Prof,
Perish the aggression! For an Engineer you sure have a way with words.
You and I know we have mutual brotherly love, respect, and affection. I will not lie. Your wholesale see month evil, hear no evil adoption of Bola Tinubu rankles and does not sit well with your bright democratic antecedents.
To borrow from the Engineering language register it is like you are floating when gravity should plant your feet firmly on the ground.
I will re-read later today and get back to you if I alter my position.
Has the flood receded in Otuoke?
Cheers.
IBKSent from IBK
From: Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com>Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:30:53 -0400To: <ibk@usa.net>Cc: <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>; <ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com>; NaijaPoliticse-Group<NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com>; OmoOdua<OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com<nigerianID@yahoogroups.com>; naijaintellects<naijaintellects@googlegroups.com>; Ra'ayi<Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com>Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: ACN Statement on the Ondo State Gubernatorial ElectionsIBK:You still have not read what I wrote recently - or that I have been writing about the Nigerian democratic or electoral process over the years? Even when I agree with you, you continue to be aggressively contrarian?If you still have not read what I wrote, please read it. If you did, please read it again. If you have read it again, please give it to a colleague and discuss its content relative to what you wrote below.And there you have it.Bolaji AlukoShaking his headPS: By the way,1. I do not believe that the Electronic Voters card is the next step to entrenching internal democracy within parties. "Internal democracy" must be defined by the political parties themselves - and published for all members - and if you don't like the agreed rules, you don't join that political party or offer yourself for its candidacy.2. I do not believe that all political parties must use identical methods of choosing either their presidential or congressional representatives. It does not happen even in the West:QUOTEUSAThe Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the United States Libertarian Party to choose members of the Libertarian National Committee, and to conduct other party business. In presidential election years, the convention delegates enact a platform and nominate the Libertarian presidential and vice-presidential candidates who then face the nominees of other parties in the November general election.
While most delegates to the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention are tied to particular candidates, delegates to the Libertarian National Convention are free to choose, as was previously the case for the larger parties. Accordingly, Libertarian National Conventions place less emphasis on festivities and spinning the press, though some of each may be found. The complete convention is televised by C-SPAN with additional broadcast television coverage of the presidential nominating process. Perhaps the most interesting difference between Libertarian National Conventions and those of the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States is that the Libertarian Party has not and refuses to accept taxpayer money to pay for its convention.[citation needed] This is in keeping with Libertarian principles that taxation is coerced (i.e. not voluntary) and, therefore, theft; it is considered an "ethical violation" for a good Libertarian who adheres to the Non-Aggression Principle to knowingly commit theft.[citation needed] None of the above is always an option on all ballots.
UNQUOTE
UK
QUOTE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)_Conference
In the United Kingdom, each major political party holds an annual party conference during the party conference season. In the Labour Party, Conference is the supreme body, although the party leadership has made clear, particularly in recent years, that it will ignore the conference's decisions where it does not agree; constitutionally, a British government must be free to make decisions on behalf of the whole population and cannot be bound by any private body.
[edit]Delegates
Delegates to the conference are elected by Constituency Labour Parties, affiliated trade unions and socialist societies. Currently, affiliated trade unions hold 50% of the votes at the conference - down from 80% in the era before Tony Blair, but still considerable. Some 40% of the votes are wielded by the three largest trade unions (Unite, GMB, UNISON).
