the
> >> campaigns.
> >>
> >> He said the campaign team was unaware of moves to stop Ribadu and gave the
> >> ticket to the CPC candidate.
> >>
> >> Spokesman for the ACN, Alhaji Lai Moha-mmed, did not respond to a series
> >> of questions on the state of affairs in the party, especially following the
> >> protracted negotiations between the CPC and the ACN.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/16804-confusion-in-acn-over-ribadu-buhari-govs-tinubu-part-ways-pressure-mounts-on-ribadu-to-withdraw
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> vin......///
> >> yesterdays thoughts are today's news
> >> will keep blowing while relaxed.....they are listening
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
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