Dear Papa Obasanjo,

It is with great reverence and awe that i write you this letter.
Ever since you came into power Baba, i have noted with great pride your indefatigable tirelessness in getting our dear kwantiri to her eldorado. Baba, you are the only president who does not sleep neither do you slumber, infact you are at work 24 hrs of the day just to get the ship of our "nascent" democracy on course. When all hope was lost, when the ship of our dear kwantiri was drifting aimlessly in the wind, God sent you to us straight from Yola prisons and like the Messaiah that was promised, you set our feet on the path to "recovery". I recall with "pride" that you spent more time in foreign lands than your own bed Baba. Of course your "enemies" did not see anything good in your "good" gesture. They hollered and shouted that you travelled to 50 countries in one single year. I do not blame them, they were being shortsighted. See what your efforts have brought us. We have been able to pay our creditors even though our pensioners and policemen are going hungry, it does not matter Baba, like Umaru Dikko, i am yet to see any of them eating from the dustbin.

Baba, your enemies have ganged up again! They claim you have not delivered your promised dividends of democracy. They are the ones that have eyes but cannot see. Can't they see how you delivered GSM to us? Have they not seen the latest economic indices by the Federal "Ojoro" of Statistics? Is it not because of your policies that we have stronger banks today?
Ah Baba! Is it only me that saw how you transformed 'Never Expect Power Always' to Power With-Holding Corporation of Nigeria? Baba your enemies say our skies are the most unsafe in the world, i beg to disagree sir! They should try the Iraqi air space! Are they not seeing how your "Bureau of Private Enrichment" has sold all our public companies to the best "local investors"?
Baba, how can i tell them of the wonders of the Economic and 'Baba'cious crimes commision? Your boy, Nuhu, has virtually sent everyone scampering with their tails between their legs. Infact corruption has been wiped out completely from our land.

Sir, last week some ungrateful journalists were wondering why your boys were holding public hearings on constitutional wuruwuru while religious riots racked the nation. They do not see beyond their noses, which is more important? The tenure of our Baba or the life of some 'religious hoodlums'?

Baba, i want to complain that some people do not realise that Nigeria will collapse without you. They do not see that you are the best thing to happen to our country. Why must we allow you to go in 2007 when you still have years of "good" governance to deliver? Ok, i ask them, who do they think can fill the shoes of our Baba? Oya, tell me!
All the youths of this nation earnestly ask for Baba forever. You who believe in God, how can we tell you to leave when you are yet to fulfill the destiny that "God" gave to you?
Baba, you have turned our nation of lepers to Obasanjo Holdings, it is no wonder that our economy is "improving", more children are going to school, standard of living is higher, roads have been fixed, water flows constantly and we are celebrating 6 yrs of uninterrupted 'poor' supply. Policemen are happier under you, infact they wanted to go on a solidarity strike in so as to force you to run for a third term.
Baba, we do not care for your enemies. It is they who do not see the "Hand of God" on your government.

Let it be known that we who "love" our nation are calling on you Baba, to heed the voice of God and lead our nation forever. Long may you reign Baba. Let the crown stay long, let your feet never leave Aso Villa.
May you never die, for without you our great kwantiri will know no peace!

Baba, just to remind you sir, pls don't forget my own #100million.

