I was a very happy man on Tuesday, 7th of November, 2006 when I read the news that my man, my candidate, Gov. Donald Duke of Cross River State has formally declared his intention to run for the exalted office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The reason for my happiness is not far-fetched; it is because I was amongst the first proponent of his suitability along with Chairman Ribadu for the office of presidency and vice-presidency respectively depending on the PDP zoning criteria. (See, "My Winning Team for 2007:Gov. Duke and Chaimrman Ribadu," May 22nd, 2006 & "Gov. Donald Duke is Still the Man to Beat for President 2007," Sept., 11,2006 NVS).

My subsequent articles were also in support of the Duke's presidency and this led to some Nigerians voicing concern that, the Gov. Duke has not shown interest nor declare his intention publicly for the presidency and as such, there is no need for my propagating or pre-empting his innermost intention. However, had these well meaning Nigerians read the handwriting on the wall, they would have agreed with my supposed "sychopancy" on the Gov. Duke's desirability.

What I intend to achieve with this latest article is to shed a brief but intense light on some of the rest of the almost 20 candidates under the banner of the PDP, particularly the most probable and notable ones amongst them including IBB, VP Atiku, and Gov. Peter Odili.

These trio are the ones who gives me more concern because they are to likely emerge
as PDP flagbearer. This is why I have titled my article as, "30 Days Countdown to Nigeria Greatness: Support Donald Duke for President."

My fellow compatriots, I would not at this time bother you with the antecedants of these named leaders other than to ask you all to search your conscience and ask yourselves these questions:

• Can Nigeria afford to have any of these men to be the president in the next administration?

• Did IBB, who has misruled Nigeria, change over the intervening years to deserve our support?

• Does VP Atiku, who has been exposed and admitted to be corrupt by his own accounts, deserve our support to the office of presidency?

• Does Gov. Peter Odili who has been managing the affairs of Rivers State as Executive Governor for the last seven or so years proven himself to be above board and deserve our support?

• Can any of these aforementioned leaders sustain the level of economic advancement now obtainable and which can even propel further after the next election in May, 2007?

• Can Nigeria political space advance creditably under these candidates?

• Do these candidates really care about the poor suffering masses of Nigeria by their actions?

• Can Nigeria ever be nor even achieve greatness under any of these candidates?

My fellow compatriots, If your answers to these questions are in the negative, then it is imperative for you all to come out of your "siddon look" postures and come out swinging in behalf of Gov. Donald Duke, who has so far, as Governor of one of the poorest State in the South South in terms of fund allocation, achieved the most economic and social developments in Cross River State.

Gov. Duke, in my opinion, is the only candidate in the PDP who can deliever the presidency in a free and fair election; who can utilize the abundant human and economic resources of our great nation; who can begin the social and cultural re-engineering in the whole of Nigeria as has being done presently, in his state. He is one of the only 3 untainted Governors out of 36 in Nigeria. He is the only one who represents the hope and aspiration of this new evolving Nigeria, where technocrats such as the former Minister, Okonjo Iweala, Charles Soludo, Prof. Akinyuli, Obiageli aka Madam Due Process, Mallams El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu amongst others continue to set
new positive agendas.

Nigeria can be Great again and will be Great again if we all channel our total energies to the goal of emergence of Gov. Duke as the flagbearer of the PDP on the 16th of December, 2006. Nigeria deserves no less and all hands must be on deck to salvage our country from the usurpers who wants to bring about Nigeria's total destruction.

I implore you all to call your friends and enemies alike to focus on this attainable goal; it can be done; it should be done and I have count myself in as a NUMBER ONE supporter of the DUKE for President.

The 30 days countdown has just commence, let your voice and action be heard and seen in the support of Nigeria's Greatness by your support of Gov. Duke candidacy's.

Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria and May Allah continues to Bless us all. Amen

UP! UP!! UP!!! DONALD DUKE FOR PRESIDENT. UP! UP!! UP!!! NIGERIA AND HER PEOPLE!!!!

The writer, Adebayo Animashaun lives mostly in New York, USA and is not an offical of the Donald Duke for President Campaign Organization. He hopes to contribute his efforts to the success of Gov. Duke, however and whenever possible.

Robot  # 1 | 17.11.2006 14:39

...Read the full article.

Omovudu  # 2 | 17.11.2006 20:59

Mr Adebayo, Nice article, but you live "mostly in the US so wetin you want do. How do you intend to contribute towards the noble goal of a Duke candidacy. This is the big dilemma people Sabella have been indicating (also wrt to Pat Utomi). How can these candidates (admittedly the better of the pack) find their way through the rot of the political party system to present their candidacy to the Nigerian people. A PDP Duke Vs AC Utomi election would be a dream wish come true and it would not matter who wins. The problem is what happens at the primaries. The delegates that would vote are the key in determining the tide of things and this is where the Odilis, IBBs and Atikus are pulling their weight (heard Odili with all his thief thier war chest has been moving around the PDP cacuses in the States and warming up to them). These people only see money and not ideas. There in is the big challenge and ideas would be welcome on how these men of ideas (Duke and Utomi) can navigate in such waters. For those of us in Diaspora. Na prayer na im go get am for us (apart from word of mouth to our people for Naija). What to do (as they say where I live). I wish Duke and Utomi good speed and God's grace in this tenous undertaking that they have committed themselves to. May it be well with your roads. May all those your oppononents who do not wish Nigeria well meet with roadblock upon roadblock on their journey. May your own road be express to election day that in the we can all say - Ogadinma in Nigeria. Amen O.

katampe  # 3 | 17.11.2006 21:03

Just curious , what is the aspirants name? Is it the first name Donald or Donatus ? Or is the last name Duke or Duck? African man bearing white man's name ...na wa o !

