blueflame1:

[A rotational arrangement should have a term limit in order to prevent the same problem it was meant to solve.]

Tuyis: Since in this case the rotational arrangement is not written in contract or constitution, how do you propose to limit the next president to one ter,? considering he would be in power?

I wrote earlier that this arrangement should have a constitutional backing.

Fhemmmy:

According to OBJ some years back, he said, a president cant get anything done in 4 years, so if we have one term presidency under rotational presidency, would you agree that, we are just doing nonsense then?

Note, i am never in support of what OBJ said oh

I don't believe there is any contradiction here. I do believe a president can achieve a lot in four or five years.

Fhemmmy:

i am not agreeing with you that no one knows Obama till 2008, anyone that is into politics already know the dude.
he was the talk of politics some years before that with his speech.

So what is wrong with the pictures that:
We conduct primaries and them produce a leader based on who people wants and not based on what zone they are from.

I asked a question earlier and no one has answered that

Mr A is from the North and marry a woman from the South and they have a Son and the son leaves in the East, now, what level or zone can that boy run for?

I find that amusing, as long as the son is a bonafide Nigerian, it is up to the electorate or the constitution to determine where he can run for. This is not enough to render the system unworkable.

Tuyis: It doesn't have a constitutional backing yet. We r talking about what is and not what should be, cause that is utopian judging from the inability of the house to act accordingly in the past

Tuyis:


I wrote earlier that this arrangement should have a constitutional backing.





I don't believe there is any contradiction here. I do believe a president can achieve a  lot in four or five years.

I find that amusing, as long as the son is a bonafide Nigerian, it is up to the electorate or the constitution to determine where he can run for. This is not enough to render the system unworkable.

Look at that colored statement and tell me how come a bonafide Nigerian can just contest to rule without attaching zonal anything to it.
You have just hit the nail on the head

@fehmmy
you are just trying to create a hypothetical scenario. you and i know that in nigeria you are from your fathers village. there are igbos whose parents were born in lagos, and they were also born in lagos and they speak yoruba better than they speak igbo, yet when it is time for some real issues they are classified as igbos from enugu state etc. so chill for that argument.

before the speech at DNC 2004 nobody knew Obama outside illinois. nobody. it was after the speech that some people knew him. 4 yrs after that he became president. who knew sarah palin by july 2008? nobody. yet by the end of august 2008 she was debatably the most admired politician in america and if not for the economic crash of sept '08 she may have been vice president. who knows. so forget about knowing who etc. when the time comes, people will know whom to vote. we should be more interested in having an educated and enlightened electorate.

blueflame1:

Tuyis: It doesn't have a constitutional backing yet. We r talking about what is and not what should be, cause that is utopian judging from the inability of the house to act accordingly in the past

What we have right now is a mockery of democracy. If Nigeria must move forward, they better start working, otherwise we are just going around in a circle.

pres-elect:

@fehmmy
you are just trying to create a hypothetical scenario. you and i know that in nigeria you are from your fathers village. there are igbos whose parents were born in lagos, and they were also born in lagos and they speak yoruba better than they speak igbo, yet when it is time for some real issues they are classified as igbos from enugu state etc. so chill for that argument.

[b]before the speech at DNC 2004 nobody knew Obama outside illinois. nobody. it was after the speech that some people knew him. 4 yrs after that he became president. [/b]who knew sarah palin by july 2008? nobody. yet by the end of august 2008 she was debatably the most admired politician in america and if not for the economic crash of sept '08 she may have been vice president. who knows. so forget about knowing who etc. when the time comes, people will know whom to vote. we should be more interested in having an educated and enlightened electorate.

That s still not true, when he made his speech in 2004, he was known all over the world. . . . . I mean the world.
Also, Father's village shd not matter here, cos the child is well known in the East, yet papa na Northerner and mama na Yoruba.

another advantage of rotational presidency is that it will somehow help our weak democracy by generating ''new blood'' into the system. as it is now we keep seeing the same old guys coming round in circles. i learnt about OBJ when i was in primary school only to have him in the ballot when i was old enough to vote. i read about rilwanu lukman, jerry gana etc. these same people keep re-appearing. now i'm hearing about danjuma . . lol. . .again

with rotatio, when it gets to igbo turn and some crook(as always) emerges, before it gets to igbos turn again it will be at least 24yrs. hopefully the crook that rules initially will be dead and pave the way for a new generation of crooks until the time comes when the people will wake up to have democracy.

