Why has the third term debates subsumed everything? Where are public policy ideas? Where are the debates of the issues affecting Nigerians and Nigeria ? Is the debates about third term, the only game in town? Where are Nigerians with personality? Good personality imbued with ideas and principles?

We should all be asking the candidates, what would you to do for Nigeria and how?

The events of last week are ominously very revealing of the political psyche of some, in Nigeria . There are no scruples involved in the mad dash for public office. There are clearly no principles or ideologies at play, or expected. We are witnessing admixtures of opportunists and opportunism, coupled with extraordinary marketing of distractions.

Governor Orji Kalu who has not done a good job of clearing the garbage heap in the great city of Aba , after nearly seven years as governor of Abia State , is now parading and positioning himself to run as vice president with Atiku Abubakar as top of the ticket.

Lest we forget, it was this same governor of Abia State , who during the past several years, animated World Igbo Congress, Ohaneze Ndiigbo and other Igbo social-political-cultural groups every where, more particularly in the United States , as he pretended to advocate Ndiigbo’s cause. He told everyone who cared to listen to him that his agitations were on the behalf of Ndiigbo ascension to the presidency of Nigeria come 2007.

Governor Kalu created the impressions that he identified with a common cause for Ndiigbo, to wit, producing a president of Nigeria of Ndiigbo extraction in 2007. But whatever happened to that lofty goal of project? It was Kalu’s pet project. He adopted it!

It is now becoming clear that Orji Kalu have engaged in grandstanding loud-talk, just in order to leverage himself into vice presidential candidate position with Mr. Atiku Abubakar or Mr. Ibrahim Babangida. Kalu only sought publicity and attention to, himself to appear attractive and visible for the number two position.

It is becoming glaringly clear that Kalu never really had a strong conviction. He never had any beliefs regarding Ndiigbo’s pride of place in Nigeria , he never believed in Ndiigbo person as president of Nigeria come 2007.

We should all ask Kalu, whether he believes in power shift, and if he does, where should the shift in the center tilt? Should the power shift, to the East, which Kalu advocated in the past, (with his now apparent false pretense) still be expected or is it that Kalu is now part of the new power shift, to the North, which some others have advocated, in view of the fact that presidency has been in the south for these preceding two terms?

Whatever happened to Kalu’s marketing plan that included his posturing as the voice of the East and Ndiigbo’s political aspirations?

Clearly, Kalu was engaged in fraudulent marketing, loaded with his false pretenses, when he represented himself in pursuit of Ndiigbo’s genuine political aspirations within Nigeria . Some had reckoned that Kalu’s championing Ndiigbo’s genuine political aspirations within Nigeria would work quite nicely and act as a counterweight, against the continued agitation for a separation from Nigeria by MASSOB.

MASSOB seeks to reignite the republic of Biafra , a forlorn dream. Let us now be very clear, Governor Kalu cares only for his personal ambition. He also realizes that he is not to be taken seriously as a presidential material. He does not have the strength of character for that. And so, he has marketed himself suavely, for a possible run as a vice presidential candidate. He is just another unscrupulous political opportunist in pursuit of personal ambitions.

We must now ask; where is Ohaneze, where is World Igbo Congress? Where are the South East agitators? Why are they not asking governor Kalu questions? Why is no one asking him to account? Why is no one asking him to explain the sudden change of directions? Or was his plan always to secure his personal ambitions, regardless?

History does repeat itself frequently in Nigeria , does it not? Late Dr. Okadigbo, formerly of PDP joined General Buhari of APP which morphed to ANPP, as Okadigbo became a running mate to Buhari, which in itself, resulted from the withdrawals of some ANPP candidates in favor of Buhari; subsequent to the walking out by some other ANPP primary attendees from the South-East, South-South and South-West. Okadigbo reneged in his agreement with the others to be part of the walkout. That betrayal of his friends earned Okadigbo the running mate position in ANPP under Buhari.