The curtain will today be drawn on this year's Winter Olympic games in far Torino, Italy. Apart from being my first ever chance of watching winter sports, it will also be the first time i realised there was a parallel olympic games besides the much more popular summer olympic games. Much as i want to, i realise it would be wrong to agree with the Bryant Gumbel notion that the winter olympics reminded one of a GOP convention and the athletes involved weren't great either. Would we say the Pittsburg steelers football players weren't great simply because football is played perhaps only in the USA?
One of the many puzzles of Torino remains the question of what actually constitutes a "sport" and what does not. If Ice dancing is to be regarded as a sport, why don't we have ballet dancing at the summer olympics? Does the "ice" make dancing any special from what it is?
What actually is figure skating and why on earth do we have it as a sport? For one the sport is based entirely on the judges perception of what constitutes a good score, leaving the individual at the mercy of the judges discretion and sometimes prejudice. American Sasha Cohen despite falling twice in the long program still went on to win the silver medal, how that happened no one will ever know.
Torino was not without it's sweet moments. The bittersweet rivalry between Korea's Ahn Hyun-Soo and Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States was a sight to behold with Ahn Hyun-Soo proving too good for Apolo, the sight of an elated Apolo winning the gold in the 500m short skating event would be remembered for long.
Torino also came with it's superflops. Winning no medal and claiming he only came to Torino to party, American Bode Miller showed he did not deserve to be mentioned in the league of elite winter olympians.
Lindsay Jacobelis showed us a prime example of counting our chickens before they are hatched. With only a few seconds to what would have been a sure gold medal in the womens snowboarding event, the American decided to showboat and ended up picking up a silver medal. In the years to come, many of us will be reminded of the Jacobelis example.

What would have been a memorable competition was however marred by the much publicised row between American gold medallists Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis. Their internecine war on ice probably got more media attention than the entire games itself and NBC cleverly played it up to shore up the falling ratings. Their post race conference after the 1500m speed skating event would rival many for the spot of the most entertaining and the most childish ever between two adults.
While Shani would do well to employ a good PR specialist and drop his "me against the world attitude", Chad Hedrick would need to pick up some "Joey Cheek" points by being more of a team captain than a brash, arrogant and loud mouthed texan.

Joey Cheek despite refusing to be a part of the USA team pursuit (a crime Shani Davis is being maligned for), remains a darling with the public for donating $30,000 of his winnings to charity, a deed that sparked over $300,000 worth of donations in two weeks from other athletes.

Over all an average tournament that struggled for first page attention in the media save for the titillating controversies that dogged it throughout. Not forgetting the Austrian drug scandal that has left one coach in jail. After two weeks of frosty nerves, we can return to our regular line up of NBC night programs and once more winter sports returns to the brief two line space buried under tons of lies and subterfuge by the Bush administration. Once more we can enjoy tales about those who mistake their friends for quails.

English language as we know it has over time morphed into the most widely spoken of all languages and the most popular by all standards. Yet it is agreed that each groups of people have slowly evolved their own style of the English language. It is easy to tell a Southern American from someone from the North by his style of the language. Dictionaries are wont to make distinctions between American, traditional English and sometimes Australian meanings of certain words.

Have you noticed that even Nigeria now has her own unique brand of the English language? From the Yorubanglish, spoken by native yorubas who spice their English with a rich repertoire of yoruba words to the nna English of the Igbo, the now widely accepted pidgin English pioneered by the "waffi" to the familiar "maiguardi" hausanglish.

Ride in typical naija english refers to a car (especially a dashing one), 'wetin dey happen' is a common way of saying 'what is happening'?
While the word 'wash' might mean several things to an Englishman, it might mean a celebration to a typical naijaman.
Bus stop does not necessarily refer to a designated bus terminus and might mean any place a bus stops.
Lagos by air - Road trip to Lagos at breakneck speed.
'Maintain' means relax, 'bros' refers to a male pal and 'chops' refers to any type of meal.
'Wetin you yarn?' - what did you say?
'No follow me yarn opata' - Don't tell me nonsense.
'Baffs' is a popular word that refers to popular designer clothes and even comes with it's adjective, baffed-up refers to a person dressed in the latest designer outfits.
'Go-slow' - traffic holdup, 'kola' - police bribe, 'molue' - large, rickety passenger buses, 'okada' - transport motorcycles.
The hausa are known for their own special brand of English that is heavily tinged with the hausa accent.
'Wipe' - Wife
'Knipe' - Knife
'I go to Lagos?' - Did you go to Lagos?

The NaijaEnglish has become the hottest commodity on the slapstick comedy market. A successful stand-up comedian is one who can speak very fluently in either form of Naijaenglish most especially the hausaenglish which is considered by many to be the funniest.

