If I know Nigerians they will fill the papers with who and what rumours over the choice of VP for the next two weeks. Before all is said and done the squirrel and the bushrat would have had a say in who should and should not be VP.

Here is my advice, choose quickly, follow your own gut - all others are dribblers with eyes on 2011, then move on to electricity, petroleum, electoral reform, etc.

It will be disappointing if we allow the papers to fill their columns with the intrigues of Presd. Yar'adua's death and the choice of a VP.

Take back the national conversation and focus its beam firmly on progress between here and 2011.

A silent probe of the misadventures of the last 6 months of Yar'adua's life to look at the functioning (disfunctioning) of the state apparatus would be in order.

I would also leave the Presidential Villa unoccupied if that was possible - renovation in preparation for the next President in 2001 is a good excuse.