UNQUOTE
You do not vote for a candidate because he or she arose from a proper "internal democracy" of the party. You have the right to hate the party and like the candidate; hate the candidate and like the party, or hate or like both the candidate and the party. What you do on Election Day is completely up to you - that is the ultimate democracy, once your vote counts.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
On Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 11:30 AM, Ibukunolu Alao Babajide <ibk@usa.net> wrote:Prof. and Ayo Obe,You remind me of what Chief Obafemi Awolowo wrote in the AG Manifesto in response to those in 1959 who said that Nigerians cannot practice democracy like Europeans (just like you assert here).The Sage responded that we unwittingly admit we are inferior to others. Until when? If we have the will to do things well and do things right, it is not beyond our ingenuity to fashion a system that will surely work within political parties in the South West.A fraction of the so called funds spent on bringing forensic experts to reverse the electoral heist of the mandates of the South West Governors of Ekiti and Osun States will ensure a fault-proof internal democracy in South West Political parties.The TRUTH and you will not admit it is that it is not in the character of the man who holds sway over the ACN as at now to do the right thing. All these your apologia on his behalf and on behalf of all those he leads by the nose will not cut it.If we create Electronic Voter's cards that will capture the data of every voter and each party member buys one at Commercial Banks, and they are serially numbered with ward and Zonal Identification Numbers, we can surely entrench internal democracy in political parties.You are the Engineer. Do you want to tell me that you cannot engineer an infallible system that will ensure one man one vote with the current development of technology?The bottom line is that we are being conned by a few leaders who have flawed character!Cheers.IBK
------ Original Message ------
Received: 03:42 PM EAT, 10/30/2012
From: Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com, ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com
Cc: NaijaPoliticse-Group <NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com>, OmoOdua <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>, "nigerianid@yahoogroups.com" <nigerianID@yahoogroups.com>, naijaintellects <naijaintellects@googlegroups.com>, "Ra'ayi" <Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: NigerianID | Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: ACN Statement on the Ondo State Gubernatorial Elections
Madame Ayo:
Have you seen ANY candidate's picture on ANY ballot in Nigeria in recent times? Nope - and in any case, our Electoral Law does not REQUIRE mandatorily.
That shows that inherently, our electoral process PRESUMES that it is PARTIES that we are voting for, NOT candidates, even if there are "waivers" given to individuals like Fashola, Oshiomhole and Mimiko for individual good performance. Other non-performing candidates expect to use the might of the political party to RIG for them.
So until our Electoral Law REQUIRES both Party and Candidate (name, face and symbol) identifications on the ballot, there will be indiscipline about flag bearer choices.
Also, are our political parties really MEMBERSHIP parties, in which primaries by verifiable members can be CREDIBLE? I don't believe so in the least, and until then, even I believe that the false primary system should be side-stepped for some kind of almost gerontocratic (or party bosses) electoral system. I once asked why membership cards cannot be used to raise money for the party, and I was laughed at, that it is the CANDIDATES that buy party cards for their supporters if there is any THREAT of primaries being held. That amounts to buying the primaries.
So until our Electoral Laws allow fund matching based on funds raised by parties from their REGISTERED members, and until the financial books of political parties are so scrutinized, our political parties will be dominated by money bags.
I am always surprised when we are surprised at certain outcomes in Nigeria, when we have not done antecedent matters differently.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
PS: I am the first to admit that our election campaigns - pre-, during- and post election - are too personal, too school-boyish, or like university students union campaigns, on the whole immature. We make silly allegations about assistance and money spent, about betrayals and "capture" of territory with militaristic terminology etc. and gloat in victory unnecessarily. Too many people are too guilty of all of these things......
On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 7:27 AM, Ayo Obe <ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com> wrote:
The statement is mature to an extent, but with all due respect Prof, the maturity would have shone through if the statement had not categorised everybody who has asked them to concede defeat as an enemy of their political party. Congratulating the winner of the election would have been mature and could have been done without prejudice to any right to take action where serious irregularities are exposed. But I know that is not how things are done in Nigeria. Because it is war and battle, it is also 'no quarter'!
I don't have a lot of time for those who suggest that if ACN and PDP had conceded defeat, they would have unseated the incumbent, but the ACN shot itself in the foot when their candidate was perceived to have been - not just imposed, but parachuted in. Indeed, they made a gift to Mimiko and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's complaints of ingratitude only underlined the perception that the ACN candidate was expected to be a more controllable puppet.
Democracy will be deepened when internal party practices are less opaque and more transparent. I am not one who believes that this is shown merely by having party members vote for candidates in primaries. In our cash and carry system, it can be positively counter-democractic! It is perfectly OK to have a selection panel but its criteria and processes must be clear and transparent. Tinubu is smart. The question in his case is whether he is smart enough to know when to let go. Or to look as if he's letting go, sha ...
AyoI invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama
Dear All:
This is a mature statement below, methinks, that can only help to "deepen democracy" - as the saying goes in Nigeria...
But I may be wrong...I have been known to be wrong episodically.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
__________________
ACN STATEMENT ON THE ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS
Statement by Party Chairman Chief Bisi Akande
1. Last week I issued a temporary statement on the reaction of my party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, to the outcome of the Ondo State election. Then I promised that the party will come back with a more detailed position after a careful interim review of the conduct and outcome of the October 20, election in Ondo State by the party leadership.