One of the things i greatly miss about being in a foreign land is being able to converse in one form of the language or the other. When you spend a few months speaking only the "queens" english, you are compelled to reminisce on the "good old naijaenglish" that once was the sole purview of the illiterate but is now gradually becoming a widely accepted form of Nigerian art.

Maybe someone somewhere will be challenged enough to compile a dictionary of the naijaenglish that makes us unique as a people.

Zonal "public hearings" in all the 6 geopolitical zones on the ammendment of the constitution ended yesterday with virtually all political office holders demanding the review of the clause that stipulates only 2 terms of 4 yrs for Baba and his cronies.
Most of the "public hearings" were virtually turned into secret meetings as most opponents of the third term agenda were either locked out or shouted down. Alhaji Sherrif Modu Alli of Borno State, Alhaji Muazu Adamu of Bauchi, and Alhaji Danjuma Goje of Gombe state advocated a third term in their presentations which were not read to the public.
The Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Abba Ibrahim, in his presentation on the first day of the public hearing had suggested that the clause stipulating two terms of four years each that is currently in the constitution should be expunged so that no tenure will be fixed for the President and the governors. Welcome to Uganda and Zimbabwe!
Similarly, the Deputy National Vice Chairman of the PDP North East, Mr. Paul Wanpana, argued in favor of the third term option arguing there was need for continuity and sustainability of the country’s democracy.
It is sad that virtually all (s)elected political office holders who swore to uphold the constitution on whose back they rode into power are now attempting to shift the goalposts at the last minute in order to entrench themselves in power. The popular swansong among most is that "continuity" is necessary to "sustain" the country's democracy. It would be appropriate to ask them how great nations such as the USA have been able to sustain over 200yr old democracies with some presidents staying less than 4 yrs in power. Surely our democracy must be a very different one!
Wanpana argues that the governors have made a case to continue because of their "performance" but that the people should vote them out if they fail in their promises through a democratic process. Pray! Which democratic process is Wanpana talking about? The one that (s)elected Gov. Ngige?
Do bad roads, poor electricity and water supply, 70% poverty level, poor living standards, hostage taking in the nigerdelta, religious riots, an economy wholy dependent on oil exports, rising levels of illiteracy, poor and eratic educational system qualify as "preformance"?
Maybe, just maybe even Alams should campaign to return to power on the back of his "excellent" performance in office!

this indeed are not the best of times for our great country Nigeria.
For the past two weeks the slumbering giant has been limping from one mishap to the other.
Baba is gearing up to make nonsense of our infantile constitution by attempting to hoodwink us into giving him a hat-trick presidency. He does not respect the law and as for those of us that do not believe in God ... Fani Kayode will be there to abuse us.
Some mysterious birds flew into Sambawa farms and is threatening to run those in the chicken business aground. Ask TFC and Mr. Biggs.
Some individuals whose lives are clearly not on the MEND were said to have blown up oil pipelines, destroyed boathouses and kidnapped 9 more foreign oilworkers.
Next some cheeky cartoonist in farwaway Denmark signed the death warrants of 58 christian souls with his portrayal of some prophet.
Of late, cattle rearers in Delta, Abia and Anambra states are fleeing for their lives after cudgel weilding youths killed 5 muslims and burnt down two mosques in retaliation for last week's attacks on christians in the north.

Still our politrickcians tell us that all is well, we know better!

This morning my landlord's cat was seriously annoyed with me...

Where do you put men who kill their fellow men for the sake of a religious cartoon?

What would you call those who murdered 16 Southerners in Maiduguri and Katsina over the Danish cartoon saga?

Where do you put those who behead southern christians in the name of a prophet or a god?

Where do you put those who publicly flog fellow humans for consensual sex between two adults?

Where do you put those who cut the hands of a cattle thief and hail those who raped the nation?

Where do you put "honorable" members of a state of assembly who have turned burning of national flags into a favorite pasttime?

