Email: totalpolitica@ymail.com

There is obvious disquiet in PDP following the outcome of the PDP presidential primary election and the nomination of the Vice-Presidential candidate of the party. There are a lot of angry birds and their grievances need to be managed with tact. The foes are coming for them and luring them with promises they never intend to keep. Knowing their aim, what is PDP doing to stop the predatory foes from swallowing the party?

Every seasoned politician understands that the game of politics is a game you either win or fail. When you win, you have a moral duty to be magnanimous in victory by reaching out to the losers and seek their cooperation. Make necessary concessions and do all it takes to forge a united front . Whereby you fall on the other side as a loser, it is equally your responsibility to lick your wounds, support the winner and move the party forward.

But why are those that lost in the PDP primary hyperventilating about their loss? Why are they so angry in a contest which they knew from the onset that there will be one clear winner? Being disgruntled and reckless to the extent of wanting to destroy the Party you helped build and sustain is not how to be a good party man. Those who tow this path of scattering their own party have always lived to regret their disappointing action.

But in Nigeria where Party politics is played without ideological leaning, whimsical gerrymandering by some reckless quants is not shaming enough. The character of a good politician is not about being a disgruntled looser but keeping the Party strong and united to achieve its core objective of winning elections and establishing a government. PDP has all it takes to win 2023 presidential election but political gerrymandering is her bane and the reason why people see all the Parties as the same, and the reason why fringe political parties are posing threats.

Since after the PDP primary election, I have seen and heard a lot, and also the utterances of Governor Ortom who migrated from APC to PDP about the choice of Atiku's Vice Presidential candidate. I was personally surprised by Ortom's hyperventilation because as a two term governor he knows it is the prerogative of the winner to actually choose his vice, and many things comes into play. Essentially, the choice of VP can be likened to a man making the choice of a wife. You look for character compatibility not a boxing partner above every other factor. That Atiku chose Ifeanyi Okowa does not mean he does not respect the person or contributions of Nyesom Wike as a strong pillar of the Party. I do not think anyone underestimates Wike’s contributions to the Party which from hindsight wasn’t selfless or out of love and charity for party but to earn him sense of entitlement to the throne . He did all a man can do except considering the God factor . It’s God that anoints kings .

Wike lost to God’s factor and not because he is not loved or wanted by the people. I personally admire his courage and industry. He is my man and I respect him.

That Atiku was presented with three names by the advisory committee left him with a discretion which he exercised. The noticeable crack in PDP as a result, is not motivating Party enthusiasts. A house divided against itself does not stand. 2023 is PDP's election to win . If they do not quickly patch their cracks, they will lose to APC and that will be the end of the Party. The current crisis in the party is a challenge to the Party's presidential candidate. His ability to unite the party is a test case of his would be ability to unite the country.

I urge those who are aggrieved to well understand that the foe that must be defeated is APC which has ruined the country and not PDP.

Our major problem today is lack of unity. The people no longer trust the system. Nigeria’s number one obstacle in this regard is APC. Once the party gets out of the way, we will begin our journey of social, political and economic recovery.

The leader of the APC government , President Buhari is the problem, not because he is Fulani or Moslem, but because he is a bad leader. His leadership character is catastrophic. He is grossly incompetent and has no clue about anything. I do not think any of our past leaders compares to him when it comes to incompetency and being divisive. He is the one standing in our way of being our brothers and sister’s keeper. Despite the difference in our tongue, religion and tribe, we must unite to chase the APC away.

I have personally reviewed all the major candidates in this upcoming election and the only one that seems prepared to lead and with the character to unite, secure the country, and build it back to prosperity is Atiku Abubakar. His personal life and accomplishments transcend religion and ethnicity. He is one leader whose mother, father, wives, children touch all sections of this country. I have no doubt in my mind that as a leader he will be able to recover our social cohesion and restore back people’s trust and confidence in the country. So far, he is the major candidate that is not phoney about his choice of Vice-Presidential candidate.

In choosing Ifeanyi Okowa out of the three potential nominees presented to him by the party, his choice was deliberate. He was partly influenced to choose him as a running mate because he is Igbo. Atiku understands that the Igbo need to be in the same room with other Nigerians to build unity. It is now left for us as a people to rebuild our bridges and recognize the Igbo nation as one. We must realize that we cannot fly far with one wing.

I have also heard people argue about the major political parties and which of them will win 2023 presidential election. I acknowledge that it is still too early in the day to reach a definite conclusion on how the election will unfold. I also acknowledge that this election will be the first election since 1999 where a fringe party will pose a threat to the two major parties. I concede that NNPP and Labor Party will make impact in this election but I do not see them causing major upsets.

This election is PDPs election to win for the reason that APC in the past seven years took Nigerians to hell. Virtually everyone is tired and fed up with the incompetent leadership of the party. I am reluctant to endorse NNPP and Labor Party because these are parties that had not been tried and tested before. I cannot also reasonably compare them with either PDP or APC and therefore cannot entrust our fragile federation in their hands.

However, I am much more comfortably disposed to compare PDP with APC. I can distinguish which era is better. As an adult, I lived through PDP leadership from 1999 to 2015. I saw the efforts made by the party to build a strong economy and maintain social cohesion. Like most governments they solved some problems and created some problems too. PDP was not perfect and of course one of the weakest oppositions party. But compared to APC administration, the PDP years were better and can be described as Nigeria’s golden era. APC is to say the least, evil. They had no agenda other than to ruin, plunder and destroy and have successfully ruined the country. They ruin anything they touch. If PDP is successful in 2023 as I wish they will, I pray they should be able to restore us back to 2015 and improve on their records. The Presidential candidate of PDP has repeatedly harped on social cohesion, security, productive economy, quality education and devolving more powers to the State. He needs to amplify these issues. He also will need a team that will not just embody his leadership skill, but talents which will reflect our diversity. He will need a team made up of people with common sense economy, men that are frugal and prudent in the management of resources, people with courage to confront the cabals and bandits pinning the country down. He will need men that are forthright and frank. He will need a team that is innovative not the same recycled old hands. That’s the unity government I expect post Buhari where every good hand irrespective of party, religion, tribe and tongue will be on deck to salvage the country.

Trash

His personal thought line

God bless the OP for his insights. Only the liberal- minded would agree with the unquestionable facts stated therein. Wike and his cohorts have only shown how greedy and self centered they are but would end up biting their own fingers. Atiku will win the 2023 presidential election.

Ibironke4s:
His personal thought line

Nope. These are not just personal thoughts but incontrovertible facts. Well researched.

Wike and Fayose should be honoured well,right, they tried for the party,post 2015 Election pdp and sympathizers had lost all hope,Atiku was no were to be seen or heard.
If there were no PDP upon atiku's return on what platform will he re contest?

Wike fought like a strong man,he would have defeated atiku but for the 11th hour betrayal of his fellow lawyer sokoto lawyer cum governor friend.northern paddy paddy.

Tambuwal betrayed Wike despite Wike's Rivers money and membership followership in resurrecting PDP
Atiku also betrayed Rivers Governor,he promised him VP position and later ditch him for Okowa.

Proverbially,twice beaten, severally shy.
Thank God Wike still has sympathizer and followership,his political fate his in his hands and fellow supporters like Fayose the rock and many others across the country.

OP your points are factual,the common enemy is Buhari's APC,they have ruined everything and must be pushed our electorally,that is a fact.whether it's PDP or any other party that must take ,we are yet to see, know and feel it.

Let us acknowledge each person's contributions to party growth,no one has done much more than Wike and Fayose plus others.

So,if chief stakeholders are ready to forfeit their stake for another investment,they have such right to, same way you opined that choosing running mate should be the discretion of any party's flag bearer , something akin to choosing a wife.

As it stands,in former ekiti state governor's voice,any where Wike goes we follow!
........
Learn how to drive manual and automatic cars professionally and process driving license and vehicle papers in a short time.

OLADD:
God bless the OP for his insights. Only the liberal- minded would agree with the unquestionable facts stated therein. Wike and his cohorts have only shown how greedy and self centered they are but would end up biting their own fingers. Atiku will win the 2023 presidential election.

Why did Atiku not support Jonathan after he lost the PDP primary election to Jonathan?

Word War : Why I support the Atiku/ Ifeanyi Okowa balanced ticket -By Clem Aguiyi
Email: totalpolitics@ymail.com

Though I listed the phone number on my page as SMS only, yet some readers will not heed to the notice. They would rather call to engage in word war. Over the years as a political writer, I have learnt to be patient with my readers and their reactions. Reason being; if, they will spend their money to buy the paper because of my column and patiently read through every single line of what I have written, I must also be a patient listener to those that summoned the courage to call me rather than SMS. No matter how tortuous the word war might be , I have learnt not to be irritated. From our disagreements, I have learnt a lot and also used the opportunity to clarify myself on some issues. It’s not every time that one is right.

Last week, one of my regular readers called to find out why I am not noisy about the 2023 election. He went on to speak on how both PDP and APC ruined the country. He spoke about his new political preference and what he considered a revolution that is about to happen upon Nigeria and why I must be ‘obidiently’ compliant.

First, I am not quiet about 2023. I have put down my thoughts on paper despite my occasional deviation paying tribute to my quintessential DR, a diamond and a one of a kind.

Every fair-minded person agrees that Nigeria is in ruins, and I mean ruined in every aspect. The current regime headed by President Buhari presents very poor image of leadership. The regime had no agenda to govern but to destroy and plunder, hence under their watch the entire system of network of administration is broken down; there is no trust between the governed and the government; the people’s confidence in the federation is broken; the trust in the judiciary and legislature are broken; the health and education system are broken and likewise the economy; inflation rate has jumped from 17.5% to 18.7% in just one month. The Naira is exchanging for N620 to $1. The economy and related financial systems , monetary exchange , credit management and fiduciary issues are completely broken and would require a keen professional restructuring for growth and market propelled management.