Omovudu  # 4 | 18.11.2006 00:17

Folks, For those of you interested, see the link to the duke blogsite that has a video footage of his declaration. Nigeria on my mind It is titled - Nigeria on my mind: (Gov. Donald Duke - Official...) The guy generally is extremely polished and cool (my fear is that he seems almost too cool for the Nigeria of our today). But given that he succeeded in Cross Rivers state is a big plus and confidence booster (one of the biggest challenges facing Utomi is a lack of political pedigree). I wish this guy all the best in his presidential campaign. Cheers

MrOneNaija  # 5 | 18.11.2006 02:44

NO TO A CLONE OF OBASANJO!!! Mr. Animashaun writes, inter alia, on Gov. Duke and his presidential ambition: He is the only one who represents the hope and aspiration of this new evolving Nigeria, where technocrats such as the former Minister, Okonjo Iweala, Charles Soludo...Mallams El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu amongst others continue to set new positive agendas. !!! Trying to put what is obviously a positive spin on a dismal failure is worrisome enough. But more worrisome, at least from the point of view of any serious-minded presidential candidate, is for anyone to want to canvass support for a campaign on the basis of such a failure. At any rate, I'm not so sure that Duke will be pleased to be so associated with the failed policies of the incompetent Obasanjo regime. If he were, then he wouldn't be seen as deserving of consideration as a credible candidate for the Nigerian presidency. For almost seven and a half years, Nigerians have been at the receiving end of the callous, bumbling and of late, mostly criminal schemes of the Obasanjo dictatorship and its agents in the likes of Nuhu Ribadu and el-Rufai. By way of example, the regime's so-called privatization measures have been an unmitigated disaster. So is the hypocritical anti-corruption campaign. The nation is confronted with a state of near-anarchy as citizens struggle with unprecedented insecurity and hopelessness. Governance has all but lost its meaning under the rudderless and vicious tyranny of Nigeria's current madman, also known as Caligula Aremu. We are today witnessing the mindless destruction of our collective patrimony by a rampaging band of visionless midgets of reaction led by a dim-witted rogue whose claim to leadership is at best tenuous. And as we all know, the barbaric assault on Nigeria's democratic project is being orchestrated from that Altar of Infamy called Aso Rock. Anybody preaching what is tantamount to a continuation of the failed policies of the Obasanjo dictatorship cannot be taken seriously. If Duke or any other candidate genuinely wants to move Nigeria forward, they will repudiate what Obasanjo and his misrule represent in the present scheme of things. As for Nuhu Ribadu as v-p., let's just say that the suggestion is laughable. And that is being very generous. http://www.nigeriavillagesq... Allow me to re-post here an opinion expressed under an earlier thread on one of the so-called technocrats of the Obasanjo regime who are allegedly setting "new positive agendas". Re: .Can El-Rufai be Nigeria`s President? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TACKLING A NUISANCE Like his fellow tout going by the name of Nuhu Ribadu, el-Rufai has no significance within the Nigerian polity beyond that which has been prescribed for him and his ilk by their political master, the Butcher of Aso Rock (BOAR). Of course, I am referring here to the 'nuisance value' of this sanctimonious, mendacious and risibly pompous charlatan who has turned the art of toadysm and fawning subservience into an article of faith. Also, like Nuhu Ribadu, el-Rufai's primary function is that of a lackey - and a dangerous one at that - who combines the fanaticism of an apparatchik with the deceptive façade of a soi-disant technocrat imbued with a ready-made, badly digested rant of the neo-liberal kind. This expendable quantity is now being deployed in the egregious war that the Aso Rock tyrant has declared against the Nigerian people and not just against his perceived political enemies. Discerning minds have already exposed the fraud called el-Rufai and all I can do now is refer readers to the following commentary on the character in question and what he represents in the present scheme of things. Aonduna Tondu: El-Rufai and... - MrOneNaija

Rola  # 6 | 20.11.2006 04:45

Katampe, Don't be mischievious...have you not heard about Nigerians with the following names:Alabo Graham-Douglas,JP Clark,Patrick Dele-Cole,,Dagogo Jack,Funsho Williams,Adolphus Karibi-White or other last names like Smith,Taylor,Hart,Mcpepple etc. The man's name has nothing to do with the quality of his candidacy,focus on things like his capability,integrity,achievements...stuff that really matter to Nigerians.

whytboi  # 7 | 20.11.2006 05:34

Mr Adebayo, You definitely are right on track on that one. I think Donald Duke has done creditably well for his state and would be an overwhelming choice for president if he is able to scale his party`s primaries. The Tinapa Project is more than enough proof that he would be able to effect major changes in our polity if given the chance. He was also able to provide electricity for communities which hitherto had no electricity. I think he stands a good chance and i am delighted he made up his mind to contest.