I AM pleased to address this important Forum organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to look at critical challenges ahead of the general elections of 2007. Elections have become a basic index in assessing the social and political development of any polity, especially within the ambience of democracy. For us in Nigeria, under a vibrant democratic system, elections are the hub around which our democracy revolves. The conduct of free, fair and credible peaceful elections will go a long way to show how seriously we take our processes of democratic rebirth and consolidation.

I congratulate INEC for taking this bold step in an attempt to address identified challenges and seek input from all stakeholders into the electoral process early enough before 2007. The reforms presently being pursued by the Commission are clearly in tune with our on-going holistic Reform Agenda.

The need to professionalise the staffing of INEC cannot be overstated. The establishment of The Electoral Institute in collaboration with three premier universities in Nigeria is a step in the firth direction. I am pleased to note INEC's emphasis on the introduction of new technology. This is inevitable in the increasingly complex, competitive and technology-driven global divisions of labour, power and opportunities. Technology, ideas, innovation, focus, determination, creativity, and positive leadership are essential ingredients to successful reform.

Politics in Nigeria has made significant progress. Whether we look at the emergence of a new generation of politicians, the conduct of elections, the culture of constitutionalism, the development of political party platforms and the effort by some parties to strengthen themselves, Nigeria has made good progress. But we are very far from where we should be or where we ought to be. In fact, within the context of the progress that we are making, there exist powerful forces and interests that appear to be pathologically fixated on undermining democracy and democratic practice.

There are forces that appear incapable of appreciating the true value of democracy and there are those that have remained incapable of growing beyond their primordial prisms to see a more integrated, united, fair, just, equitable, democratic and prosperous nation. It is as if they benefit from seeing flash points of crises that they would want to make permanent. It is as if, for them, Nigeria should and must not move forward.

Then, there are those that have just refused to grow-up, so to speak. This is because they remain bound to the language, methods, ideas, and perceptions that were useful under military dictatorship even in our current open and democratic system. They never see anything positive in their own society. Because the present is much better, they take refuge in invented delusions of self-worth and remain permanently bound to negativity. Hence, they substitute their so-called radicalism and pseudo-populism for patriotism and nationalism. We must not allow such persons to confuse or divide us; they must not take us back to the dark past. Together, we must move forward as a nation and people.

At the end of the day, this nation must move forward. Such reactionary, retrogressive, and diabolical disposition, perspective and politics must stop or be stopped. All Nigerians, after going through the harrowing experiences of colonialism, neocolonialism, political instability, civil war, military rule, bad leadership, political rascality, corruption and gross economic mismanagement must now come together to resist efforts by some individuals to drag us back to a past that we have collectively rejected.

We must refuse to be manipulated, divided, intimidated or diverted from the path of democracy and good governance. We must reject and resist so-called leaders that fail to appreciate the value of tolerance, accountability, accommodation, inclusion, due process, and respect for laid down rules and regulations. We owe history and our Creator a duty to reject ethnic, religious and sectional entrepreneurs whose relevance and survival is dependent on perpetual crisis, conflicts and disorder. We have God-given duty to challenge ideas, dispositions and perspectives that go contrary to the natural laws of universality of humanity, to our collective and individual consciences, and to our newly charter course of socio-political and economic regeneration.

It is only when we honestly and collectively adopt these positions that we can ensure that the 2007 elections will be devoid of intimidation, assault, rigging and violence as these irregularities weaken the electoral process and mediate the deepening and widening of democratic values and practices. For, what is the point in going into discourse, encourage healthy competition, design and present viable party platforms and programmes, and ensure the survival and strengthening of popular democratic culture?

It is instructive that this Forum has been called to discuss issues of violence in elections, election mindsets, the responsibility of political parties, the participation of women in politics, the pervasive influence of money in politics and elections, the role of the media, and INEC's preparations for the 2007 polls.

These are very important issues and if we engage them honestly, dispassionately, and with the larger interest of Nigeria at heart, we can reach useful conclusions that will guide us well into the future.

Electoral violence is not only bad and primitive, it also portends a lot of harm to the electoral process as this negative behaviours could derail the whole electoral process and the stability of the nation. Violence discourages people and restricts the political space to criminals, thugs and persons of limited merits and capabilities. It is therefore important that this be addressed in all its ramifications with all the seriousness that it deserves. This aspiration obviously underscores the establishment and operation of the Stakeholders' Fora by the Commission, which is a commendable effort in opening up the political space.