The listings of the challenges that we face are inexhaustive, but does that require a revolution or any violent intervention? Most revolutions end up creating disorder without actually solving the problems that propelled them . That’s one thing I have against revolutionary hypes.

I guess, I disappointed my caller as I politely told him that growing up, I wasn’t a very obedient child but a stubborn and critical thinker. I told him that as a competent adult, that I am a self-confessed reformist who believe that the daunting and enormous challenges faced by Nigeria today can be resolved through restructuring or reforms. All we need is that political leader with the capacity and will power to dare and do the right thing. AA will and Ifeanyi will be useful in this pursuit .

I told him that I endorsed Atiku Abubakar because of his commitment to reforms, and that those of us who calls for restructuring are united in our desire to live harmoniously in a society that works better and works for everyone.

Unlike the revolutionists who are hoping to insert themselves in chaos and ill advised secession , we the reformists are driven by the love and patriotism for the country hence the difference between the reformists and revolutionists.

They revolutionists said they are angry and I admit we are all angry and very angry by the consistent failure of the APC government and her inability to cure itself of glaring incompetent leadership. However, our anger as reformist is far distant away from breaking the country because of one incompetent leader that is even eager to go back to his native Daura on his expiring date.

As reformists, we believe most of the sixty-six items listed in the exclusive list have no business being there. We believe that the centre is overburdened and need to be divested of some powers, hence we are committed to devolving issues bothering on minerals and mines , internal security and state politics, law and order, communication , transport , environment and land matters to the concurrent list.

We are also committed to devolving such social and welfare issues like education, health, energy etc. , to the states and local governments. I told him as reformists we are committed to making Local Governments a true third tier of government with financial autonomy and renegotiation of the revenue allocation formula to enable States and Local Governments get more funding to cater for the developmental needs of the people, while the Federal Government retain the sole powers of quality assurance, policy standardization and implementation. These are some of the issues that Atiku Abubakar are committed to, hence he earned my endorsement.

I am also aware that Atiku as the PDP presidential flagbearer acknowledges the enormous challenge that is facing the country and if elected in 2023 will assemble a team that will reunite Nigeria and reflect our diversity. He has demonstrated this commitment to unity in his choice of Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate, a progressive minded Igbo from the South-South.

As South Easterners we must appreciate there is a whole future to rebuild and we need a bridge between us and our fellow compatriots. The onus is on us to eschew rancour and embrace other progressive minded persons from across the country in delivering a government where we can find accommodation with fellow citizens. As we transit from a post Buhari Presidency, we have a choice to embrace the cooperation of other citizens or continue waltzing without political sensitivity from an intolerably unwise conflictions between demand for a separation in one breathe and in another breathe a so-called president of Igbo extraction that does not engage or embrace the cooperation of other progressive forces.

I also rejected the thesis that PDP and APC are the same or that PDP laid the foundation that destroyed Nigeria. Those hyperventilating this false narrative are simply being mischievous so as to push through their own narrow agenda. In the first instance, there is no single major political player in the 2023 race for president that at one time or the other didn’t belong to either of PDP or APC. There is none of them that had not held political office between 1999 and now. So, if we want to blame our woes on past leaders, we shouldn’t be selective, otherwise we should be able to separate the good from the bad.

In 1999 PDP inherited a bad economy and conflicted politics as we have today if not worse. Between 1999 to 2015 we had a PDP that settled the national debt and now an APC leadership that is still borrowing and re-looting what they borrowed. We had a PDP that improved our economy to be the best in Africa and the sixth fastest growing economy in the word. Now we have the APC that in just seven years made us the poorest country in the world and left fifteen million children out of school while they payed money to terrorists that enabled them to restock and rearm to kill our people and soldiers.

As I write this opinion , Nigerians are eating from the waste.bins , over 3000 Nigerians have been killed by insurgents in the past one year and many more abducted for ransom . All public universities are closed by striking lecturers. No one knows when the striking lecturers will call off their strike so as to allow the students back to schools.

We had a PDP that stabilized the exchange rate at N160 to $1 in 2015 , and now APC regime where the Naira is crashing every other day peaking at N620 to $1. From every indication, PDP era was Nigeria’s golden era while APC is just an exhaust pipe of PDP.

The next election is clearly an election between the two established parties. That is PDP vs APC and we are left with no choice but to reject APC. Nigerians will be foolish to reward APC’s incompetence by re-electing them in 2023 or worse still elect a leadership whose leadership potential and capacity is questionable. No group or party should use our future for another round of political experiment . AA was in the 1999 team that did it before , and can do it again if given the chance .