Baroness Chalker Has Integrity & Maturity! A Response to Dr. Yakub Abdalla

By Paul I. Adujie

New York, United States

It was dismaying reading an article by one Dr. Yakub Abdalla on Baroness Chalker! Dr. Abdalla had a screaming headline and that was all he had. The article had no substance in it, Dr. Abdalla did not even attempt to support his screaming headline with any sorts of facts or hard evidence, to justify his screams. Baroness Chalker is known for her integrity! She has always demonstrated high integrity in her words and actions. Baroness Chalker’s excellent character, remains spotless and unblemished, and quite naturally, intact. Baroness Chalker’s maturity and integrity is self-evident to all!

Dr. Abdalla in his article excoriated Baroness Walker for simply saying the most mature, most responsible and most reasonable thing about the post general elections circumstances in Nigeria. Baroness Chalker had said “Let us get rid of the superficial comments and let us help the government of Nigeria, the in-coming government to put right those things which they know are not perfect, which they want to reverse and accept sensible, constructive advice".

All reasonable, mature and responsible persons have been making statements similar to the ones attributed to Baroness Chalker by Dr. Abdalla, I have expressed similar if not identical comments regarding the outcome of Nigeria’s general elections I Congratulate President-Elect YarAdua . It is a fact, the elections are over! Those who have alleged electoral fraud or malpractices should head to the elections tribunals and courts in Nigeria. He who alleges must establish proof of such allegations with evidence.

It is the case that the just completed elections in Nigeria were not perfect, and it is the case that elections are not perfect in the United Kingdom, Baroness Chalker’s home country, where Dr. Abdalla resides. Elections are not perfect in the United States where I live and where I have witnessed complaints about elections, but without a call for coups and sundry violence by American politicians and American citizens! I have learnt of pregnant, dimpled and hanging chad/ballot paper? American elections results are frequently contested in the courts, as it were in several states in 2000 in particular. Whereas, some Nigerians, and in particular, some “leaders” in opposition political parties, have resorted to advocating lawlessness and anarchy prior to the elections in Nigeria and soon after!

Dr. Abdalla’s political party, Action Congress or AC, has been notorious at advocating behaviors that are fraught with dangers to Nigeria’s national security interests. AC’s Atiku yelled loudly endlessly his belief that President Obasanjo would not allow elections to take place in Nigeria in 2007, because President Obasanjo is unwilling to leave office. When that theory crumbled in Atiku’s face, Atiku lobbied and cajoled other political parties, in order that Atiku is presented as a fusion and sole candidates by the political opposition! Upon failing at that too, Atiku again campaigned, lobbied and cajoled fellow opposition parties to engage in further distracting actions such as threatening to boycott the elections. That too, also failed! The elections proceeded as planned.

Nigerians voters were never offered manifestoes of policies and programs by the bulk of the political opposition parties. Most of the political opposition candidates are actually disgruntled members of the ruling party the Peoples Democratic Party or PDP. These disgruntled former party members who had morphed into new political associations and parties and then candidates of such new parties, never at any time demonstrate core philosophy or distinct beliefs. They were merely self-consumed opportunists without political philosophy or national agenda. And upon being sunk at the elections by the PDP, these ragtag political opposition political parties and their candidates, now wish to sink the whole of Nigeria with themselves! Must we allow them to sink Nigeria? Of course not!

The candidates who campaigned vigorously won, those who lost the elections engaged in blaming the winners, blaming the moon and the stars, except their own lackluster campaigns and their lack of focus! And just as Baroness Chalker has said, the political opposition have not offered a scintilla of sensible or constructive advice since the elections

President-Elect Umaru YarAdua, Vice President-Elect Goodluck Jonathan and their PDP campaigned throughout Nigeria. They campaigned vigorously, even with a very hectic and rigorous campaign schedule. The president and vice president elect, traversed the entire land space in Nigeria.

Conversely, the opposition political parties vacillated and procrastinated. The opposition political parties swung between platitudes and threats of violence and anarchy, as they told Nigerians and the entire world many stories that were clearly at variant with reality! The opposition political parties stated too many mutually exclusive positions, amongst which are:

(1) The opposition political parties stated that the elections will not take place because President Obasanjo is unwilling to leave the political scene at the end of his constitutionally permitted two terms of four years per term.