Fhemmmy:

Look at that colored statement and tell me how come a bonafide Nigerian can just contest to rule without attaching zonal anything to it.
You have just hit the nail on the head

Presently in Nigeria if you are applying for an international passport, you have to write your state of origin. So, I believe everyone has a state of origin but I'm sorry, I'm not in a position to determine who belongs where.

Fhemmmy:

That s still not true, when he made his speech in 2004, he was known all over the world. . . . . I mean the world.
Also, Father's village shd not matter here, cos the child is well known in the East, yet papa na Northerner and mama na Yoruba.

LIE. nobody knew that guy b4 that speech in 2004. he was known only in illinois. nobody knew him. nobody.

pres-elect:

LIE. nobody knew that guy b4 that speech in 2004. he was known only in illinois. nobody knew him. nobody.

Read me well . . . . .I said after the speech of 2004, he was known to the world.
BTW . . . .Obama has always been in the system and an activist.

God has given The Acting President an uncommon OPPORTUNITY This Time around to do good to people of NIGERIA  and proof that GOOD GOVERNANCE IS POSIBLE TOO HERE. Zoning is just PDP WAHALA and HEADACH IT IS NOT FOR NIGERIA. ALL we are looking for is a DELIVERER NORTH OR SOUTH WHO CARES

Pastor Ola:

God has given The Acting President an uncommon OPPORTUNITY This Time around to do good to people of NIGERIA  and proof that GOOD GOVERNANCE IS POSIBLE TOO HERE. Zoning is just PDP WAHALA and HEADACH IT IS NOT FOR NIGERIA. ALL we are looking for is a DELIVERER NORTH OR SOUTH WHO CARES

Thank you.
Why do we have to worry where the leader comes from, as long as he/she is delivering

There should be opportunity for other tribes to rule also. the presidency is not only for hausa, yaruba and the likes. make u na stop to dey stupid for this country. An Ijaw man should rule in 2011.

wealth2al:

There should be opportunity for other tribes to rule also. the presidency is not only for hausa, yaruba and the likes. make u na stop to dey silly for this country. An Ijaw man should rule in 2011.

Any man have what is takes should win in 2011

It looks like we would never learn
Ijaw Hausa urhobo japanese or chinese. Whoever rules would not benefit those of his tribe as long as the misrule and corruption continues. Ask Katsina and Niger state people what they have gained from their children who ruled Nig. They are amongs the poorest and most uneducated states in Nigeria to date

blueflame1:

It looks like we would never learn
Ijaw Hausa urhobo japanese or chinese. Whoever rules would not benefit those of his tribe as long as the misrule and corruption continues. Ask Katsina and Niger state people what they have gained from their children who ruled Nig. They are amongs the poorest and most uneducated states in Nigeria to date

Someone finally telling the truth.

what is with this rotational nonsense. Good Governance knows no tribe. Why not ask the UK how they have coped with different assemblies under one United Kingdom.

monkeyleg:

what is with this rotational nonsense. Good Governance knows no tribe. Why not ask the UK how they have coped with different assemblies under one United Kingdom.

People just using the complexity of Nija as excuses

its a shame on Nigeria leadership they do the things they do not realising the fact that there is tomorrow, well God is watching, when wind blow foul yancn g open,

@ Mecuxxxx or Mekunnu or mekuturu
Get it straight on your thick head, if want presidency, you have to earn. I heard you claimed ibos are the most populous in Nigeria, why can't you win presidency by popular votes, you waiting on rotations?
Say no to rotational presidency, it’s a fraud. If practiced, I bet it would not hold two terms before Nigeria disintegrate. Polemic Ibos, let us remind our selves that there is no royal road to success, you have to earn it. If you want presidency you have to earn it. In 1999 APGA Biafra contested, 2003 APGA Biafra contested and 2007 APGA Biafra contested.
South South got to the dais of presidency, because they earn it, no miracle in the world would resuscitate Yar Adua and Jonathan, still owns presidency as his birthright till 2015. Nothing polemic ibos will do, if you don’t vote for Jonathan coming 2011, all other tribes in Nigeria will have his back. Anyway, we all know that power of incumbent is real.
As an authentic Nigerian with no duplicity like ibos, I will unequivocally say that I don’t care who will be president coming 2015, it could be anybody within Nigeria’s entity. But one thing for sure he must earn it.