Governor Kalu has been an enfant-terrible in the PDP as well as a torn in the flesh of President Obasanjo. It will be recalled that Kalu repeatedly made grave allegations; But without ever producing facts or evidences to substantiate his frequent allegations against victims of his flippant accusations. And just like Okadigbo did, Kalu now hope to have his bread buttered across the aisle from the PDP, even as Kalu will soon enough be looking askance, at the genuine political aspirations of Ndiigbo, aspirations with which Kalu garnered our attention and marketed himself. Only now for Kalu to abandon that project to which he repeatedly claimed passion, false passion.

I really had hoped and wished that Nigerians were presented with credible Ndiigbo candidates for president of Nigeria in 2007. Let the end result be that such credible Ndiigbo aspirants were out-maneuvered by the third term arrangements or by the power-shift agitators and or the Atiku opportunism

Ndiigbo have not effectively joined the race for the presidency of Nigeria , unless you count Kalu and except you think he is credible.

Too many Nigerians have been deceived by those who are still distracting some of us with their opposition to third term for President Obasanjo and current state governors.

I think that some Nigerians have been hoodwinked and hypnotized by the opposition! As some are now transfixed with debates about third term, as they exclude everything else!

The opposition and political opponents of President Obasanjo are scared and afraid, so we are told and that is why they have no manifestoes, no campaigns with the issues, or about ideas.

They should focus on the issues and great ideas. They should be bold and should have courage to market themselves to the electorate. After all, even in Zimbabwe , Uganda , Egypt etc opponents let the public know them and their manifestoes, or where they stand on the issues and public policies.

At least, Governor Kalu is certainly not afraid or even respectful of President Obasanjo, Kalu makes grave accusations and allegations against the president so frequently! Kalu should have been promoting his manifestoes, his public policy ideas instead of his focus those baseless allegations upon accusations.

Less than one year to the general elections in Nigeria in 2007, why is it, the candidates are not campaigning and educating the electorate with manifestoes, policies and programs

We should be asking the candidates, what are their plans are for our infrastructures, plans for employment, plans for well equipped and efficient hospitals, improved schools for better education, plans for generation and transmission electricity and plans to make water available for domestic and industrial consumption, where are your manifestoes for better life in Nigeria and better domestic and foreign policies?

Why don’t political opponents concentrate on selling themselves as good candidates?

Why won’t anyone, interested in public office in Nigeria concentrate in promoting ideas, issues, policies and programs? Why won’t candidates with strength of character, credibility and integrity promote their passion for public service? Why won’t they convince the electorate that they are suitable and even better alternatives, best alternatives compared to past and present crop of public office holders?

A manufacturer or seller of a good and better soap, a soap with greater lather, a soap that cleans my clothes best, must promote that soap to me, the end user, the judge, instead of talking of he other guy’s soap, or that the other guy makes terrible soap! A smart manufacturer or seller should not talk-down to consumers… and a smart politician should not talk-down or distract the electorate.

A smart politician should show respect to the electorate, concentrate on the issues, also concentrate on educating the electorate about ideas, the issues, the policies and programs. But instead, some politicians are busily focusing on the third term debate exclusively and at the expense of educating the electorate with concrete plans, policies and programs.

Nigerians politicians should convince the electorate of their passions, ideas, policies and programs which are essentially their products, which is what they must convince the electorate to buy into. Nigerian politicians must do this and leave it to the electorate to do the comparative analyses between past, present office holders and the aspirant.

Let the electorate be convinced that you are a suitable replacement for what they already have or have had, convince the electorate that you are suitable and superbly better than, the other guy, the incumbent. An incumbent can be defeated, third term or not!

The third term bogey or distractions have become the only selling point for politicians who have nothing to say by way of ideas, policies and programs. The other guy or the incumbent should not be our politicians’ only rallying cry, Incumbents should not be our politicians major selling point, the other guy, (the incumbents) if anything, should only be a point of reference, by the way of contrasting aspirants to current office holders.

Political campaigns and electioneering is akin to selling or marketing products. Let say, I have a product, it is a good product, this soap produces better lather per cubic feet and it is better value for your Naira and by the way, it is better than that nameless soap that you currently use….

Sadly, what we have now is, a new soap seller in the community or country, who is intent on telling us, harping, harping and harping on it, that the soap we have been using, the soap that we are used to, and still purchasing, about which we have had some complaints, is the worst soap. But perhaps we already know that! In any case, let us be the judge.

