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2011 Presidency: Ribadu Vs Jonathan By Zents Kunle Sowunmi As Nigeria warms up for the next year Presidential election, it will be okay to review how the two front runners will perform in the elections. At the end of each party primaries, General Babangida, Governor Saraki and former Vice President Atiku would have tucked in their tails and accepted their sorry state of lack of credibility and complete rejection by the PDP to give room for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the party nominee for another shot at Aso Rock the seat of government in Nigeria. General Buhari of his own Party despite the respect of some Nigerians that believed being flogged on the streets or public execution was a yard stick to measure disciple from a government may have accepted that the General may not win any states in the West of Nigeria which was the foundation of Nigeria press and all that the press used in fighting for an egalitarian society since the time of Herbert Macaulay. General Buhari who was never a friend of the Press and his attitude as Head of State and the jailed two Guardian Press men for publishing the truth will stand between him and the votes from the West may have a lot to explain. The East of Nigeria will the General Buhari hope in getting any vote from the South if he picks his running mates from this Region failure to do this, the East will play a look warm attitude to his presidential trip to Aso Rock. Until the General publicly apologize to the Press and the people of Lagos for flogging them like animals in the eighties his dreams like before will never get beyond the court room of asking for cancellation of election when the facts are obvious on the silent rejection from the West and East and most of the States of the North because of fear of his toughness which may not work in a democratic situation, to this writer the General remains a bad democratic products. Current President Goodluck Jonathan, will be seen as a child of the system, and will have the sympathy of the South- South in the election, but not the North, or the West, the East will know a win for Jonathan is to prolong Igbo Presidency for another 16 years, and may look for a Northern candidate hopefully, Buhari to given them at short at Vice Presidency and Presidency in the next 8 years. In all, despite President Jonathan funny looking resource control hat and his last premolars smiles the North will throw him away like a bad habit and stay with one theirs in the election. And who will that be? For President Jonathan to win the Northern votes, he will have to contend with grudges of Atiku, IBB, and Sarakis, he will also struggle with who ever comes as Action Congress Party of Tinubu the Asiwaju will put forward as Vice President, hopefully, Pat Etomi or Current Governor of Edo State from his base in the South-South, since the Yoruba still regards Edo State as part of Odua’s children from Oranyan and descendants of Eweka, the West will be comfortable with this scenario. Tinubu will emerge as Godfather of West Politic and era of OBJ in the West will be over so also will be the fake foundation laid by the PDP in the West. Nuhu Ribadu , a lawyer and former Police AIG and founding Chairman of EFCC made a name for himself and created the respect for Nigeria at a time no nation wanted to touch Nigeria like piss of garbage. He took his work beyond the call of duty, He prosecuted all criminals including his Boss the corrupt Police Inspector General, he jailed friends of the President, like Bode George, and made the corrupt state House of Assemblies to impeach corrupt governors hiding under the immunity clause to steal public fund. He never forgot that he was there to serve Nigeria as country. He liaised with various international bodies like FBI, British police and many others to get to the root of corruption. Nuhu Ribadu days was numbered as soon as President Obasanjo left office, in my published article” How Obasanjo left his Boys in the Cold” I mentioned how glorious it would have been if Obasanjo had left Ribadu, Ngozi Iwela now Managing Director of World Bank or former Central Bank Of Nigeria in charge but it was not to be. In the seventies and eighties when Ernest Okonkwo was the best radio commentator on Nigeria radio stations and when he loved a footballer like Muda Lawal one could tell, sometime he described him as the man after his hearts such is my love for Ribadu, as a former student Union leader myself, I knew what the students passed through under Gowon, MM, OBJ, IBB and Abacha, many like Banji Adegboro of University of Ibadan, Sunday Ladele LADO of Yaba Tech those were the heroes of our student unionism, like them Nuhu Ribadu suffered for taken the side of Truth, and justices and upholding the law that established EFCC. Nuhu Ribadu, came from nowwhere to surprise many Nigerians until the corrupt late President Yar’Adua a former governor himself connived with his Minister of Justice to ruin the police career of Nuhu Ribadu but as fate will have it all charges were dropped by President Jonathan and the man Ribadu is asking Nigeria for their votes to be President At the end of the day the fight for presidency will be between the man who dropped the fake charges against Ribadu maybe he President Jonathan had followed his conscience and appointed Ribadu as adviser like he promised before Madam Waziri voice her lack of support for such situation maybe we may not have this situation. But he never did and by that President Jonathan dogged his political grave and created a strong problem in getting the votes from the North. Nigerians will enjoy robust debates between a PHD holder and a lawyer in asking for your votes, the presidency will be between PDP and Action Congress Party, between Jonathan and Ribadu, and it will be the beginning of an end the era of those that stood between Nigeria and good politics since 1960. In all the North of Nigeria hold all the Aces to who ever becomes Nigeria President, our Press must be free to ask for who ever emerge as candidates of each party if they will sign freedom of Information Bill, rights for all Nigerian children, rights of women, state and City police, mayoral system of administration for our cities and compulsory life insurance for all commuters on Nigeria roads, and those employed as house helps and security (mai guard) this will be the Nigeria of my dream.
********** Zents Kunle Sowunmi lives in Texas USA. Author: Before the Journey Became Home Nigeria: What Happened to Our Democracy? 100 Ways to laugh. |