kels001:

its a shame on Nigeria leadership they do the things they do not realising the fact that there is tomorrow, well God is watching, when wind blow foul yancn g open,

lol

okokomeji:

@ Mecuxxxx or Mekunnu or mekuturu
Get it straight on your thick head, if want presidency, you have to earn. I heard you claimed ibos are the most populous in Nigeria, why can't you win presidency by popular votes, you waiting on rotations?
Say no to rotational presidency, it’s a fraud. If practiced, I bet it would not hold two terms before Nigeria disintegrate. Polemic Ibos, let us remind our selves that there is no royal road to success, you have to earn it. If you want presidency you have to earn it. In 1999 APGA Biafra contested, 2003 APGA Biafra contested and 2007 APGA Biafra contested.
South South got to the dais of presidency, because they earn it, no miracle in the world would resuscitate Yar Adua and Jonathan, still owns presidency as his birthright till 2015. Nothing polemic ibos will do, if you don’t vote for Jonathan coming 2011, all other tribes in Nigeria will have his back. Anyway, we all know that power of incumbent is real.
As an authentic Nigerian with no duplicity like ibos, I will unequivocally say that I don’t care who will be president coming 2015, it could be anybody within Nigeria’s entity. But one thing for sure he must earn it.

I am sure things will be sorted out

okokomeji:

@ Mecuxxxx or Mekunnu or mekuturu
Get it straight on your thick head, if want presidency, you have to earn. I heard you claimed ibos are the most populous in Nigeria, why can't you win presidency by popular votes, you waiting on rotations?
Say no to rotational presidency, it’s a fraud. If practiced, I bet it would not hold two terms before Nigeria disintegrate. Polemic Ibos, let us remind our selves that there is no royal road to success, you have to earn it. If you want presidency you have to earn it. In 1999 APGA Biafra contested, 2003 APGA Biafra contested and 2007 APGA Biafra contested.
South South got to the dais of presidency, because they earn it, no miracle in the world would resuscitate Yar Adua and Jonathan, still owns presidency as his birthright till 2015. Nothing polemic ibos will do, if you don’t vote for Jonathan coming 2011, all other tribes in Nigeria will have his back. Anyway, we all know that power of incumbent is real.
As an authentic Nigerian with no duplicity like ibos, I will unequivocally say that I don’t care who will be president coming 2015, it could be anybody within Nigeria’s entity. But one thing for sure he must earn it.

LOL. I had already given up on this thread to be honest. Sometimes when you read some posts with thesame reasoning over and over again, and you look at the rubbish going on in Nigeria; you just sigh and walk away. I simply can't believe someone would be so scared of free, fair, open democratic elections in Nigeria, because they are afraid it will never be their turn. The irony is in the armguements being used. "Switzerland does it". Switzerland is not Nigeria. Nigeria has over 200 ethnic groups and the politics will never mature to what we all shout for it to be unless we work with true democracy, that is the foundation for equity. I long for the day when we will have a society that allows the cream to rise to the top, but it seems we never learn. I could make the effort to go more in depth, but I really do believe it would be a wasted effort because people have just already made their mind up that doing "turn by turn" as opposed to entrenching a system which in the long term, will allow the cream to rise to the top; is the way forward.

The point of long term is what I would not bother expantiating on, we all seem to want to build houses on weak foundations. What is the north and what is the south? Who defines what the north and south is? Is it along geographical or ethnic lines? If it is along ethnic lines and people don't want to fight for rotation among the over 250 different ethnic groups (with each getting two terms - so that we can practise the madness well), then at least be courageous enough to admit the arrogance and ethnic chauvinism in it all. Nigeria is not WAZOBIA. It is amazing that we never seem to learn the outcomes of these short term and weak solutions, or have we all forgotten about quota system? Where has that gotten us? Why must we fight for anything that will further stop the very best man from getting the job? The arguement that "every part of the country" (whatever on earth that means) can provide a "best man for the job", is quite weak and insulting to the notion of "best". But again, in Nigeria everything has to be redefined to suit coner coner road. It is like saying a man in Zamfara state getting the top mark of 85% in a nationwide exam is the best the country has to offer, when a man in Abuja actually got 95%. But hey, it is Nigeria so it doesn't have to make sense. I just wish people would at least argue with more sincerity when they try to defend their position. Don't say rotation will seek the best man for the job, say it will seek local champions and that would be more apt. At least have the guts to admit the truth. Don't say it is for everybody to get a shot at the presidency either, just say it is for certain people.