How do you classify senators who veto a child rights bill because it prevents them from marrying 10 year old girls?

Now i know why the cat was angry with me. He feels i insulted his sensibilities by equating those set of individuals to him by calling them animals. I agree with him, with his superior intelligence, he does not deserve to be classified along with those other beasts of no nation.

Methinks it is time we had a large human zoo, these beasts belong there!

When Chad Hedrick was asked about Shani Davies and his decision to skip the team pursuit at the 2006 winter olympics, Chad replied;
"this Shani thing is really getting on my nerves right now because I'm the one with the gold medal and we're sitting here talking about him not practicing with us and not doing this and not doing that. We should be talking about other people," Hedrick said, mentioning U.S. teammate and 500 gold medalist Joey Cheek. "We should be talking about Joey and I, because we've already been standing up there on the podium"
When asked what he had to say when Shani Davies won the 1000m in the men's speed skating event, Chad Hedrick replied;
"i am happy for Joey Cheek".

It is easy to see why Chad is angry with Shani. Shani's decision not to be a part of the US team pursuit has cost Chad an opportunity to go into the history books as the first man to win 5 gold medals at the olympic games. Chad blames Shani for being unpatriotic and only being in Torino for his own selfish ends. He claims Shani chose to boycott the team pursuit in order to concentrate for the 1000m speed skating event which he eventually won.

Pray! Is Shani's gold medal at the 1000m event not going to be included in the US olympic team haul? Was Chad being more patriotic by insisting Shani race an event he was only told about a week before so they could both wave the american flag on the podium together? Today Carl Lewis is hailed as the legend who won 9 olympic gold medals, few remember he is from America and only the record keepers will ever remember those who were part of the relay teams that made him a part of our history today.

We will remain proud of a man who has broken all barriers to become the first black man in history to win an individual event at the winter olympics.
Let the likes of Chad Hedrick remember that when the history of this games are retold, countries will be forgotten but those that will be remembered will be those who won medals and broke records.

Northern Nigerian muslims have done it again! Once more they have taken the fight of God to his "enemies", they have joined the armed forces of the prophet and shed the blood of "infidels"
While the danish cartoonist may be probably taking a nap right now, 15 non-danish nigerian christians in the shanty town of Maiduguri are paying the price for excercising his right to freedom of speech.
The rioters have assumed that since the danish cartoonist is not a muslim then he must be a christian, and since he is in far away denmark, poor nigerian christians who probably do not even have a clue where Denmark is on the world map have been made to pay the ultimate price.

When members of the Kano state house of reps open their session by burning the danish flag, it is left to the imagination what the vast majority of illiterate and jobless almajiris would do next.
We saw it coming, it was only a matter of time...

May Allah grant the killers their 72 virgins in paradise...amen!
May the Lord have mercy on those who have for the upteenth time derailed any meaningful progress of our nation by their barbaric and irrational acts.

"the Lord told me this morning that 50 people will be healed of malaria this week..."
"Amen!" mass hysteria.
"i can see three people, yes! three people will get their American visas this week!"
"Amen!!" more mass hysteria.
"your job is on the way! that job at shell, chevron, mobil. the Lord told me to tell you it is on the way..."
"Amen!!!" now clapping in the "Holy Ghost".
"put your hands in your pocket everybody!"
...all hands in the pocket.
"the Lord said that 50 people, no 100 people will give #500 this morning."
...feverish digging into wallets for money meant for junior's school fees.
"the Lord told me that those of you who give more than #500 will recieve your miracle..."
...people waving money meant for the landlord.

"my God is not a poor God ah!" now shaking in the "spirit".

The people rush forward to drop their "seed" offering.

NEXT SUNDAY
Truly the Lord has sent his miracle; the pastor now has a brand new jeep!

The battle for Nigeria's next president is hotting up. The war cry has been sounded, men of "timber and calibre" are stepping up to the challenge. Legislathieves, (dis)honorables and political thieftains are gearing up to the "ardous and self(less)" task of (s)electing Nigeria's next president to captain the ship of our ever nascent demo(crazy).

