Date Published: 10/16/09

Dear Editor,

What manner of endorsements for politicians

Politicians are almost the same everywhere in Nigeria. Once in power and with further opportunity of staying on, they do everything possible to get their desires. The spates of endorsement going on here and there the States for political office holders require mentions.

We have got some governors who say that their primary attention remain their desire to continue giving ‘democratic dividends’ to their citizens, while at the same time they subtly scheme continuity endorsements. There are some that obtain endorsements by intimidation and inducement; some drum up their ‘attained’ performances.

In Anambra for instance, Governor Peter Obi has continued to flaunt ‘achievements’ and behaves a media-tiger; seems now to have gotten relief and endorsement from both factions of APGA, under an arrangement that is not yet clear to many. This is in spite of the glaringly caught-in-action N255million in 3 suitcases. In Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has gotten endorsements from some quarters including the State House of Assembly. The House of Assembly preferred avoiding investigating dubious realities committed by the former Governor Ibori (cousin to Uduaghan), which the Chairman of Delta Elders Forum, Chief Tosawunmi, has just decried in The Nation newspaper of October 12, 2009. There are many angles used by various sitting governors regarding endorsements, but the damning is by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. He noticeably employed some kind of inducements and intimidations; the latest being by the Ibibio Elders Forum. The Ntisong Ibibio II HRH Umoren who spoke the mind of the majority Ibibio by earlier (boldly) decrying the planned ‘Ibibio endorsement’ of Akpabio; he had earlier written a widely publicized letter against the plan but he was intimidated to be present at the same occasion. The event took place Saturday October 10, 2009 at the Ibibio open ground called Esan, in Uyo.

Good products as in Lagos and few other States do not need much advertisement the way most governors are going about these endorsements, for continuity. It is a common knowledge that what is driving those actions is simply the peck of the office and the noticeable looting of their various state treasuries.  

Dr (Engr.) Tunde Abayomi, Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos.