Date Published: 01/27/10

Well Done Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali

 I want to thank Muideen Olaniyi of Daily Trust Newspaper of 24th January 2010 (Online edition) news report on the PDP secretary; Prof Ahmed Rufai’s response on the comments of General Obasanjo.
http://www.news.dailytrust. com/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=13121: pdp-tackles-former- presidentobasanjo-is- ridiculous&catid=46:lead- stories&Itemid=140
My happiness is two-fold: 1. Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali has spoken well and the minds of many Nigerians, especially those in power and PDP and of course the elders. 2. Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali as PDP scribe before coming out with this statement must have met with few others in the party before coming out with this position. My happiness about this is that the arrogant veil of imposition of candidate, dictatorship, ballot snatching/stealing, impunity, abuse of democratic process, branding every genuine expression of concern by well meaning Nigerians as "failed and frustrated politician" and ALL the devilish things Obasanjo, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali and your PDP have brought on Nigerians is being unveiled EVEN to you ONLY NOW.

I’m rather surprised that we have not heard of the “Family Affair” thing here today. We the common masses saw, are seeing and will continue to see what ALL of you in PDP did not see long ago, are not seeing and will not see because you people are endowed with the uncommon attributes I listed above that you utilize so well. Our voices can never be heard on the government radios or TVs. Where we are granted interviews to state the true position of things as it affects us as common men, it is edited out. Only what you, PDP and Obasanjo say is heard. We are grateful to online media houses who state our case the way it is even though you people may never read them or take them seriously if you do. Unfortunately this veil that seems to be removed from your eyes and make you speak as other very concerned Nigerians are speaking is not because you people now want the right things done-it is because Yar’adua, a PDP man is attacked in the public by the man who put him there.

Will you deny that Obasanjo installed Yar’adu with your active collaboration as party man/supporter? Did you listen to voice of reason then that there was need for internal democracy? Do you have internal democracy in PDP to deepen the electoral process? Is it not in PDP the politics of personality that all members’ voice is muzzled up for fear of wielding the big stick? Because of these, what you get in return in your PDP are “Yes-Sir” men who cannot push through their ideology nor have any opinion of their own. That is the PDP we all know in Nigeria and ANYTHING coming out from any of your members CAN NEVER be a surprise because EVERY Nigerian knows what the PDP is- imposition of candidate, dictatorship, ballot snatching/stealing, impunity, abuse of democratic process, branding every genuine expression of concern by well meaning Nigerians as "failed and frustrated politician."

MY ADVICE
As the veil is removed from the PDP and their handlers, you people still have a chance to redeem Nigeria(ns) and your names by avoiding what happened in 2007. It is not a personal thing; it is about Nigeria and the majority of Nigerians popular wish, NOT what PDP and her proponents think. If PDP will rule Nigeria for 60 or even 1000 years, we want the best through a transparent democratic process produced by PDP, (transparent process by its true definition) not by PDP definition or their NWC or NEC or convention). For now, these are absent and they are the very essence and ingredients of democracy.

There is no substitute for truth and honesty. You people can do it. I am writing you these kind words because my Pastor preached yesterday that we should not drive away the glory of God by speaking evil and insulting our leaders but we should pray for you people our leaders. I believe it is right to state our grievances as I have done above for you to take corrections. If not here where else can you and I have common place of intersection to tell you? For people like us we will stick with the party that offers the semblance of due process in its leadership selection.

Lawrence P. Ganchok
ganchok@gmail.com