Once again sit-tightism as a system of government is rearing its ugly head. The president is fast using up his constitutionally allowed second and supposedly final term in office, yet we are debating whether he will quit office or not. While we all wait with bated breaths, Baba has decided to put us in a state of suspension on whether or not he will respect the constitution he swore to protect 7 years ago. His praise singers tell us there would have been no Nigeria without him, we are told of the wonderful "dividends of democracy", we are told of the wonders of GSM and NAFDAC that would have been mere dreams without him.
We are constantly reminded of the goons at EFCC and how much they have stamped out corruption especially in the camp of baba's enemies, they tell us about the phantom economy and how much our lives have improved in the last 6 yrs.
We are reminded that Never Expect Power Always has changed in name to Power (with)Holding Corporation of Nigeria and our standard of living has improved at least in terms of statistical data. We have paid our debts to our creditor nations while our own citizens die daily of unpaid allowances and pensions. Truly, Baba should stay back and complete his "good" work! At seventy we are assured of at least 50 more years of his "meritorious" scolding of errant election riggers.

Then there are the "defenders of democrazy", those in the camp of baba-must-go who have told us Baba must respect the constitution. But whose constitution?
They have not told us how they intend to revamp the economy, they have no blueprint for PHCN, the aviation sector, our poor road network, non-existent rail system and poor social infrastructure. They have not told us their plan to curtail the 70% poverty level, the high rate of illiteracy and high rate of infant and maternal mortality. We do not know if combating corruption is high on their list, we have no clue if education will recieve 25% of budgetary allocations, or if our hospitals will soon have drugs.

Rather all we are hearing is zoning, gentleman's agreement, north vs south, sharing of oil proceeds and other political jargon
While we deplore the newly emerging concept of sit-tightism, we are yet to be enamoured by those jostling to take baba's place. A government that does not have the people as its priority cannot truly be said to be a government of the people and for the people.

and the H5N1 virus finally reached our shores...
and unlike other countries and characteristic of us, we were met unprepared...

our poor chickens are dying, i don't hold out much hope for them. If the government has failed to cater for the welfare of it's citizens, it is unlikely that the chickens would stand any chance against the onslaught of the HIVAIDS of the chicken world.
Like the typical Nigerian, we are bound to be nonchallant about the disease, we would simply fold our arms and wait for the European "experts" to come and solve the problem for us. Afterall "black man never die"!
The mallams are smiling to the banks again, grills are crackling with roast chicken. The innocent, the poor, the ignorant, the stubborn and the stupid will be there in their numbers to share of the bounty that the "almighty" has so graciously provided. I don't blame them, the Europeans have so much to eat and throw away that is why they will cull and bury their own birds.

However there is a darker side to the story, soon the world will be submerged with the Nigerian version of H5N1. They will say the strain is the worst in the world, soon all chicken products from Nigeria will be banned. I can see one of the European "experts" warming up to release the news we had known all along, that H5N1 originated from Africa. Why not? After all HIV and all the world's deadliest diseases are said to have originated from our shores so why should anyone doubt the European "wisemen"!
International airport authorities now have a new excuse to humiliate holders of a green passport, they will tell us to stand aside while they search us for traces of the H5N1.
International airlines will have more reason to continue the practice of spraying their aircraft with insecticide ONLY when africans are onboard.
For the poor students who will be angling to study in the US and the UK, that is just one more addition to the already lengthy list of vaccinations they will be required to have before they will be allowed to step on the shores of the "wisemen".

Soon the whole world will be riveted on our chicken farms, they will try to postulate how the virus got to our shores. Soon the wrangling in government will be about how much to pay the "farmers" back in compensation, we shall hear of misappropration of money meant to fight the virus, the senate and the house of reps will spend yrs debating how much oil money should be voted to the scourge and the European "wisemen" will stay there telling us how "weak and unprepared" we are at fighting a disease they sent to us in the first place.