Let nobody be in doubt that this Administration will wage war on political violence and politicians or their agents, who instigate, encourage, preach, support and promote violence.

There are three issues that are essential or critical to the successful conduct of elections. The first is INEC's level of preparation and preparedness for the elections; second is the preparation and orientation of political parties and ordinary Nigerians with special attention to the importance of elections and what the rules of the game are. The third is the overall environment in which politics is to be conducted. The environment must be clean and clear, unclouded, unsuffocating and unpolluted or corrupted.

In Nigeria today, those talking about Interim National Government (ING) to take one example, are either ignorant of the constitution, they are evil-minded or are mischief makers because there is no room anywhere for such a contraption except in a state of war against other countries. Unless they have plans to go to war against other countries it is difficult to see how the issue of ING comes into our country's political discourse and commitment to political stability and economic progress. ING is only reminiscence of military regime and military mentality. It is undemocratic and has no redeeming political or other value.

Strengthening Nigeria's democracy must be seen as a task that must be done and this task must involve each and every one of us. Of course there are enemies of democracy in the land. This government has provided all that INEC needs to carry out a successful election in 2007. No stone has been left unturned to ensure that INEC performs its constitutionally mandated responsibilities without hitch.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its National Working Committee has publicly condemned those that have been talking about an ING because the PDP is getting ready for the elections. Yesterday, the PDP approved its own guidelines, manifesto and qualities required of its candidates who will contest elections at all levels next year. That is how serious the party has taken its preparations for elections.

What we all should be doing is putting in top gear, preparations for the elections individually, collectively, and through our respective political parties and agencies for the conduct of elections. We must be fully alert to the activities of the confusionists that find themselves unable to prepare for genuine democratic politics and are therefore working to divide Nigerians, precipitate doubts and cynicism, and mortgage our political future.

We know that our democracy is on course, we have broken the jinx of the past and our political institutions and structures are functioning. We are not perfect and no where is democracy and democratic process regarded as perfect. However, we remain on course and we intend to remain on course. We will continue to strengthen our institutions.

All democracies are growing and working towards consolidation. We are not an exception. The measure is the extent to which we protect and keep alive the values and strengthen the structures, institutions, processes, and practices and democracy: I make bold to say that these are very much alive in Nigeria. What we want are friends and partners that will support and encourage us along the liens of democratic practice and consolidation, and not those that celebrate our few mistakes, exaggerate our challenges, and keep silent on our successes. We do not expect partners and friends to fund or team up with dubious and mischievous characters under whatever guise just to earn a pay or justify and already set agenda. We will not accept such interference under any guise.

The basis of democratic participation and action in Nigeria as articulated in our Constitution is the political party. Those operating outside the political party are not just undermining democracy but they are also holding us back as a people and failing to rise above the dark past. Considering that there are about 40 political parties today, more than enough room for all tastes, values, interests, ideologies and dispositions within the limits of law and the constitution, and to think that some people cannot find accommodation within any of these parties, then something else must be wrong or they have ulterior motives. It must be the case of people that just find it impossible to work within laid down rules, live and work with others, accept the leadership of others, help to build weak structures or further strengthen strong structures, and adhere to the simple laws of popular participation, collective work and democratic practice.

Those who are elders and who expect to be accepted and respected as such in the national context cannot be supporting myopic, divisive, sectional and even irresponsible actions and struggles of limited objectives. After all, elders are supposed to be wise, experienced, disciplined, forward-looking and inspiring in their statements and actions. This, unfortunately, is not what is happening in some quarters in Nigeria.

I believe that any group that is anchored on ethnic, regional and religious or other primordial considerations, at this stage in our development, with all that we have gone through in this country, with all our dreams and hopes for a purposeful and progressive future, such persons or groups cannot mean well for Nigeria and cannot earn the respect of all Nigerians. Elders that are un-Nigerian are worse than youths that are un-Nigerian as the youths have time for change while elders are already at the departure lounge. What legacy are they going to leave behind? We need elders who will advance national unity, security, stability, democracy, harmony and guidance. We need elders who will leave worthy legacies and their footprints on the sand of time to be cherished nationally long after they are gone.

