the issue of missing the debate is really regrettable, seems he is following in the footsteps of his 'Baba'

the hospital jibe is wrongly placed, he was unconscious and flown out because no one knew what was wrong with him, Katsina State is the only place where people with renal failure get FREE dialysis, that resulted from his kidney problems, so people have benefited in that regard. I still regard him as the best chance we have in the current crop of politicians contesting (apart from Utomi, who will not get sufficient votes to win)

The debate avoidance is bad, and smacks of contempt for the electorate, but I feel this may have been a party position, not his personal preference. I still have hope that he will deliver on some of the promises he made, He is obviously not a great talker, throughout his time in KS, he has rarely been seen on TV. If he does the job well, I will appreciate that over the millions of speeches we have heard in the past with no results.

Only in Nigeria will a presidential candidate fail to appear for a nationally televised presidential debate and still retain a 1% chance of winning!

Try that in advanced and serious nations!

I'm surprised that Yar'adua snubbed the debate. What a pity.

the fact is: majority of the voters (rural dwellers) will not watch the debate - either they don't know about it (cos they don't read newspapers and so on) or they can't cos they don't have electricity.

in the Nigeria of today, debates may be very important in places like Lagos, Ogun, etc, but it does not play an important role in most parts of the country. The politicians know that, which is the reason why they will snub the debates when they feel it may do their chances harm.

an aside: Why was Atiku not scheduled to be in the debate? seems these folk have also 'decided' like INEC that he shall not contest.

debosky:

the fact is: majority of the voters (rural dwellers) will not watch the debate - either they don't know about it (because they don't read newspapers and so on) or they can't because they don't have electricity.

in the Nigeria of today, debates may be very important in places like Lagos, Ogun, etc, but it does not play an important role in most parts of the country. The politicians know that, which is the reason why they will snub the debates when they feel it may do their chances harm.

an aside: Why was Atiku not scheduled to be in the debate? seems these folk have also 'decided' like INEC that he shall not contest.

Wrong! The electorate know that it does not matter what promises you make, the winner has already been "anointed" by "God" himself.
Why should i be bothered about a presidential debate when it is clear that Utomi and Okotie, no matter how sound their ideas may be will be no match for a Yar Adua with kidney failure and who lacks the necessary charimsa to lead the world's largest black nation?

Go ask your elites who watch the debates: how many campaign rallies have they attended? how many of them are members of political parties?

they are all armchair critics, the people who will vote on the day have seen Obj, Yar'Adua and their local leaders who they know. That is the reason Yar'Adua will win, Utomi and Okotie are unknown to the majority of Nigerians, that is a fact you cannot deny. it is only those who watch tv or read newspapers that would know about them, or the few campaign stops they have made.

Charisma is overrated - Babangida had lots of it - where has it led us now? So did Mugabe, check out Zimbabwe for the result there.

I sense in Yar'Adua a quiet optimism and drive to get the job done. Kidney or no kidney. We need results not showmanship.

debosky:

Go ask your elites who watch the debates: how many campaign rallies have they attended? how many of them are members of political parties?

After 47 yrs of ur votes not counting. this generatiion has developed an apathy for voting. Who can blame them?

debosky:

they are all armchair critics, the people who will vote on the day have seen Obj, Yar'Adua and their local leaders who they know. That is the reason Yar'Adua will win, Utomi and Okotie are unknown to the majority of Nigerians, that is a fact you cannot deny. it is only those who watch tv or read newspapers that would know about them, or the few campaign stops they have made.

Yar Adua will win because he has the machinery of the PDP rigging machine behind him. How many people knew Yar Adua before the PDP presidential primaries?

debosky:

I sense in Yar'Adua a quiet optimism and drive to get the job done. Kidney or no kidney. We need results not showmanship.

Quiet optimism? You cannot have any drive to get any work done when you spend 360 days a yr going for hospital checkups! Go to Katsina state and see the "results" you seek.

granted Yar'adua wasn't known before the primaries, but then the presidential campaign hadn't really begun. In the last couple of months, he has visited almost every state, accompanied by Obj, there is no way his recognition has not sky-rocketed drastically since then.