And the chickens? I can hear them singing "Till we meet...till we meet...till we meet at the masters feet..."

I see most of the islamic sentiments in the middle east as nothing but a sham. While Islamic facsists froth at the mouth over the danish cartoons, millions of them are struggling to emigrate to these same EUROPEAN countries whose flags they are burning. While Osama Bn Laden is busing threatening Europe and America, his nieces, nephews, children, brothers and sisters enjoy cosy lifestyles in the same America and Europe!What are the muslims doing in Denmark? If they are not comfortable about the level of freedom of the press there, let them return to their own countries and stop reading Western publications.

How many muslims against the Danish publications will leave Denmark in demonstration of their disgust? No! They enjoy the freedom of the press the western world provides and then turn around to burn their flags.

I think the whole western world has bent over backwards to the Arabs for too long, it is time they where told they can ABSOLUTELY NO LONGER HOLD THE WHOLE WORLD TO RANSOM ANYMORE! They have made the world very unsafe for other innocent individuals.

Imagine Sheikhs and Imams denouncing western values and yet living in western countries. What a contradiction!!!
Let them take their wives and children and go and live in their enclaves in the middle east and leave the rest of the world alone!

Super Eagles, wingless eagles
visionless eagles!
Eagles without a purpose and a plan.
Eagles without a leader,
a rudderless plane
a reed shaken with the wind

Eagles, more like chickens
Super chickens!
trampled by the elephants
mauled by the lions
scared by hawks,
scarred by the stars.

Ah! Super chickens
thy wings have been clipped
your stars dimmed
and your sun burned out
like a candle in the wind you glowed,
giving us a glimmer of hope
that you would lift your wings and soar
but alas, like the chicken that you were
you fled before the elephants
with your wiggly tails between your legs

Ah! super chickens
how are the mighty fallen
you whom the others dreaded
you who set your nest among the stars
you whose call,struck fear in the hearts of the lions

Ah, Super chickens
you struggled to dim the stars
you escaped the scare of the warriors
by the skin of your toothless beaks
you escaped the lair of the lions
and caged the carthage eagles

Ah super chickens,
trampled by the elephants
your sun has set,
your stars dimmed
the cocks are crowing,
the hens are cooing,
it is time to roost
bye bye super chickens
we shall remember thee
as the super eagles,
who once ruled the skies

8 months and counting in America!
Here there are no kids going to school in tattered uniforms and without shoes, no one uses firewood, there are no long queues for gas/petrol (whichever you are used to).
There are no rowdy bus stops, no one is yelling at the next person, no area boys throwing punches at each other. There are no potholes on the streets, no metal contraptions pretending to be cars without valid MOTs’ on the streets, ah! I like it!
Every one is polite to each other, sales clerks serve with utmost courteousness, people queue at the malls rather than shove each other, there are no policemen to harass you and demand for your “patikolas”. Ah! I like it!
People obey the law, here street lights function, there are no “go-slows”, no thieves and street urchins. Here children do not hawk fruits all over the city, they are at home playing video games. Ah! I like it!

But I still miss home! I miss the sense of love and camaraderie that exists between the typical naija, here it is everyman for himself and all for God. I miss the barber shop down the street, I miss the organized chaos that is in itself a part of our normal life. I miss the mallam from Sokoto and his fine brand of suya, I miss having eko and moinmoin in the evening, there is no fresh fish for sale here, no amala or pounded yam, oha soup is now a thing of history.
I miss going to watch the soccer matches with my friends, i miss the occasional stupid things we’d do together, I miss the yabs, the slangs, the jokes.
I even miss church! There is no “shouting in the Holy Ghost” here, clapping is a luxury and dancing is even frowned upon in some “proper” churches.
I miss the shouts of “up NEPA”, I miss dad’s occasional complaints about having to drive miles each day in search of drinking water. I miss hitching a ride in a taxi where the driver or another passenger spends the time blaming everyone but himself for his economic woes.