It is obvious that persons or groups that are otherwise have learnt nothing from our past and cannot claim to be seriously part of our new future, unless they change to see the future that is beckoning to us.

The New Nigeria train of peace, unity, progress, love, harmony and development is moving on steady. We call on those that still believe in bad-belle politics, and in the politics of manipulation. Election rigging, violence, intimidation, ethnic and religious diversions, and political opportunism to abandon their old ways and join us in our new train of peace, partnership, progress and prosperity.

Parties are designed to perform certain roles or functions in society. These include serving as platforms to bring persons with common interests together, providing training for future leaders, identifying and presenting the best candidates for election to political office, developing and presenting holistic programmes for growth and development, and participating in political programmes. Nigerian political parties are meant to be national, cutting across all boundaries so as to enhance unity, stability and harmony.

Organisations with political programmes that operate outside political parties in a democratic order are displaying immaturity, opportunism, and moral indiscipline. The process of democracy must be held inviolate and sacrosanct. This administration will under no circumstance, encourage or allow any unconstitutional or illegal act or practice in our democratic process. Any such attempt will be fiercely opposed and sternly dealt with.

Elections cannot be a matter of life and death. Those who view politics and elections in that light do not have the interest of the nation and the people at heart. They do not mean well for our society and we must ensure that they do not succeed and we should do everything within the law and the constitution to check their dangerous activities.

In the same vein, those criminals and crooks, persons of dubious character, the corrupt and the corruptors, and those whose track record are so blemished that no amount of whitewashing, propaganda or reinvention of personal profiles can cover up their dirty pasts must be prevented by all lawful means from further corrupting, contaminating and compromising our democratic process. Nigerians should all resolve that in no way should such people take over the reigns of government in this country and destroy our reforms that are clearly yielding positive results for our country and for the welfare and well-being of our people. I want to call on civil society, communities, the youth, professionals, and indeed all Nigerians to identify and advise such persons to find other means of work. They constitute clear and serious dangers to our glorious future.

We must continue to work hard, through policies, constitutional and other legal means to increase the participation of women in politics. As I have often aid, and I speak from personal experience, women are more reliable, dependable and loyal when it comes to politics. Increasing their numbers in our political system will surely bring about positive changes and check violence in politics. We must exercise affirmative action in their favour. We need steadfastness and commitment in politics.

When politicians spend so much money on elections, they also begin to adopt extra-legal mechanisms and methods to recoup what they have spent. When they get into office they become very corrupt. When they borrow money for political campaigns, or rely on so-called godfathers or sponsors, they compromise their autonomy, integrity and capacity to deliver upfront. We must stop this trend.

It is extremely dangerous to democratic growth and progress. Those who keep demanding money from aspirants and candidates are just as culpable as those that give the money. No nation can move forward when its politicians see politics as a business and nothing else. Post-election violence is equally in some way, related to frustrations, anger, and disappointments arising from the crude and criminal monetisation of our politics. We must begin to focus on the politics of issues and ideas by adopting reasonable standards of integrity, capacity, credibility, patriotism and understanding of our priorities. We have heard so much about where, for instance, the President should come from and little if any, on what the President should do and what should be his or her qualities. This is strange and will not help our development and progress.

The weakness of politics must also be its strength, as people believe that you need no special academic and or professional qualification to engage in it. This makes room for all stakeholders' participation. But I have always believed that as you may win or lose in political competition, one should not embark on its as a full time profession, since failure or fear of failure may lead to frustration, desperation or a predisposition to violence. The only safeguard is a genuine and legitimate second address so as not to make politics a do or die affair.

The truth is that in any human endeavour, success cannot be 100 per cent guaranteed. Therefore, there must be a fallback position. This would make it possible to accept failure without recourse to blackmail, intimidation, and violence. All participants in politics must learn to play fair and to scrupulously abide by laid down rules and relations. If the ultimate goal of participation in politics is to give service and enhance the common good, recourse to extra-legal mechanisms or methods following failure or fear of failure should be evidence of a hidden and anti-people agenda in politics.

We shall do everything necessary to ensure that the enemies of democracy do not divert, distract, dilute, distort or discredit our institutions, processes and desires for peace, unit, democracy and progress. I urge INEC to deliver faithfully on its mandate to all Nigerians and to ensure that the 2007 elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.

