Thanks @DemolaRewaju for your atticism & clarity on political cum historical facts. Let me clear the air on my position. First, I didn’t strategize for the PDP & have never met the leadership of the party in any regard. I strategized for the future of Nigeria with the President.
It has neither ethno religious coloration nor political partisanship. All I told him before the election came to pass and all we deliberated on happened just as forecasted. He became a winner despite the loss of the election because he meant well for all & value good counsel.
After election I did gave free advices on how the PDP could build back the party in order to avoid having a unitary party system (an advocacy that brought about the creation of the APC Merger- of which I was involved in its strategic birth, when PDP became complacent).
So my involvement is more about balance of our polity in a Nationalistic manner. Thankfully you mentioned that patriotism can be expressed in various forms to include martyrdom, political participation and Advocacy. Glad to have deployed apt strategies on 2 of the 3main vehicles.
And my participation has nothing to do with trying to benefit from the tree I planted for posterity. This is why my focus has been on building the people and breaking the molds of destructive social constructs and concepts that has kept us stuck in the cycle of elect and regret.
Politically Nigeria is not there yet for my kind to be involved. This is not about pride but more for my sanity. The avarice espoused by our leaders across platforms is nauseating to say the least and I also will not play their ethnic games. So to address the issue...
I understand the horse trading and also appreciate the urge to match APC in all their schemes but having beaten the system severally, I will as usual humbly advise that PDP shouldn’t get lost in the old gimmick. Our people have evolved and politicos should stop toying with them.
PDP as a party can not be pretending every 4years to be nationalistic by propping up stooges just to create a feel good effect for Igbos or even the Yorubas. This kind of thinking was what led them to approach Modu Sherrif for Chairmanship thinking they can control him...
...all the folks that hailed that move scampered for safety when all Hell broke lose. My suggestion for a change in strategy was based on critical issues ranging from ending the politics of ethnic extraction and embracing meritocracy & competency as an ideal.
By now it must be clear to bystanders, who only get to decide based on media noise & posters that our Politics in Nigeria has nothing to do with the people but the interest of a few. This too must change. My guy is in power does not good to anyone eventually.
Even if anyone from your village is appointed it’s only to shackle U from thinking about Revolution when they fail. People like me are called to clean the mess when the inevitable happens after leaders refuse to reason along the uncomfortable lines. This path is not sustainable.
If there is anyone I respect the most in theGEJ admin it would be NOI. She is indeed an incredible gift to Nigeria. She delivered simply because she wasn’t involved in the politics & could care less about the political implication of her action. Same way we succeeded with EndSARS
Having seen how things are done at the highest level of power through the years, my conclusion is that Change often come at the expense of Power and Power at the expense of Change. PDP no doubt wants power back but surprisingly are unwilling to do anything differently.
You can’t be politically correct and hope to make a difference. Nothing can be changed unless confronted. You can’t decide much by the amount of votes recorded in any part of the country. Majority of the numbers were cooked up by third columnists with regional agenda.
We have seen what is cooking for 2019. This is not the time to play to the sentiments of any region in my opinion. It is not the time to play ethnic cards which all know is all for the show without roots or depth. We mustn’t create an impression that Igbo people are not involved.
They have always been but how many of our leaders in any part of Nigeria truly represents us as a people? What is the political collateral of Osinbajo in this regime outside quelling fires and appealing to the sentiments of ethnic brigades? Which brings me to the core of my point
Like I told Nnamdi Kanu before he gave in to the noise of the mob, there is no region in Nigeria that has it good. The NE is under fire and the NC cum NW are impoverished beyond your imagination despite their feel good effect of having their tin god in power.
Tinubu is what is represented in the Villa with Osinbajo not the SW. you will understand this with the vivid demonstration of the difference between ownership and possession with the lessons gleaned from Ambode’s unfortunate fall. Atiku is a force & PDP has a clout however waning
...what will make the difference in 2019 is not business as usual but the injection of an ideology. What I suggested was for Atiku/PDP to give Nigerians a reason beyond wanting power back and show us what they hope to do differently outside the rhetorics.
I highlighted the fact that SS and SE will NEVER vote Buhari (if they votes all). Then how do we fix splitter votes with 89 other parties trying their luck? The answer is in the Grand Coalition (political parties coming together to form an alliance based on common ground).
The distraction deployed to weaken southern votes in the past was the creation of more political parties to weaken Chief Obafemi Awolowo and we must recognize this now. The common ground is there however much politicians are yet to take advantage of it. We have done this before.
You are dealing with an opportunist with a credible threat deploying Identity Politics of hate (Populism) just as done in the years of - Ę wet ę (douse it with petrol) when arsonists supporting the government of the day started oppressing & violating political rivals.
So the patterns are clear and such a time, party politics will fail. Playing to the gallery will fail. Ethnic and religious appeal will fail. What will guarantee success is an ideology we all can connect to delving into a promise we can hold unto. Which is...