I have been to Katsina a number of times, I served in neighbouring Zamfara, so I have seen a few things for myself. The dialysis equipment and other hospital facilities (while not perfect or sufficient, represent a large step forward), the roads, the schools are no illusions my brother, He has done a lot with what he has been given. I will trust him over folk who have no experience in running government. He has been successful without fuss or noise on the pages of newspapers.

voter apathy is no solution, armchair critiquing will not help either, you need to put your vote where your mouth is - we need to get out of our comfort zone at times and make a stand.

besides, the 47 years thing is not true - in my own lifetime since early 80's) there have been only 4 elections, of which I have been only eligible to vote in 1. Where is the apathy coming from, given most of Nigeria's population have voted only twice at most? that is no excuse

The only thing everyone claims Yar Adua has done for Katsina is get a dialysis machine. I would do the same if i faced having to go on emergency visits to Germany every week for dialysis!

Yes Yar Adua has gone round the country but what really are his visions for Nigeria? What are his goals and plans to take Nigeria beyond her present comatose state?
Granted Utomi and co have "no previous experience", at least we know what plans they have for Nigeria and they can thus be judged on the basis of what they said. On what basis do we judge Yar Adua? That he provides dialysis machines free of charge in all states of the federation?

Voter apathy will not change until we see our votes begin to have an effect on those who purport to hold the people's mandate. How many Nigerians bother to celebrate independence day or "democracy day" within Nigeria?
There is pervasive disillusionment in the land. People are hungry and angry!
In normal nations where votes count, would a presidential candidate miss a debate even if only 2 people were watching?

Yar'Adua has a 10 point agenda including a power sector reform, security, development of the ND and so on. His plans are available in other media, if you care to find out. I'll do a search and let you know what I find

the apathy you see isn't vote-related, its the general state of things, most people do not go to vote, hence increased rigging opportunities, when we stand up and insist on change instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, then the politicians will sit up and take notice. being disillusioned doesn't achieve anything, a move is necessary to change things.

I repeat again, this 'debate' thing is a little overrated, it may rankle, but the truth is that debates rarely win or decide elections, even in the US - Kerry beat Bush hands down, but Bush still won. and the last time I checked, debates are not a necessity for winning elections. He is going round and telling people what his plans are - every state in the country. that to me, meeting the people and letting them see you and know your plans face to face is what counts, debates are a good thing, but its still in its infancy in Nigeria given the reports i've heard so far.

In 2 yrs time God sparing our lives, we shall be witnesses to the miracle the kidney patient expects to perform in office.

AMEN!

debosky:

I repeat again, this 'debate' thing is a little overrated, it may rankle, but the truth is that debates rarely win or decide elections, even in the US - Kerry beat Bush hands down, but Bush still won. and the last time I checked, debates are not a necessity for winning elections. He is going round and telling people what his plans are - every state in the country. that to me, meeting the people and letting them see you and know your plans face to face is what counts, debates are a good thing, but its still in its infancy in Nigeria given the reports i've heard so far.

I agree, i just wonder if Bush would still have won the elections if he went home to sleep while Kerry was debating.

not when it comes to sex.

Jay_Baby:

not when it comes to sex.

Is this here by accident?

well in case you didnt notice, this is Nigeria, only 3 debates have ever been held for president, it is not enshrined in our culture as it is in the US - that takes time, it will happen, but that is the least of my concerns right now.

besides would you want there to be only 2 candidates for president as in the US? we need to develop our own political system properly. these debates have to become part and parcel of us before the candidates will take them as seriously.

@ david it seems a certain retard called star01/bluenuban amongst other aliases has selected a new one.

davidylan:

Is this here by accident?

what? better in what sence? Sorry I only think of sex.

I've always wondered why we have so many parties. Now 21 candidates + Atiku now = 22. In that case, debates cannot be too effective. But Okotie's debate is head-spinning. Someone tell him to use simple English, pls.

If it was btw 3 or 4 candidates, debates will be much better

debosky:

well in case you didnt notice, this is Nigeria, only 3 debates have ever been held for president, it is not enshrined in our culture as it is in the US - that takes time, it will happen, but that is the least of my concerns right now.

besides would you want there to be only 2 candidates for president as in the US? we need to develop our own political system properly. these debates have to become part and parcel of us before the candidates will take them as seriously.