(2) The opposition political parties also threatened to boycott the elections

(3) The opposition political parties at some point, also promised to present a fusion or common presidential candidate to fight the PDP and its candidates for the elections.

(4) The opposition political parties, in their last-ditch desperation, sought by means fair and foul, to have a postponement of the elections. But they failed woefully on every count

And of course, the elections proceeded as planned. The opposition political parties apparently do not like the outcome of the just concluded general elections!

(5) They, the political opposition parties now say, the election results should be cancelled, just because they have lost? Why did the opposition political parties lose the elections? Why did they have such poor showing and outcome?

Their loss was of course expected! They did not campaign, they did not have ANY focus or sustained strategy... they were always in flux and their position was always, always, always so fluid! Why are they then surprised that they have lost? I am at a loss!

The opposition political parties have been threatening violence, anarchy, coup, lawlessness instead of trying to convince the Nigerian electorate as to what their various political parties would do differently, compared with the ruling party, the PDP.

Nigeria and Nigerians do not need violence! Nigerians need good government and good governance. A government and a leadership that improves lives and delivers on its promises and follows through with policies and programs upon which campaigns and manifestoes were based.

Nigerians do not need violence. Anyone who foment violence, would, and should expect to be consumed by same. And such fomenter of violence, must not take Nigeria and Nigerians with them into self-destruction. Those headed for the precipice, much go alone!

Those who were unsuccessful at the just concluded elections, should embrace the rule of law, due process and democracy. Those who have genuine grievances should head for petitioning at various elections tribunal and Nigerian courts for redress. So long as they have credible evidences and proofs of irregularities or frauds. The burden is on them.

No one must resort to self-help or extra-judicial means or methods. All Nigerians must be reminded that the best cure for imperfect democracy is more democracy! Even as old as American democracy is, when there are elections irregularities or frauds, the Americans rely on public hearings, elections petitions and the judicial process!

The current federal government of America was produced through such a process. The presidential elections between President George W. Bush and the former Vice President Al Gore was deadlocked and was eventually decided by the Supreme Court of the United States!

I applaud President Obasanjo, President-Elect Umaru YarAdua and Vice President-Elect Goodluck Jonathan, for a gallant election battle and the resulting victory.

I call for national reconciliation and unity for Nigeria's rapid ascent to Nigeria's pride of place on the world stage and global scheme of things.

Nigeria's national interests is clearly above the interests of individuals or political groups.... when it is all said and done, it is all about... NIGERIA, NIGERIA & NIGERIA!

Robot  Villager

# 1 Nigerians voters were never offered manifestoes of policies and programs by the bulk of the polit...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 04.05.2007 10:29

pappilo  Villager

# 2 The saddest thing about the whole situation is that ultmatley Nigeria will return to square one. All the gains you say Nigeria has made will be erased when the soldiers come knocking or when a full scale insurgency begins. Nigerians will only accept the one party system we have for only so long and when the soldiers return we will have to begin from scratch again i.e 5th republic. how long can we continue this destroy and rebuild system... how long? Posted by pappilo| 04.05.2007 10:51

Kabikala  Villager

# 3 According to Paul Adujie: All reasonable, mature and responsible persons have been making statements similar to the ones attributed to Baroness Chalker by Dr. Abdalla, I have expressed similar if not identical comments regarding the outcome of Nigeria’s general elections I Congratulate President-Elect YarAdua. I strongly hold and have expressed views diametrically opposed to Baroness Lynda Chalker's attempt at playing down the fraud that was called election in Nigeria, does that make me unreasonable, immature and irresponsible? And Paul Adujie is in the class of high-flying intellectuals? Amazing! Her position that the fraud witnessed and attested to by every single observer group is similar to what obtains in elections everywhere else in the world left me dumbfounded. Can someone tell me if Lynda Chalker was a monitor in the last election? Should we believe her more than the thousands of observers who have unanimously asserted that what took place was the worst election ever observed in any part of the world, even including war zones? My belief that no regime in Nigeria, no matter how horrible, ever lacks local and foreign professional praise-singers was really re-affirmed by the latest rantings of Baroness Chalker. I expect more of her ilk to follow. This is the season where there is money to throw around to purchase the support of every foreign interest through the services of political jobbers globally. And Obasanjo will do anything to get international approval; the views of Nigerians had never really mattered to him. Please Mr. Paul, do you know of any local or international observer that concluded that the elections were credible? Please inform me, I beg you. Your article reminds me of the saying of a great thinker: A psychotic says two and two are five, a neurotic says two and two are four and hates it. Posted by Kabikala| 04.05.2007 11:08