Robot  Villager

# 1 I AM pleased to address this important Forum organised by...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 29.08.2006 23:56

WaleAkin  Villager

# 2 I am aptly disappointed at whosoever writes the presidential speeches, the guy need to go back to Primary school.I was taught way back in Primary 5 by my Ghanian teacher, Mr Brooks on how to write an essay/article, i was told each and every new paragraph must either be a continuation of the old one or better still a new info entirely. I was also taught that the intro of any essay should give an inkling into the message/body but reading presidential speeches is so torturous you'd want to puke The paragraph outline must either be of the same lenght or 2/3 lines different, you dont start an essay with 8 lines in paragraph one and then conclude paragragh 2 in 4 lines, its totally absurd and unEnglish!Its so disappointing reading speeches from these so called politicians, if they are not making grammatical mistakes, its one funny gesticulation or another banging of the table to pass across points, a la Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ahmed Tinubu. I am not claiming knowledge of this colonial language as i also have my own flaws too but anything that comes from the presidency must be clean and above mistakes to a certain limit, when we have the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode who before he was made the Minister of Culture was daily abusing the opponents of the president and Remi Oyo who has never missed an Owambe party before, how then will the presidency have good laid down speeches devoid of mistakes? God bless the former director of communications at 10 Downing Street, Mr Allistair Campbell, he labelled Tony Blair as a Professor of English Language with the ways he used to construct the PM's speeches and taking into consideration the fact that its their own language, do we then advise our President to start giving his speech in local langauges? Another issue pls, our politicians needs to be very artuculate when addressing us, most of us are not fools, we can easily read between the lines, just like when this guy called Niran Malaolu was trying to rubbish the findings of Elendu.com, he ended making himself looked so stupid, why hire Commissioners for Info and Script writers when they cant deliver? Everything about Nigeria is warped up. These Governors will come to deliver special speeches with oily faces and armpit perspiration, a la Lucky Igbinedion and Orji Uzor Kalu, Governor Oyinlola will be making state public address and then interject with yoruba language on the state TV, Its so annoying looking at Alao Akala of Oyo State usually picking his nose, its even more nauseating to have former Senate president Pius Anyim chewing kolanut at the Chamber-in-session and when asked, he retorted " So that i wont sleep" Lets give kudos to some of them like the deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, Nasir El'Rufai, EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, hausa men for that matter especially with no spitting of saliva, lets begin to see changes pls!! Cheers, Wale Posted by WaleAkin| 30.08.2006 04:45

ibi edun

# 3 Wale, I just cannot believe your response, it defies believe that you can trivialise this historic statement by President OBJ. I dont reason with slave or colonial mentality. The only shortfall I see in the speech is that it wasnt delivered in Yoruba, Hausa and Ibo our own languages in the first instance ....and then that awful English language so alien....so oppressive....so incomprehensible to our PEOPLE. Without disrespect, Wale, the word %#%#%#%#%# comes to mind. Posted by ibi edun| 30.08.2006 05:42

britroyal1  Villager

# 4 I for one found very little if any grammatical or semantical errors in this speech. As a matter of fact, I was quite impressed. My only contention is that the actions of this very government is at odds with the message stated in the speech. In the Shakespearian play Hamlet, Hamlet was asked what he was reading and his reply was "words, words, words..." There has been nothing but words coming from this government on the issue of political violence. When a prominent political figure is assasinated, the President and other government functionaries will go to pay condolence visits and give eulogies that rival that of Mark Anthony's eulogy of Caesar; they will promise nay swear to get to the bottom of the affair and apprehend those culpable for the murder. Yet as Aesop said, "When all is said and done, more ends up being said than done." Funny enough, as Soyinka said, those responsible for the murder have signed the condolence registry and would be present (quite prominently I might add) at the funeral. On the issue of political violence, this has been a government of "words, words, words.." Posted by britroyal1| 30.08.2006 08:34

hmmmm

# 5 WaleAkin, What's up with the line "hausa men for that matter"? Are they in any way inferior to other Nigerians? Why do you guys insist on turning everything into an ethnic issue? You start up with valid points and let your prejudices get the best of you. Posted by hmmmm| 30.08.2006 09:41

Big-K  Villager

# 6 All in all, this is a very good speech by OBJ in my own estimation. Similar to his great inauguration speech of 5/29/99 that he never acted upon. Wale The "hausa men for that matter" part was really uncalled for and I trust you will do the right thing. Posted by Big-K| 30.08.2006 09:45