@ david it seems a certain retard called star01/bluenuban amongst other aliases has selected a new one.

The 2 party structure worked perfectly well for us until a certain Babangida cancelled the elections mid-game. This multi-party affair serves as a breeding ground for opportunists seeking to sell their votes to the highest bidder.
Besides in the US, there is always room for independent candidates, we also have other smaller parties that present candidates. We only get to see the Democratic and Republican candidates on Tv.

The issue of the debate is less about whether we have it enshrined in our culture as it is an indirect insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians. It is a way of saying "you are not important, i can win without you".

the two party thing was engineered by Babangida himself after banning all the others, It wasn't working well if you ask me, the will of the people was subjected to forcefully create those two, so that is wrong.

the insult to the sensibility of Nigerians is carrying out an internet/tv based campaign, when the majority of Nigerians don't have access to these media, while other candidates go on gruelling campaign rallies in each state meeting people face to face, even sometimes in conflict with your doctor's advice because you want to get real contact and following with the people.

visiting 36 states to campaign doesn't smack of I don't need you, its restricting your campaign to those forms only the elite can access that is.

debosky:

the insult to the sensibility of Nigerians is carrying out an internet/tv based campaign, when the majority of Nigerians don't have access to these media, while other candidates go on gruelling campaign rallies in each state meeting people face to face, even sometimes in conflict with your doctor's advice because you want to get real contact and following with the people.
visiting 36 states to campaign doesn't smack of I don't need you, its restricting your campaign to those forms only the elite can access that is.

Is Yar Adua going on a "gruelling" campaign to meet people or because he is forced to? For a man who could not go around 36 states the size of Texas before requiring the services of an air ambulance, it is with great trepidation that i anticipate the next 4 yrs.

have you tried campaigning in 36C weather, being on the move constantly and so on? its no piece of cake, even if it is the size of texas.

besides, it is the vision and ability to lead that is paramount, not whether he fell ill on a campaign, which can happen to anybody. The air ambulance thing was probably overkill, the PDP just didnt want to take any chances.

debosky:

have you tried campaigning in 36C weather, being on the move constantly and so on? its no piece of cake, even if it is the size of texas.

besides, it is the vision and ability to lead that is paramount, not whether he fell ill on a campaign, which can happen to anybody. The air ambulance thing was probably overkill, the PDP just didnt want to take any chances.

this argument does not hold water. Obasanjo who is visibly older campaigned in 1999, 2003 and now 2007! In the same 36C heat. Besides Yar Adua is supposed to be used to the weather so that is no excuse.
Did he not know what the presidential campaign entailed before he took up the gauntlet? Was he not aware of his health problems and how his constant movement would affect him?

Of what use is this "vision and ability" to lead that we have not observed in the 8 yrs that Yar Adua has been holding forte in Katsina? Has he turned the state into an eldorado? How then does he hope to achieve same in a whole nation?
Falling ill on a campaign trail is enough evidence that he is not physically fit to endure the stress of leading the largest black nation in the world. Obasanjo took more than 50 foreign trips in his first yr, he did not require an air ambulance!

@debosky

My advice for all you Yaradua supporters is, he should make sure he gets vote. otherwise PDP will be in for a shocker as Maurice Iwu may actually conduct a free and fair elections that might see Yaradua loose.

This is 2007 Nigeria, I dont see why someone hoping to lead the most populous black nation in the digital age should be TV shy

anyone can fall ill at anytime, I suspect if not for the whole 'kidney saga' no one would be making a big issue over this matter. he simply fell ill on the campaign trail, young men like you and I still can fall ill on occasion, why would you expect a 55 yr old man not to?

I doubt if he has any recurrent health problems, people are just using that to talk in the absence of any substance to hold against him.

what do you define as an eldorado? He has repaired roads, built new ones, and done the same with education, state industries like brick making and so on are being revived. salaries are paid on time. He is getting the basics done, that is something rare in Nigeria. His state is nowhere close to the richest, yet he has made modest improvements with what he has been given.