Auspicious  Villager

# 4 Hehehehehehehe! There goes Paul Adujie again. Hear him: "I Love Nigeria" pass God in Heaven himself.. So tey if Baba Iyabo jam my nyansh with eim Magic Stick, I go simply groan and shout ALL HAIL DE EMPEROR!" Oseun o'jare Kabikala! If nor be say some of us get am po sense... Nna, our love for Nigeria woulda been blind like others' Na wa for Iowa! Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 04.05.2007 11:28

akuluouno  Villager

# 5 Dear Mr Adujie, Lynda Baroness Chalker was merely patronising Nigeria and you should know that. This mantra that elections are not perfect anywhere has been with us since man deviated from the Athenian model over 3000 years ago. That model or what the Igbos aptly labelled ohacracy is the only perfect means of electing representatives. Imperfections are with regards to the calibre of people elected and not the processes. Now if elections were not perfect like in the UK, US, Brazil, Ghana, Japan, India, China (where they are not even held at all) and imperfect elections are to be the order of the day, where are these countries I have mentioned today, development-wise and where is Nigeria? Lynda spoke like the quack native doctor who sought to cure the elephantiasis of a sensitive region of the male anatomy via massage..:biggrin: :biggrin: She is literally free to massage the ego of Nigerians in this predicament, as my proverbial mugu houseboy once said. The same doctor however addressed the case of a set co-joined twins via the use of a sharp machete. They lived for a short while during which he revelled in his miraculuous cure only for them to die later and for the police to invite him for a chat over the issue of double murder. Lynda also spoke tongue in cheek because ab initio Inec simply failed to plan and therefore was programmed to fail. What, with Our Father declaring it a do a die affair and people like Adedibu hosting Inec machines in his private residence. Was this the manner of imperfect elections in the UK and India and Ghana?. Her platitudes were at best akin to the proverbial fart that the palm wine tapper made on top of the palm tree (apologies to kegites) and at best riddled with mischief. :frown: :frown: Posted by akuluouno| 04.05.2007 11:28

Auspicious  Villager

# 6 =akuluouno;173445>Lynda spoke like the quack native doctor who sought to cure the elephantiasis of a sensitive region of the male anatomy via massage..:biggrin: :biggrin: She is literally free to massage the ego of Nigerians in this predicament, as my proverbial mugu houseboy once said. :lol:Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!:lol: Hi, Akuluouno! You don killey me wit lafta for hia already. We also heard "The Ego is a Terrible thing to Massage" And so is that region of a man's Anatomy you alluded to. Especially when he needs to pay close attention to Reality. Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 04.05.2007 11:35

akuluouno  Villager

# 7 Dear Auspy, No mind the Baronness. Her predicament is her prerogative and as to whom to massage I no dey ooo or as Fela will say, no be talkoo. :biggrin: :biggrin: Posted by akuluouno| 04.05.2007 11:57