2. The Governorship election in Ondo State is over and the ballots received by INEC have been tallied. Some people have urged us to reject the INEC results outright because they do not favor my party. This we shall not do. We refuse to cynically treat our democracy as a thing to be discarded when its processes do not favor us. We believe in the long-run, the genuine processes of a genuine democracy shall favor all of us, even the loser of an election. We are prepared to lose elections if the contest is free and the process is fair and transparent. We know that in this manner our democracy is strengthened. No one race or political contest is worth damaging our democracy. We would rather lose the race and gain democracy than win the race and lose democracy in the process.
3. On the opposite side of the spectrum, other people are trying to pressure us to concede defeat as if all was perfect with the election. They do so not because they love democracy but because they are the political opponents of our progressive party. Their interests are not in justice but in appearing to be concerned about justice. They have never exercised any degree of political conciliation or bipartisanship in their exercise of public affairs. It stands as exceedingly hypocritical that they seek from us a gift they would never give. Thus, we see no reason to entertain their counterfeit expressions and the motives behind them.
4. This is our position. We believe in the right of the people of Ondo State to determine who leads them. For us in the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Ondo State election is a battle in a larger war; the war of deepening democracy and ensuring accountability in our country. We are therefore resolved to put the elections behind us whilst pursuing the task of providing leadership to our people effectively.
5. However, we have started an accurate but swift assessment of the entire election, from the vote count to the many and several irregularities and instances of thuggery and violence that occurred. Should we find ultimately that the misconduct and lapses were not sufficiently material to alter the outcome, we shall do the honorable thing and respect what has been announced. Should we find ultimately that the irregularities and wrongful actions materially altered the result, we shall contest the transgression as is our right and duty in a democracy. As leaders of a party and of people who trust the democratic process, we have a solemn obligation not to be swayed by emotion on one side or by intimidation on the other. We owe a duty to ourselves, to the people of Ondo State, and to this nation to vigorously protect the integrity of the process both during and immediately after an election.
6. We wish to state categorically that we would protect and defend members of our party from the unconscionable harassment and intimidation currently going on in Ondo State against our party members and communities that voted against the Labour Party.
We take this opportunity to thank our candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and the entire party for a valiant, dedicated and inspiring effort. We have nothing but accolades for what they did in Ondo State. They fought a good fight. As a party, we shall remain true to our pledge to resist any attempt to thwart the democratic process in Ondo State or any other part of Nigeria.
END
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC)
ONDO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION, 2012
RESULT SUMMARY
S/N
CONTESTANT
GENDER
PARTY
VOTES RECIEVED
% SCORE
REMARKS
1
OLUWAROTIMI ODUNAYO AKEREDOLU ESQ
M
ACN
143,512
22.97%
2
ADEUTI STEPHEN TAIYE
M
ACPN
1,806
0.29%
3
HON. ADEYEMI BOLARINWA
M
ANPP
1,461
0.23%
4
COMRADE OLADIMEJI TOKUMBOH ADEGOROYE
M
APS
751
0.12%
5
OLASEGIRI GBENGA FESTUS
M
BNPP
2,949
0.47%
6
BUILDER OMOYELE AFOLABI OLORUNWA
M
CAP
735
0.12%
7
EHINLANWO OLUSOJI
M
CPC
1,931
0.31%
8
DR. RAHMAN OLUSEGUN MIMIKO
M
LP
260,199
41.65%
ELECTED
9
OLADIPO BOLADE LAWRENCE
M
NCP
823
0.13%
10
ABIKANLU JAMES OLUSOLA
M
NSDP
1,103
0.18%
11
VICTOR OLUWAFEMI ADETUSIN
M
PDC
21,361
3.42%
12
CHIEF ALEX OLUSOLA OKE
M
PDP
155,961
24.97%
13
OMOREGGHA OLATUNJI KRIS (OTUMBA)
M
PPA
1,625
0.26%
TOTAL NUMBER OF VALID VOTES
594,244
TOTAL NUMBER OF REJECTED VOTES
30,415
TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES CAST
624,659
TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCREDITED VOTERS
645,597
TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS
1,638,950
PERCENTAGE TURNOUT
38.11%
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