I’m sure most of you will be wondering, ‘wetin concern Naijaleta with Obama sef, abi im tink say when Obama become President im go dey dash Naija pipul visa go America anyhow?’ Well, there’s nothing wrong in having hopes, is there?
Anyway, that is really not the point. I ended my last post by asking when Britain is going to have an Obama. The next question then is, when are we going to have an ‘Obama’ in Nigeria?
When are we going to have someone, who was completely unknown to the rest of the world four years ago, contesting to become President of Nigeria under the banner of one of the most prominent political parties in Nigeria? I tell my friends here in the UK that Nigeria is a very green country and I’m not referring to our National colour. What I mean is that we believe so much in recycling that we even recycle our old politicians. After a politician serves a particular Government we don’t allow him to retire we put him back on the queue to serve in another Government or make him head another public body immediately, ignoring his poor performance in Government and the plethora of allegations of incompetence and financial impropriety being levied against him. Abi no be recycling be dat?
I was ashamed to read about President Yar’adua’s election on the BBC website. It wasn’t his victory that was being reported it was the fact that he was Nigeria’s first graduate president since independence. I’m not being biased but I think it’s a shame that we are yet to produce a lawyer President in Nigeria. Some of the greatest leaders in the world were qualified Legal Practitioners before they became leaders of their respective countries. People like Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Bill Clinton of the United States, Tony Blair of the United Kingdom and even Fidel Castro of Cuba. Little wonder George Bush is not a lawyer. Yeye man. Of course, Barack Obama is a lawyer as well. When are we going to have an eloquent, soft-spoken, brilliant, lawyer contesting on the platform of a prominent Nigerian party to become President of Nigeria?
When will the time come when a member of a minority tribe in Nigeria be chosen as the Presidential candidate for a prominent Nigerian political party? Obama is considered black. When Obama was born there were no equal rights for black people in the United States but today his chances of becoming the next President of the US look brighter than that of any other person. Can a man from Isoko, a tribe from Delta State that I had never heard of until two years ago, ever dream of becoming Nigeria’s next President?
Finally, we must remember madam, Mama Clinton. How many of you noticed that she is not talking of joining another party or even registering another one quickly? After all, over eighteen million Americans voted for her. If she decided to break away and form another party or declare herself an independent candidate she could still have a shot at the Presidency. No, her principles would not allow her to do that. She has decided to support Obama’s Presidential campaign for the sake of the Democratic Party, which they both belong to. She considers the party’s interest more important than hers. When are we going to start having politicians like Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton in Nigeria?
Anyway, that is really not the point. I ended my last post by asking when Britain is going to have an Obama. The next question then is, when are we going to have an ‘Obama’ in Nigeria?
When are we going to have someone, who was completely unknown to the rest of the world four years ago, contesting to become President of Nigeria under the banner of one of the most prominent political parties in Nigeria? I tell my friends here in the UK that Nigeria is a very green country and I’m not referring to our National colour. What I mean is that we believe so much in recycling that we even recycle our old politicians. After a politician serves a particular Government we don’t allow him to retire we put him back on the queue to serve in another Government or make him head another public body immediately, ignoring his poor performance in Government and the plethora of allegations of incompetence and financial impropriety being levied against him. Abi no be recycling be dat?
I was ashamed to read about President Yar’adua’s election on the BBC website. It wasn’t his victory that was being reported it was the fact that he was Nigeria’s first graduate president since independence. I’m not being biased but I think it’s a shame that we are yet to produce a lawyer President in Nigeria. Some of the greatest leaders in the world were qualified Legal Practitioners before they became leaders of their respective countries. People like Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Bill Clinton of the United States, Tony Blair of the United Kingdom and even Fidel Castro of Cuba. Little wonder George Bush is not a lawyer. Yeye man. Of course, Barack Obama is a lawyer as well. When are we going to have an eloquent, soft-spoken, brilliant, lawyer contesting on the platform of a prominent Nigerian party to become President of Nigeria?
When will the time come when a member of a minority tribe in Nigeria be chosen as the Presidential candidate for a prominent Nigerian political party? Obama is considered black. When Obama was born there were no equal rights for black people in the United States but today his chances of becoming the next President of the US look brighter than that of any other person. Can a man from Isoko, a tribe from Delta State that I had never heard of until two years ago, ever dream of becoming Nigeria’s next President?
Finally, we must remember madam, Mama Clinton. How many of you noticed that she is not talking of joining another party or even registering another one quickly? After all, over eighteen million Americans voted for her. If she decided to break away and form another party or declare herself an independent candidate she could still have a shot at the Presidency. No, her principles would not allow her to do that. She has decided to support Obama’s Presidential campaign for the sake of the Democratic Party, which they both belong to. She considers the party’s interest more important than hers. When are we going to start having politicians like Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton in Nigeria?
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12 comments:
Maybe never, maybe the next elections, who knows???
I have a question; is America ready 2 have a black president???
Guess we will know by the end of 2008.
Your post reminded me of an article by Simon Kolawole of ThisDay newspapers. He referred to a trip where he listened to one of the top men overseeing the transformation in Doha (I think) outline their lofty plans and so on. He then observed that it wasn't the plans that impressed him but the fact that the fellow kept punctuating every line with the phrase "according to the vision of our leaders" like it was some kind of mantra.