Worst of all, I miss the warmth, joy and care that shines through the eyes of men and women, boys and girls, old and young who though do not have much in economic terms but willingly share the most precious gift of all; the gift of love!

In one sheer moment of bravery and skill, Nigeria's number one goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama showed why he still remains numero uno in goal two years after he first donned that shirt as a green horn.

Vincent "Vintastic" Enyeama saved 4 penalties to shut his critics (yours sincerely included) up for good!

Thanks to him, allez le eagles! We are thru to the semi finals!

Sorry, can i speak with you for a moment?
What is it?
Why do Nigerians answer a question with a question?
Who told you?
Are you a Nigerian?
Are you asking me?
Why can't i ask you?
What do i look like?
Not every black is Nigerian?
Is every Nigerian black?
Doesn't your name sound Nigerian?
Do you know my name?

Why do you answer a question with a question?
Did i answer with a question?
Is that not a question?
Are you sure?
Is it true all Nigerians are like that?
Like what?
Answering a question with a question?
Did you ask one?

Why do you answer my question with a question?
What was your question?

Top ten signs your country is in a quagmire is;


1. when African countries like South Africa impose stringent visa restrictions on Nigerians and Cameroon begins to deport Nigerians.
2. When in the twenty-first century, provision of good roads, potable water and electricity are being promoted as dividends of democracy.
3. when the senate president acquires a car that even the president of the producing country cannot boast of owning in his lifetime.
4. When Niger has THREE functioning runways and we have NONE!
5. when sovereign immunity becomes a smokescreen for financial crime.
6. When the functions of political rulers involves only the award of contracts.
7. when the president threatens to hand-over the aviation industry to expatriates.
8. when your state governors have arrest warrants hanging over their heads in foreign countries.
9. When a state governor forges travel documents to escape justice in a foreign country
10. When ordinary citizens (yours sincerely included) are ashamed to be recognized as Nigerians!

Nigerian politrickcians!

Politricks without ideology! Why did Some groups decide to leave the PDP and form the MDD? Is it really a "movement for the defence of democracy" or as Danladi Wuyep, special assistant to the former PDP chairman, called it; "an arrogant display of democratic rascality”?

Nigerian politrickcians have over the years introduced the canker of politricks without ideology. A good barometer will be to watch the charade called the presidential debate prior to the 1999 and 2003 presidential elections. What quality of debate did Pres. Obasanjo offer us? The only semblance of ideology in the 2003 electioneering debate was from Pas. Chris Okotie and he did not even get more than 1% of votes cast despite being the most articulate of the aspirants.
Nigerian politics has degenerated to the level of key political offices being reduced to the "principles" of federal character and the ubiquitous zoning formula. The north and south are presently up in arms on who rules the nation come 2007. However none of the two groups has given us a valid reason for their wanting to rule the nation, all we hear is "it is my turn", "zoning is north to south", "no! it is 6 geopolitical zones", "we deserve it", "you have ruled for too long", "we produce the oil" and all other garbage being forced on us.

The recent mass movement of "defenders of democracy" from the PDP to the MDD is a clear case study. Where were these set of people when Tony Anenih misappropriated over N300bn meant for the transport ministry? Why are they now crying over a non-functional railway system after a N100bn lifeline from the federal Govt? Can the likes of Chief Tom Ikimi be classified as "democracy defenders"? Why has Chief Audu Ogbe suddenly realised that the PDP poses a great danger to democracy after a few years in the saddle as PDP chairman? Shouldn't Gambo Jimeta be in jail alongside former IGP Balogun? How can the likes of Jim Nwobodo be fighting for genuine democracy?

According to Chief Audu Ogbeh in his letter of resignation from the PDP, “Since our views on democracy and governance no longer coincide, we cannot continue to co-habit under the same umbrella", it will be interesting to know what Chief Ogbeh's views on democracy really are beyond the war against a third term for Pres. Obasanjo.