On the Rocks  Villager

# 7 =WaleAkin;127949>I am aptly disappointed at whosoever writes the presidential speeches, the guy need to go back to Primary school.I was taught way back in Primary 5 by my Ghanian teacher, Mr Brooks on how to write an essay/article, i was told each and every new paragraph must either be a continuation of the old one or better still a new info entirely. I was also taught that the intro of any essay should give an inkling into the message/body but reading presidential speeches is so torturous you'd want to puke The paragraph outline must either be of the same lenght or 2/3 lines different, you dont start an essay with 8 lines in paragraph one and then conclude paragragh 2 in 4 lines, its totally absurd and unEnglish!Its so disappointing reading speeches from these so called politicians, if they are not making grammatical mistakes, its one funny gesticulation or another banging of the table to pass across points, a la Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ahmed Tinubu. I am not claiming knowledge of this colonial language as i also have my own flaws too but anything that comes from the presidency must be clean and above mistakes to a certain limit, when we have the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode who before he was made the Minister of Culture was daily abusing the opponents of the president and Remi Oyo who has never missed an Owambe party before, how then will the presidency have good laid down speeches devoid of mistakes? God bless the former director of communications at 10 Downing Street, Mr Allistair Campbell, he labelled Tony Blair as a Professor of English Language with the ways he used to construct the PM's speeches and taking into consideration the fact that its their own language, do we then advise our President to start giving his speech in local langauges? Another issue pls, our politicians needs to be very artuculate when addressing us, most of us are not fools, we can easily read between the lines, just like when this guy called Niran Malaolu was trying to rubbish the findings of Elendu.com, he ended making himself looked so stupid, why hire Commissioners for Info and Script writers when they cant deliver? Everything about Nigeria is warped up. These Governors will come to deliver special speeches with oily faces and armpit perspiration, a la Lucky Igbinedion and Orji Uzor Kalu, Governor Oyinlola will be making state public address and then interject with yoruba language on the state TV, Its so annoying looking at Alao Akala of Oyo State usually picking his nose, its even more nauseating to have former Senate president Pius Anyim chewing kolanut at the Chamber-in-session and when asked, he retorted " So that i wont sleep" Lets give kudos to some of them like the deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, Nasir El'Rufai, EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, hausa men for that matter especially with no spitting of saliva, lets begin to see changes pls!! Cheers, Wale What? Say what? Say what? Coming from the same guy who asked for decorum? Should we have allowed Onyeka Nwelue have a field day with you? What? What? What? I just have to borrow from Ula-lisa here :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I support Big K, the Aremu Jagunna of NVS. You need to retract that statement about "hausa men for that matter"; it's uncalled for. When did Baba WaleAkin become this angry? Please kulu temper. Posted by On the Rocks| 30.08.2006 10:46

emj  Villager

# 8 Lets give kudos to some of them like the deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, Nasir El'Rufai, EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, hausa men for that matter especially with no spitting of saliva, lets begin to see changes pls!! Haba Wale akins---this is most uncalled for, how will you feel if our brothers from the north reply in like manner against Yorubas scratching their abunna and arm-pits when giving a speech. By the way, well written speech, prepared by his script writers. The govt gets to say what we expect to hear, but take the polity for granted. Speech without real action when and where it is needed is what i will say. Posted by emj| 30.08.2006 11:04

WaleAkin  Villager

# 9 Hi Guys, Profound apology for the latter part of my response. I think Naija politics is beginning to affect me, the fact that things are not done well and at the right time affects one seriously. I am so sorry my Hausa guys..................pls do pardon my shortcoming..........ONE LOVE Cheers, WaleAkin Posted by WaleAkin| 30.08.2006 11:10

bennie  Villager

# 10 To me, this was a good speech however, as one villager rightly noted, our politicians are very good at talking. They talk the talk but fail to deliver when the chips are down. I hope all well meaning Nigerians will get the opportunity to take a shot at any public office of their choice when the time comes and we hope they emerge victorious at the end. Like I said before, what we need are visionary leaders not tribal leaders. I do not care about any body's tribe. What I care about is his/her ability to deliver on the quality of life for Nigerians. Have a good evening. Bennie Posted by bennie| 30.08.2006 11:29

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