When are we going to have an Obama whose vision dwarfs his achievements and experience? When are we going to have an Obama whose ability to eloquently motivate his followers draws the young and old to the challenge of changing a reluctant system?
We had an opportunity a while back to elect a visionary. Obasanjo robbed us of it. I personally believe Nigeria has its best opportunity in Donald Duke (p.s. he's from a minority tribe). The guy had a team, a dream and a plan. His was an in-depth analysis of our nation and its problems. He had laid out solutions waiting for implementation. Then he was usurped by an ill-prepared sub with a 7-point agenda.
My only consolation is that he's still young enough to contest even if Yar'Adua wangles another 4years out of the political powers that be. As for Clinton, I think the way she put Obama under pressure to adopt her as his running mate on a night when she should have been gracious and allowed the man his moment shows her as somewhat mean, selfish and (dare I say it?) b*$#@y.
She's constrained because the American political climate would never tolerate a party shift by someone of her stature. If she'd been Nigerian, she'd probably have switched parties yesterday.
Only time will tell, like it has with Yaradua being our first grad prez...shame sha. I believe it's possible and it will happen when the ordinary Nigerian can support him/herself without looking to the Govt. I mean it only takes providing the common man with access to basic infrastructures, awareness/education (read: knowing their rights) and the ability to be able to enjoy their earnings (no matter how small), for them to know the value of their votes. Time is all it will take and meanwhile those of us who can and choose to can start by making sure the ordinary Nigerian has access to the basics.
Like your post too...wish i could focus on the non-personal like you and a few others do (then may be i would post more often).
Ok, so i can't sleep and just saw ur msg. Thanks for showing an interest in my blog. I am sure you lead an interesting life but know not to be daft enough to share it on a blog...the world being a global village and all. Anywho, i have updated my blog.
Thank you Naijaleta for your insight and your knowledge of the jurisprudence of American Democracy.
As an insider, I can tell you that a Barack Obama cannot win a presidential nomination in the present Nigeria, because majority of the voters are "dummies" in the North who will never cast their votes for a non-Muslim. So, what the Northern political contractors do is to divide and rule the country by keeping their Muslim majority in the perpetual state of political ignorance and then use bribery and corruption to buy the electorate in the South.
If the likes of Dr. Pat Utomi and Donald Duke were in the United States, they would have been as successful as Barack Obama. But in a country where 85% of the population are non-literate in modern education and are still intellectually ignorant , they cannot succeed, because the Nigerian oligarchy will not want the liberation of their legions of "dummies".
We have to deprogramme these legions of "dummies" from their religious hypnosis.
Religion has been used by the Northern oligarchy to exploit the illiteracy and ignorance of the "talakawas" and always incite them not to vote for non-Muslims.
The late Mallam Aminu Kano of the Sawaba political consciousness would have succeeded if his successors like Abubakar Rimi and Balarabe Musa did not give up.
We have to use mass literacy campaign in the Northern states to liberate the "talakawas" from their evil and wicked religious and political demi-gods.
Most of these Northern plutocrats should be hanged!
They have misappropriated the oil revenues we gave them for the development of their people and wasted them on their own plutocratic government.
God save Nigeria.
You have all done justice to it from oluwadee to the explorer and from extroverted prude to orikinla osinachi; we can not all cry enough but let us rise to the challenges of the moment in our country.
Ones dependence on government handout may not be totally blamed for his/her inability to make right choices during election, I think it should even spur them on to vote out bad leaders. In this light we need to re-orientate the Nigerian voters.
As regards the North of Nigeria, I had a post sometime "Quest for Arewa Bloggers" whereI made a case for people of the Northern extraction be encouraged to blog. Blodding evidently, will be the next political platform of the future.
Aparently, they are lagging behind and needs to rise up to it. The south should not bear the brunt agains as they had with quota systems et al.
In all I am optimistic that the Nigeria of my dream will materialise in my generation; I am doing my bit towards it. That is why I talk, walk and involve myself, what about you?
guy I no go lie to u,9ja get alot of obamas but they no get any political party to flank them.......the parties we have are filled with vampires who jst wanna rape us,thats y wen a candidate looses his presidential nomination he joins another party.nobody is interested in d party or country but only in themselves....u cant have a GREAT leader comin frm a corrupt party fulfill d will of d pple bcos he has to satisfy d powers dat brought him in
I look forward to when a selfless politician will step up to the plate . A politician who puts the betterment of the country before his own and is not afraid to clamp down hard on those who are trying to pull the country down. A person with these traits is My own Obama. I dunno when we are gonna get that in Nigeria
read Donald Duke's interviews, his blog, and articles about him and was in support of him getting the PDP nomination. if he decides to run again, I'll definitely take a look at what he has outlined and hope it is even better than what he had before...
That is the difference between Nigeria and America. Hillary can never break away from the democratic party for lots of reasons.
1.she will definitely NOT win if she decides to contest as an independent candidate: American politics doesnt work that way.
2. she's still young. Even if Obama wins the election and is president for 8 years,with the amount of support she has gotten so far, she stll stands a fair chance of succeeding 8 years from now.
As for our Nigerian Obama, we almost had him in MKO Abiola, dont know when the next one will come.
@ Naijaleta: Haven't seen you in a while, but just saw this post and wanted to ask you to read this.
Hope all is well with you!
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