Now, it is as if someone is compelled to watch the same advertisement or commercial on television over and over again, and repeatedly being told how product “A”, but the sponsor never say anything about the product “B” that he is trying to promote. Product “B” which the sponsor hopes we will accept as a replacement of product “A” but the sponsor of the advertisements or commercials. He keeps on harping on the lack of quality or lack of endearing attributes in a competing product “A”. And after months and months of hearing these sorts of adverts, I expect reasonably intelligent listeners to be bored stiff and tired and sick of the monotonous monologue and debate about the other guy’s bad product, without the sponsor of the adverts ever, introducing the competing brand “B” product. And without trying to demonstrate convincingly, how the new product “B” is a better product.

Political opponent and opposition to Nigeria current government at all levels must begin scheduled demonstrations in words and actions, in campaigns and in manifestoes which must establish why they are better alternatives or hope to be better alternatives. The Nigerian electorate knows what there is currently. The unknowns and never before mentioned alternatives, have not been explained to the Nigerian electorate. Harping on and repeatedly asserting that your competitors are bad, does not promote your ideas or products. We must learn to promote the ideas and the issues and the policies and programs that will make the lives of Nigerians better than it is now and make Nigeria great for the benefit of all of Nigerians.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Governor Orji Kalu wants to be a vice with Atiku Abubakar. This wa...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 15.04.2006 23:04

PuluKa

# 2 The current Vice President of USA must be a second class citizen for running with a man young enough to be his son. Atiku must be a second class citizen for helping your messiah in 1999 and 2003. Abacha, IBB, and OBJ must be first-class citizens for their contributions to the rubbishing and ruination of Nigeria. All Yorubas, including OBJ, Paul Adujie, George Bode, Sabella, Adedibu, and Anenih, must be first-class citizens because they actively campaigned and campaign for the destruction of rule of law in Nigeria. The Hausas ruled for more than 25 years. Nigeria did not improve an inch. The Yorubas have ruled for many years now; Nigeria has moved in a negative direction, passing the sorry state left by the Hausas. Yet, speaking ill of the Ndigbo as second class citizens boosts your ego. But on what are you basing your ego trips? On your record of murder and lawlessness? On your complete division of Nigeria along ethnic lines? You have more serious problems on your hands right now than Kalu! I will be here when your first-class messiah is finally hauled to the Hague for genocides in Nigeria!! Posted by PuluKa| 16.04.2006 00:24

Nonso Chukwunonye  JJC

# 3 The actualisation of the Republic of Biafria is not a ‘forlorn dream’ as you purported in your article. In case you lack substantial opinion, I suggest you refrain from such irrelevant utterance. However, it is a pity that every Dick and Harry wants to become the next president of Nigeria. Criminals who have committed crimes against humanity, engaged in corrupt practises, embezzled state funds and are supposed to be lavishing in jail are clamouring for presidency or at least hold a political post as if it were their father’s right. Even Atiku thinks his is innocent. If it were not for his marginalization by his fellow democratically elected dictator – President Obasanjo, he would have been singing in the same boat with the third term sycophants. For all I care, he can cry fowl from morning till night; he cannot totally exonerate himself from the deficiencies of this administration. Why can’t these influential personalities fight for the institutionalisation of democratic principles without dreaming to be president? I almost cried when I read an article on nigeriaworld.com that even Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (NLC President) was contemplating contesting for president! Isn’t this incredulous? Posted by Nonso Chukwunonye| 16.04.2006 01:01

UNREGISTER

# 4 Orji Uzor Kalu, Vice President in waiting? ...Odiegwu! Posted by UNREGISTER| 16.04.2006 04:25

I Love Nigeria  Villager

# 5 Kalu is a girlie man! Let the real men in Igboland stand up please! I think UNREGISTER got my point! Read him below: 16.04.2006 04:25 #4 UNREGISTER Whither Ndiigbo? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orji Uzor Kalu, Vice President in waiting? ...Odiegwu! Posted by I Love Nigeria| 16.04.2006 09:06

