[Comment]No Second Term For Yar`Ádua- Billionaire-debtors Vow

...Read the full article.

[Ofunwa Villager]

These bunch are as despicable as the man they are trying to unseat...

[emj]

In the forefront of mobilisation against the reelection, Economic Confidential an online economic magazine gathered, are some powerful members of the Corporate Nigeria, a mafia-kind of an organisation that had funded the re-election of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 with billions of Naira and made generous donation to YarÁdua’s election in 2007. There are also former elected and appointed public officers who have not been in the good book of the administration and ambitious politicians even within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strategising for relevant in 2011’s election.

The gang-up will see to a boycott of any campaign funding rally for Yar’Adua’s election. The aggrieved individuals have marshalled plans to teem up with opposition groups, especially the anti-government forces by funding their programmes and also working on some media to discredit the reform agenda on the economic front. They are also planning to host websites to play ethno- regional cards through different front

That's a no brainer. It's to be expected.

[Dapxin]

He hasnt even survived term 1 in peace.....oshisko.

[edoji]

in that case i'll change my stance and support UMYA for a 2nd term!!!

[aguabata]

conspiracy theory and speculation at its best = junk journalism

[godfather]

junk journalism!

[yashuaib1]

It is beyond speculation but the true story and reflection of reality the features above. Take the following in the Nation Newspaper too:

"2011: North divided over automatic ticket for Yar’Adua
By AUGUSTINE AVWODE,Published Yesterday

As President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua oils his political machine preparatory to 2011 for a second term, which is just about 18 months away, sharp disagreement over whether he should be given an automatic ticket or not has divided the North, his primary constituency.

Though nothing seems to openly indicate yet that the president is interested in a second term, The Nation learnt that there are moves to ensure that he not only gets a second term but secures it in a way that is void of rigour and contest.

The Peoples Democratic Part (PDP), the president’s party, controls about 85 per cent of the 19 states in the North.

It was learnt that proponents of the automatic ticket agenda are of the view that given the health condition of the president, he should not be allowed to go through the rigours of a primary election which may end up badly exposing what is being meticulously guided and managed.

But those opposed to the idea are pushing for primary elections to ensure that the position of the North is not unnecessarily jeopardised.

A prominent member of the PDP from Kano State said to be the anchor man for the campaign for automatic ticket in the Northern Region, is said to be finding it difficult selling the idea.

It was gathered that those opposed to the idea point to the fact that in the event that the president’s health condition worsens and in an extreme case of having to step down, the region would have lost the opportunity to be in the saddle for eight years as the south did with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

To avoid that, they are said to be vigourously campaigning that an open, free and fair primary election be allowed so that the people of the region can freely make up their minds on what is best for them.

But undeterred, the pro-automatic ticket campaigners in the region are said to be banking on the extensive connection of the president in the three zones of the region.

While the president comes from the North Central, he has in-laws who are sitting governors and influential members of the PDP in both the Western and Eastern zones of the region.

The pro-automatic ticket campaigners are also insisting that the president is actually hale and hearty, saying that those who have been orchestrating the health issue are doing it for political reasons.

"The president is healthy. He has been carrying on state duties without any stress, as can be seen," an ally of Mr. President said.

Only last week, former Information Minister and presidential aspirant in the 2007 election on the platform of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana, opposed the idea of an automatic ticket for Yar’Adua in 2011.

The anti-automatic ticket sentiment is not only being chorused by Gana, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba took sides with him. He told The Nation that it would be undemocratic to give anybody automatic
ticket, be it Mr. President or any other person.

"It is clearly undemocratic to give anybody automatic ticket. The party must drop the idea not only in respect to the president but also in respect to everybody," he said.

Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Gen. I.B.M. Haruna, while stating that he was not a member of the PDP, stressed that in a democracy, democratic norms must be followed in ensuring the emergence of credible people to represent them.

He said: "Let me state that I am not a member of the PDP. Whatever they have decided to do must be their decision and it should be guided by their constitution. But since we are in a democracy, they should not forget to apply democratic norms in all they do. If they fail, it will impact negatively on the polity. But let them do what is in their constitution."

The president of the youth wing of the ACF, Ahmed Yerima, was more blunt as he actually suggested that anybody who loved the country should refrain from talking about a second term for Yar’Adua.

According to him, "The talk should not even be about automatic ticket or primary election. In fact, anybody who loves Yar’Adua should advise him to go home and rest. Put in another way, anybody who loves Nigeria and is not an enemy of this country should not even suggest it at all. There are many capable people from the North who can rule this country and rule it very well to the benefit of all people from whatever area in this country. As far as I am concerned, let us not talk of a second term for Yar’Adua."

Recently, presidential candidates in the 2007 general election, General-Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) and former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), came to an agreement during a meeting in Kaduna to float a new opposition party that would be vibrant enough to challenge President Yar’Adua in the 2011 general election.

It was gathered that the trio agreed to work together to provide an alternative platform for the region to produce a president of the region’s extraction, given the unwillingness of the existing party structure that controls most parts of the North to challenge Yar’Adua but rather is actually already canvassing for him.

Also, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and the immediate Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, have started a national movement that is intended to challenge President Yar’Adua.

According to a statement posted on the former minister’s Facebook, "Nasir el-Rufai can confirm that Nuhu and I are supporting a broad-based, national political movement aimed at creating an internally democratic, people-oriented platform to give Nigerians good governance and credible alternative to the incompetent Yar’Adua administration."

During the party’s mini convention in Abuja in March, Yar’Adua had cautioned delegates against electioneering campaign at this time. But the signs are there that he would prefer, if he would run, to emerge with little or no challenge to the ticket.

This, it was learnt, informed the decision of the party’s members in the National Assembly to also demand the same automatic ticket as they believed that what was sauce for the goose should also be sauce for the gander.

However, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, Polycarp Nwite, said the president has never commissioned anybody to campaign for an automatic ticket for him as it is undemocratic.

His words: "We have been saying it for a year now that the president does not want automatic ticket from anybody. It is undemocratic and not recognised by our laws. But he will not reject it if it is unopposed. That is recognised by our laws in Nigeria."

[Enyi]

Wait a mminute folks! Is this a veiled attempt to muster support for Yar’Adua? Will sentiments and emotions replace unbiased performance evaluation as a yardstick for second term?