tanibaba  Villager

# 8 Whichever you look at it the Baroness is doing for Nigeria what is in her best interest (nigeria) and the interest of the larger international investment community. I want to thank her for this act of patriotism. Apart from the Madam a lot of envoys from USA, China, Russia etc have been visiting the president elect. Most of our Nigerian brothers and sisters do not know much about Nigeria and her place in the economic sphere of international relations. But that is not what i want to discuss today. I want to provide further evidence to support this article. It is Yusuf Olaniyonu's piece in THISDAY. It is beautiful and instructive. For those who dont understand that you require structures, plans and goals to achieve, those who believe that achievement will fall like manna from the skies please take a second look. 20 Years After, Awo Lives On The Polity By Yusuph Olaniyonu,Email:yusupholaniyonu@thisdayonline.com,Tel:08055001965, 05.03.2007 “Nevertheless, they (African leaders) have failed, for obvious reasons. First, they more often than not get their project priorities wrong; second, due to lack of penetrating insight, they often pursue glittering shadows to the neglect of substance which is outwardly dull but effulgent beneath its surface; third, once in office, they cultivate the desire to remain there as long as they live; fourth, because of the latter, they spend a good deal of their time in rigging the affairs, playing up one or more groups against the others, and working out and executing plans to stifle any budding or full-fledged opposition to their excesses and tenacity of office; and, above all, and this is the crux of the matter, they have never really made enough effort to discern and reach the heart, the core and the roots of the four problems adumbrated above” –– Awo in a speech delivered on November 17, 1976 in Accra, Ghana. The saddest commentary about contemporary politics in Nigeria is that 20 years after the death of Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Oyeniyi Awolowo, we just concluded an election in which all sides- the winners, losers, voters and the observers- could not look back and say these were the issues which dominated or shaped the elections and its outcome. What many can remember about the last elections are that there were malpractices, violence, logistic problems which further mar the conduct of the polls and that the elections were pre-dated by several court cases as a result of attempts to disqualify some candidates and that there were controversies arising from attempts to use electronic machines in the conduct of the elections. But these are not issues in an election. These are not issues that are idea driven. These are not the issues that can lead to the development of the society. They are not issues which define what a political party stands for and how it plans to use power in the interest of the general society. In the over 40 years in which Awolowo dominated the political landscape, his defining trait is that he had a valid, arguable, well thought-out position on any key issue bordering on the development of Nigeria. As early as when he was just 35 years old, Awo had written a book titled 'Path to Nigerian Freedom' in which he clearly defined the issues underlining the nation's struggle for independence and how to achieve it. For example, the issue of what type of system would be good for Nigeria was a major debate in the then pre-colonial period. Awo wanted a federal system and he articulated his position, even though at that time it was almost the greatest sin to champion federalism as many political players equated the idea with sectionalism and division. Awo's thesis on federalism stands today as the best on the issue and has remained very relevant to the situation in the nation. In Calabar Prison where he served out term on questionable treasonable charges, he wrote ‘The Peoples Republic’ and ‘Tactics and Strategies of the Peoples Republic’ and his seminal presentation titled 'Neo-Colonialism and Africa' in which he itemised his strategies for emancipating Africa. Awo was a man of ideas. He believed politics should be ruled by ideas which can make life better for the electorate. He believed there are certain issues which at the horizontal level have equal application and relevance to all the people, irrespective of the vertical differences. For example, every man or woman can make do with good education, freely and compulsorily provided by the state. Also, it is irrelevant where a woman comes from or how she worships her God, all women will be happy if you make a policy which allows them to have free medical attention during maternity period. Perhaps, his most profound ideological statement is contained in the 1976 Kwame Nkrumah lecture titled “The Problems of Africa” from which the above quotation is derived. The man was ever exhibiting disciplined thoughts. His ideas were always well thought out based on researches. He knew the flow of society and its intersections. He had the statistics necessary for informed judgement. Awo's postulation on any issue could not be faulted on ground of lacking quality. His opponents could only attack his politics or motive but not the profundity. Also, Awo could not be accused of not knowing Nigeria. He was like a serious and brilliant student who took Nigeria as a core course for his discipline.He took his time in knowing Nigeria, her people and their socio-political aspirations. That enabled him to be prepared in criticising when he needed to and this he did while also proferring appropriate solutions to the problems. That was why he could say without fear of any contradiction that " while many men in power and public office were busy carousing in the midst of women of easy virtue and men of low morale, I, and a few others like me, am busy at my desk thinking about the problems of Nigeria and proferring solutions to them. Only the deep can call to the deep". With men like Awo, the politics of his era was based on competing ideas