Rotational presidency will always work until 2015 after the north has completed their tenure. By 2015, there will be electoral reform at all levels including in PDP, they(ALWAYS ruling party) will come up with a new constitution abolishing the zoning rule and the IBOs will go to war again. Nigeria scatter scatter! The prophesy from CIA,
Remember you heard it from me first!

Okokomeji

What blatancy. Did the Yoruba earn the position that was practically given to them in 1999-2007, with two of the candidates coming from their end? How has Jonathan or the SS earned the position in 2015, if not for rotational presidency? Igbos may arguably have the highest single ethnic population in Nigeria but how does that help them win election in Nigeria when you need to win 25% from each state to be able to be president? How many Igbo states are there? Solely Igbo votes for an Igbo man cannot make that person a president of Nigeria. The Yoruba did not vote significantly for OBj in 1999, yet he became the president. The Yoruba always voted 100% for Awo, yet he could not become the president. Stop your idiotic rants and put on a thinking cap, for once. Thanks.

psychu:

Rotational presidency will always work until 2015 after the north has completed their tenure. By 2015, there will be electoral reform at all levels including in PDP, they(ALWAYS ruling party) will come up with a new constitution abolishing the zoning rule and the IBOs will go to war again. Nigeria scatter scatter! The prophesy from CIA,
Remember you heard it from me first!

2015 should necessarily not be the time for an Igbo to rule. I think the SS should have it first. My take for RP is not necessarily for an Igbo to be president in the short run (2015) but that the possibility be established that anybody from the over 250 ethnic group which makes up the six different zones will be able to share in leadership at its very peak. The alternative to RP is that one zone will lord it over others perpetually and guess what, people will still come out crying.

mekuszyx:

2015 should necessarily not be the time for an Igbo to rule. I think the SS should have it first. My take for RP is not necessarily for an Igbo to be president in the short run (2015) but that the possibility be established that anybody from the over 250 ethnic group which makes up the six different zones will be able to share in leadership at its very peak. The alternative to RP is that one zone will lord it over others perpetually and guess what, people will still come out crying.

Another reality from a different perspective is that we would finally be able to move away from ethnic politics and focus on the issues when election comes around (development). I don't care if the president comes from the north for the next 100 years, as long as it is the best man for the job that will give the whole nation development, unity, and equity. Just because you see it all through the glasses of ethnicity doesn't mean everybody else does, so please stop trying to speak for everyone. The idea of who the best man for the job is would probably be subjective, but it sure would be refreshing to have debates about who we think the best man for the job is, rather than wether the man is from the predestined ethnic group for the particular time; that way, the cream rises to the top.

It is quite ironic that Nigerians seem to have this obsession with Obama. It is funny and ironic because if Obama was a Nigerian, among the myriads of factors stopping him from rising to power would probably be ethnicity. So we could have all believed he was the best man for the job, but of course if he wasn't from the North West and isn't muslim, then he could as well go peddle his "change" message somewehere else. Yet Nigerians shouting for rotational presidency would open their mouth and shout Obama Obama America. LOL.

Jonathan can context on the platform of another party, before then he must have dissolved the PDP machinery and put his there leave them for another party.
If another person comes from the North, wont he say he would go for second term in 2015? I do not trust this northerner.

Sky Blue:

Another reality from a different perspective is that we would finally be able to move away from ethnic politics and focus on the issues when election comes around (development). I don't care if the president comes from the north for the next 100 years, as long as it is the best man for the job that will give the whole nation development, unity, and equity. Just because you see it all through the glasses of ethnicity doesn't mean everybody else does, so please stop trying to speak for everyone. The idea of who the best man for the job is would probably be subjective, but it sure would be refreshing to have debates about who we think the best man for the job is, rather than wether the man is from the predestined ethnic group for the particular time; that way, the cream rises to the top.