First: Nigeria be,on GS to all of us and because we all have suffered under an abysmal rule for such a long time even before the worst of all in the past three years, it is time to refocus Nigeria and bring it back to the path of Growth. Already, this is Atiku’s message...
...there are however many questions as to why a man like Atiku is seeking power when he can express leadership from where he is. This also can be easily navigated by showing how much he ahas shown leadership from his investment in Nigeria and the jobs he has created.
Whether we choose to admit it or not there are two major battles in our hands. The SW is no doubt a battle ground (Lagos especially) and the earlier this is declared the better. Tinubu can not fight for Lagos and fight for central on the promise of 2023 which is all about self.
He’ll most definitely have to let go of one especially when dealing with a rooted ideology that is changing the minds of the people & healing them from the hypnosis. Compentecy over Sentiments is a good place to start & to bring that battle home, I suggested a SW VP- not a stooge
Atiku’s articulation of his personal manifesto and rationale would be key here. Beginning with his definition of leadership which must be able to clearly create a platform where identified competencies and capabilities can interplay undeterred. This way it is about deliverables.
We must also mind the lessons from the “Bay Of Pigs” (a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA). It shouldn’t be about the optics (all stars, what looks pretty etc) that will only massage the egos and create unrealistic expectations. Focus on uprooting the scourge
The scourge here is a dangerous political ideology of identity politics of hate that is unashamed to commit electoral fraud and tell Nigerians to head to court. They have weakened our institutions suing the same ethnic & partisan weapon. We must not become the demons we Battle.
Atiku is very much experienced in political strategy which explains his being of the very few who has maintained a huge tested political machinery over the years. He can work out a deal which includes being a one term all inclusive President with a sustainable legacy.
He must show that he would comply with the prayers and wishes of the consensus not just PDP. The truth is PDP alone can not deliver the election for Atiku. He must do what he has never done before by reaching out across board and win trust then form a pact.
This pact becomes a new national identity for the emancipation of Nigeria and Nigerians from dangerous Populism threatening to abort us from the womb of Democracy. If we all across regions can see a new Nigeria from his manifesto and conviction, it won’t matter who he made his VP
The SE no doubt have been at the receiving end of the wrath of the current Regime even beyond the General evil meted out to other citizens. The El Zakzaky people also on the religious end. Nothing can compensate for this than ensuring we kill politics of ethnic extraction.
I no doubt appreciate all that Diagi Demola said but those calculations will not hold water now. This is far more than PDP/APC battle with pockets of spoilers who will bleed votes and cause us all more pain with another 4years of the aberration. It is time to think differently.
The messaging must never be about compensating a tribe or region with position. This will only show we haven’t learnt much from 1960 rivalvary between southern and Northern political forces in our contrived unity fiasco. I believe there are better ways to show true nationality.
We must stop seeing the choice of VP as a compensation for any region. This is why occupant of such offices or appointments see themselves as ethnic brigades other than coming to serve the generality and making a name for their region with their competence & capability.
By now we should be tired of seeing stooges in sensitive offices who are moribund despite their qualifications and achievement outside government. An NOI must never be relegated to a ceremonial position when she can direct affairs in her area of proven competence.
Education is suffering now under a professor of law in the position of the VP. He is a SAN but look at the dereliction of the Criminal Justice System with the Judiciary contributing to the aberration on the daily. So you see, for Nigeria to work old models must be jettisoned. 
Recall that those of us that worked on the EndSARS Advocacy didn’t have to contest elections, get an appointment or join the police. We also didn’t have to consider ethnic extraction in our engagement or political affiliation. What brought us together was a clear vision.
The benefit also was for all not a compensation for ethnic nationality. It was a win win for all even for the Police. The model worked under a populist government that demonizes anything that doesn’t originate from their coven. So the template can be deployed for the good of all.
The only reason I suggested a SW VP is not to spite the SE or disincentivize any region but for strategic purpose of redefining the rules of engagement in a battle ground state. The policy paper of the candidate or party can make necessary adjustments to make it up to the SE.
National Integration far surpasses the whole or half of nothing if election is lost. We are yet to wean the people from sentiments and hypnosis of 2015 and the ethnic tussle of VP position need not be a subject of heated debate if we know what matters. The SE is an engine room.
In my dialogue, I’ve never mentioned anyone as a worthy recipient of the charge. This can be anyone that emerges from the nomination of the coalition. Nothing gets as inclusive as this void of picking a party loyalist when we have a huge battle ahead that could decimate the party
Let me reiterate. The election will either be Bought, Stolen or Won. To win this there must be a worthy coalition that gives all Nigerians a stake based on a clearly defined common ground void of ethnic or religious bigotry. Give Nigerians a reason to hope again without trickery.
My SW- VP strategic suggestion should not be deemed a support for the surreptitious push for a Fayose candidacy. If he is the only option here, then @NOIweala should be picked in the stead. Fayose can not be said to be fighting for national interest but for political survival.