I seek no eldorado, I just want someone who will get the basics in place and let the creative power of Nigerians be unleashed All the promises of eldorado have not been fulfilled, if someone promises basics and gets them done, that is good enough for me.

He gave an interview on CNN, so I dont put it down to being TV shy, I suspect it more to be a case of the party's move not his.

debosky:

anyone can fall ill at anytime, I suspect if not for the whole 'kidney saga' no one would be making a big issue over this matter. he simply fell ill on the campaign trail, young men like you and I still can fall ill on occasion, why would you expect a 55 yr old man not to?

I doubt if he has any recurrent health problems, people are just using that to talk in the absence of any substance to hold against him.

what do you define as an eldorado? He has repaired roads, built new ones, and done the same with education, state industries like brick making and so on are being revived. salaries are paid on time. He is getting the basics done, that is something rare in Nigeria. His state is nowhere close to the richest, yet he has made modest improvements with what he has been given.

I seek no eldorado, I just want someone who will get the basics in place and let the creative power of Nigerians be unleashed All the promises of eldorado have not been fulfilled, if someone promises basics and gets them done, that is good enough for me.

He gave an interview on CNN, so I don't put it down to being TV shy, I suspect it more to be a case of the party's move not his.

May God deliver us from the spirit of mediocrity disguised as "modest improvements", "basics" e.t.c.

As the largest black nation, we should be more concerned with someone who can do more than deliver the "basics". The world has progressed beyond merely food, clothing and shelter!
Katsina state is not the richest in terms of what? He has done well with what he has been given? In normal democracies, states are NOT supposed to be mere appendages of the central government but viable entities! Does katsina have no single mineral resource to exploit? What has Yar Adua done to generate revenue besides merely going cap in hand to the FG for oil funds?

Since when did Nigerians redefine governance as merely "doing well with what we have been given"?

you are seeking to run when you haven't crawled.

have you met your basic needs? No. I don't want someone promising me a space ship when I don't even have a bicycle.

We have not progressed beyond the basics - ask people what they want - roads, water, education, power, security. Anyone who can do this in Nigeria today has my vote. All we have had are grandiose promises, with no results. If you want to keep hearing those, thats fine for you, but I want basic progress to be made, that is what is lacking in Nigeria of today

If our previous governments had done what you say is 'merely' doing well with what we have been given, we'd be way ahead of where we are now.

In so called 'normal' democracies, states are what come together to form the federation, not the federation 'creating' states. Yar'Adua did not determine the viability of otherwise of his state when it was created, and in case you are not aware of the fact, all mineral resources are vested in the Federal Government, not the states, that as well isnt Yar'Adua's making.

He has performed well above what has been seen in other cases, with meagre resources as well. under the current circumstances, I'll take my chances with that. all the grandiose dreaming hasn't gotten us anywhere, my ears do not tickle for high sounding promises, but simple ones which he will have the capacity to fulfill

@debosky

Some of us have been to that katsina you are talking about so get your facts right. I personally travelled through Funtua to Sokoto so many times in 2004 and by then Yaradua would have been Governor for 5years. There is simply nothing special about Katsina.

McKren:

@debosky

Some of us have been to that katsina you are talking about so get your facts right. I personally travelled through Funtua to Sokoto so many times in 2004 and by then Yaradua would have been Governor for 5years. There is simply nothing special about Katsina.

At least he has given the people the "basics". begging bowls, dialysis machines, cows and sharia. What more could the people ask for?
All hail the new president of Nigeria.

well I passed through Funtua to Zamfara in '05, roads were being constructed. By the way, there is more to Katsina than Funtua

he is currently working on a neem cultivation project to earn the state some alternative funding, amongst other projects. He has won awards for the UBE program in his state as well, showing the focus on education, and unlike everyone else who simply starts a state uni whether needed or not, he created a feeder school, which will be affiliated to ABU.
Anyways if you're interested you can read up on what he is doing, lest I begin to appear like a campaigner who is getting paid to blow his horn

cows and sharia have long been part of the lives of these folk, nothing will change that now. I still believe he is the best option of the electable candidates, that is why I will back him.

sighsigh

I wish Buhari was voted in.Yar Adua is a static president