It is quite ironic that Nigerians seem to have this obsession with Obama. It is funny and ironic because if Obama was a Nigerian, among the myriads of factors stopping him from rising to power would probably be ethnicity. So we could have all believed he was the best man for the job, but of course if he wasn't from the North West and isn't muslim, then he could as well go peddle his "change" message somewehere else. Yet Nigerians shouting for rotational presidency would open their mouth and shout Obama Obama America. LOL.

You should be concerned with who leads you when you have cabals that dictate what goes as is the case now. What cabal that is deemed good for the hausa is definitely good also for the Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Calabar, Bini, Fulani, Tiv, etc.

mekuszyx:

You should be concerned with who leads you when you have cabals that dictate what goes as is the case now. What cabal that is deemed good for the hausa is definitely good also for the Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Calabar, Bini, Fulani, Tiv, etc.

?? And what has this got to do with getting the best man for the job?

Sky Blue:

Another reality from a different perspective is that we would finally be able to move away from ethnic politics and focus on the issues when election comes around (development). I don't care if the president comes from the north for the next 100 years, as long as it is the best man for the job that will give the whole nation development, unity, and equity. Just because you see it all through the glasses of ethnicity doesn't mean everybody else does, so please stop trying to speak for everyone. The idea of who the best man for the job is would probably be subjective, but it sure would be refreshing to have debates about who we think the best man for the job is, rather than wether the man is from the predestined ethnic group for the particular time; that way, the cream rises to the top.

It is quite ironic that Nigerians seem to have this obsession with Obama. It is funny and ironic because if Obama was a Nigerian, among the myriads of factors stopping him from rising to power would probably be ethnicity. So we could have all believed he was the best man for the job, but of course if he wasn't from the North West and isn't muslim, then he could as well go peddle his "change" message somewehere else. Yet Nigerians shouting for rotational presidency would open their mouth and shout Obama Obama America. LOL.

Your observation on Obama/Nigeria is on point, while I care less about where Nigeria's president is from, I think the issue is that we have for too long ignored the need to implement the federal part of our national name. I know it will still be troublesome, but if more powers, yes including police can be shifted to the local govts, not even states, only then, I believe, will we be able to achieve a more just, more stable society than we currently have. The influence and power exerted by the office of the president and the national executive is just too much for a society such as ours.

Nigeria is not homogeneous, that was the same fact glossed over by the colonialists, wether you look at it in terms of ethnic culture or values(although I wish it was)it will not become homogeneous in 100 years, but power can cast down to its more homogeneous parts, local govts, cities and maybe states, with greater control over their local resources, while we leave basic monetary, national defence and foreign policy to the national government. This will make that office less attractive and hopefully give regular citizens greater access to their leaders. I believe this will improve accountability, provide better checks and balances, and provide some profitable internal competition, it is not fail proof, but it will be a good start.

Kilode?!:



Your observation on Obama/Nigeria is on point, while I care less about where Nigeria's president is from, I think the issue is that we have for too long ignored the need to implement the federal part of our national name. I know it will still be troublesome, but if more powers, yes including police can be shifted to the local govts, not even states, only then, I believe, will we be able to achieve a more just, more stable society than we currently have. The influence and power exerted by the office of the president and the national executive is just too much for a society such as ours.

Nigeria is not homogeneous, that was the same fact glossed over by the colonialists, wether you look at it in terms of ethnic culture or values(although I wish it was)it will not become homogeneous in 100 years, but power can cast down to its more homogeneous parts, local govts, cities and maybe states, with greater control over their local resources, while we leave basic monetary, national defence and foreign policy to the national government. This will make that office less attractive and hopefully give regular citizens greater access to their leaders. I believe this will improve accountability, provide better checks and balances, and provide some profitable internal competition, it is not fail proof, but it will be a good start.

I completely agree with the bolded part and do believe a key to diffusing all the tension is serious decentralisation of power. Abuja is simply too imposing and powerful, overbearing on almost every aspect of a diverse and truely multicultural country such as Nigeria, States can't even generate power for their own consumption, can't recruit their own police force to suit their needs. Decentralisation would also empower people to take control of their own development and would make government more closer to the grassroots and more in tune with the citizenry.

I don't see what this has directly got to do with having a truely democratic electoral process though.