Mistique

# 6 In oder to avoid all these wahala in Nigeria, can't we just peacefully divide Nigeria into four Nation States of North, West, East and Niger Delta? I still remembered in one episode in the 80's. One Nigerian leader was asked by Western press on how he felt abut S-A-L-T? To the amazement of the western press, he told them that Nigeria was promoting SALT. The question was on Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and this guy had no clue and told them that Nigeria was promoting SALT. On a more serious note, I think Paul Adujie had a correct analysis of Kalu. Ndiigbo should be grateful to Adujie for exposing Kalu if in fact, Kalu has all along been aiming at the vice presidential slot. Again, are Ndiigbos better off in a bigger Nigeria or be confined to a small territory in the name of Biafra? Nna, make una leave this Biafran project alone ka chineke mezie okwu. Chikena. Posted by Mistique| 16.04.2006 10:10

ifeolooni  Villager

# 7 lord help us. i have always thought of a presidency of donald duke,nuhu ,ribadu come 007 .let us ignore this inept human beings who are not qualified to be grocery shop manager. from:abia to zamfara.except cross river,probably jigawa. lord help us. Posted by ifeolooni| 16.04.2006 17:43

E.BEN  JJC

# 8 Mr Paul, You still did not substantiate your assertion that Orji Uzor Kalu is actually running for the position of vice-president. You did not present any evidence to support your stance.On the other hand, there is nothing wrong if Kalu settles for another position if he could not attain the original position he had in mind, it happens everyday in advanced democracies all over the world. For instance John Edward became John Kerry's running mate after he attempted to get the party's nomination for president. Even in 1993, during the SDP primaries, Babagana Kingigbe became Abiola's running mate after competing with Abiola for the presidential nomination. It is perfectly alright for these things to happen in a democratic setting. However it is a pity that in your attempt to malign Orji Kalu and to some extent Ndiigbo you referred to the position of vice-president as that of "second-class citizen". Let me equally remind us that Ndiigbo are still suffering the trauma of the biafra war and therefore no body should expect them to become MILITANT or adopt DO OR DIE attitude in their quest for the presidency of Nigeria,because Ndiigbo have first hand knowledge and experience of what civil war is all about and they suffered untold hardship. I believe that when this "third term agenda" is eventually defeated in the house of assembly, serious politicking will begin and hopefuly there will be a level playing field. E.BEN Posted by E.BEN| 17.04.2006 11:37

N.A.R.  Villager

# 9 I still remembered in one episode in the 80's. One Nigerian leader was asked by Western press on how he felt abut S-A-L-T? To the amazement of the western press, he told them that Nigeria was promoting SALT. The question was on Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and this guy had no clue and told them that Nigeria was promoting SALT. Mistique,> That was probably the late Gov. Bakin Zuwo of Kano state. You know they also asked him about solid minerals too, you know, Coke, Fanta, and what the heck, Lemonade! But jokes apart, wetin consine Naija with SALT? We do not even have an aircraft carrier talk lest of salt! The man was right on point jare! The salt that consine Niaja man is the to make food taste sweet! If Oyigbo like let them blow eachg other to smitherins...wait o, we sef day oyigbo land now... Posted by N.A.R.| 17.04.2006 13:47

pukpabi  Villager

# 10 Mr. Adujie, I wonder why you keep struggling to stand logic on its head. Why do you find it worth your time to come up with lies and try to force it into people's minds. It seems to me that you get a brain wave, and you go to your computer to write. What happens to serious analysis of politics if you think you are an analyst. Anytime any Igbo try to ascend to political leadership in Nigeria, the likes of you find a way to castigate him. Can you in truth substantiate your assertion that Orji Kalu is looking for Vice Presidential nomination? Is there anything on the ground to substantiate that? Common sense will lead any person who has it to a conclusion that the best thing for Nigeria now is a President who has what it takes to lead in the 21st century. It is clear that apart from the fact that it is immoral to talk of changing the constitution for a third term, your man Obasanjo does not have what it takes to lead a modern Nigeria. My advice to you is this: stay away from supporting evil. Those who support evil for what they can gain from it seem to forget that in the fullness of time, evil consumes even its own. This is the reason why Nigeria is where it is now. Paschal Ukpabi, JD Posted by pukpabi| 17.04.2006 18:40

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---