and healthy rivalry between regions, and later, states. In the regional days before independence and the First Republic, each leader sought to do better than the other. When one region provided one key social service, the others quickly replicated it. This dovetailed into the Second Republic where political parties have well-defined manifestoes summarised into identified programmes. Nigerians then, whether literate or otherwise, knew what the NPN represented or promised they would do for the people if elected. The NPN promised improved agricultural production. This led to the Green Revolution and the establishment of river basin authorities. The NPN promised housing for all and they built so many housing estates which made many people house owners. Anybody may disagree with the location of some of these estates in some states, but you could not claim it was not a fulfilment of a pre-election promise. In UPN controlled states, the programmes upon which the governments were elected were free education, free health, integrated rural development and full employment. That is why up till today, you hear of Jakande schools, Jakande Estates and the likes in Lagos State. The UPN administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande did not need to name these edifices after the governor or erect a signboard or plaque proclaiming that it built those estates or schools as it is the practice today. The people in their appreciation named those housing estates and schools after Jakande. There were equally identified programmes for the NPP, GNPP and PRP. These programmes formed the compass or the beacon with which the government charted their courses. They formed the parameters for assessing the performance of governors and the parties they represent. Thus, it was easy to judge a governor's performance because the programmes contained in the manifesto of his party had been well-publicised, articulated and debated at various fora and too well known by all and sundry. Today, 20 years after Awo's death, politics of ideas has also died in our land. Governors now spend millions of money printing booklets detailing their achievements, real and imagined. But in Awo's days, achievements were celebrated everyday and that is why no one book can contain the achievements of Jakande in Lagos, Tatari Ali in Bauchi, Sam Mbakwe in Imo State and so on. The lesson of Awo's era which the politicians of today need to learn and take to heart is that a man aspiring to leadership position must be well prepared mentally, physically and spiritually before offering himself for public consideration. Politics should not be a game for every Dick and Harry who run into some cheap money and then feel with money the next thing is to aspire to be president, governor or senator. Leadership is about service and not a frivolous endeavour. Another lesson is that it will be an accident for a government formed without a clear-cut pre-election programme to do well in office. In fact lack of politics of ideas is related to the crisis of governance which is now common feature of our political process. Today, we should be talking of how many men of ideas like Awo we have produced across the country. I mean men who consciously set out to make positive changes in the lives of their people and strive to make all the necessary preparations. It is a shame that across the country in general, and in the old Western Region in particular, it is difficult to find politicians who have a few of the qualities of Awolowo which made him the issue in Nigerian politics during his time. It is also sad that in the same Western Region Parliamentary building in Ibadan where Awo postulated some of the ideas which made the government he headed arguably the most progressive in Africa is the one where all the shenanigans attending the impeachment of Governor Rasheed Ladoja took place. The same Ibadan where Awo got to the height of his glory as an ideas man who could also deliver in terms of translating ideas into concrete action is one of the worst state capital in terms of infrastructural development. One can go on and on to itemise what has gone wrong with the polity and its politics since the departure of Awolowo. However, the essence of this piece is to remind today's politicians that as the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of Awo's death, political leaders need to revisit the man's contributions to the nation's politics and learn more on the politics of his era. Paul keep up the good job taslim Posted by tanibaba| 04.05.2007 12:14

nelggio  Villager

# 9 ..Paul in a nutshell is a clown...a felon..who has no shame...who can sell both his parents for a mere federal porridge...we know him well...I implore the nation in the square to ignore him...by his sordid and evil acts, he potrays himself as a dillution to creation...in fact its not worth it dignifing his perfidous act with a response...what a brand ! Posted by nelggio| 04.05.2007 13:43

Mikky jaga  Villager

# 10 I read Dr Abdala's write up and this rejoinder by Adujie and I must confess that I am very disappointed. Mr Paul left the points raised by Dr Abdalla and instead gave us this quotation below: All reasonable, mature and responsible persons have been making statements similar to the ones attributed to Baroness Chalker by Dr. Abdalla, I have expressed similar if not identical comments regarding the outcome of Nigeria’s general elections I expected him to give us some of these reasonable persons, instead he mentioned only himself. What a way to argue a point! Even Primary school pupils in a debate would do better that that. The Baronness was only behaving true to type. How can the world expect a better election from the bush people of Nigeria. It is one of the greatest insult of the century. Let the Baroness preach such message to her people. We have enough reasonable people (not Paul's type) in Nigeria to know when a so called election is a fraud. Posted by Mikky jaga| 04.05.2007 14:55

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