NIPR DECRIES PROLIFERATION OF UNREGISTERED PR PRACTITIONERS, CALLS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF EXTANT LAWS

NIPR DECRIES PROLIFERATION OF  UNREGISTERED PR PRACTITIONERS, CALLS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF EXTANT LAWS

By Emma Asie (MNIPR)

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Anambra state chapter, has decried the proliferation and appointment of unregistered Public Relation practitioners in public and private institutions in the country. 

Speaking on the topic "Understanding The Regulatory Environment Governing NIPR, an Exposition on Chapter  Administration"  during it's  monthly summit held on September 29th at Nobles Hotels Awka, the keynote speaker Dr Wilson Ogonnia Anunike stressed that public relations is a noble profession and hence the need to refresh members of the state chapter  on the extant laws guiding the practice and the need for adherence. He bemoaned the fact that in both public and private institutions, individuals not registered with the institute, are given the very sensitive role of public relations management. He called on the institute and the chapter specifically, to take up the challenge of sensitizing relevant authorities on the need to appoint or employ  only trained and registered public relations personnel. 

The speaker also dwelled on the financial relationship between the state and national bodies , the expected conduct of members as professionals and the need for advocacy visits and consultations to ensure compliance to NIPR rules. 

Responding to some questions posed by members, a council member Rev Fr Prof Obiefuna lamented that he had, on behalf of the chapter,  made spirited but failed attempts to visit the governor in order to present this issue to him. He however urged the chapter and the institute generally not to relent but continue the sensitization and advocacy.

The high point of the day was the presentation of chapter and Membership forms to Dr Christian Aburime, the Chief Press Secretary  to the Anambra state governor Prof Charles Soludo. Dr Aburime in his acceptance speech, identified fully with the chapter and promised to help the chapter meet with the governor and other government officials whenever the need arises. 

The monthly summit also featured the recognition of six members of the chapter who were recently made Fellows of the Institute at the annual national summit held recently in Abuja. The new Fellows led by former Anambra state commissioner for Education Prof Kate Omenugha, expressed their joy at the investiture and promised to work more for the progress of the state chapter.

The meeting also featured the celebration of the birthday of some members , cutting of birthday  cakes and some entertainment including dancing. 

Speaking after the meeting, the chairperson of the state chapter Prof Mrs Angela Nwammuo wished the celebrants a happy birthday and called on all Public Relation practitioners in both public and private institutions in the state to identify and register with the state chapter just as the Chief Press Secretary to the governor  did.

Emmanuel Asiegbunam MNipr writes from the Anambra state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)

PDP'S CRISES - X-RAYING GOV WIKE S ALLEGATIONS OF INJUSTICE

*PDP'S CRISES- X-RAYING GOV WIKE S ALLEGATIONS OF INJUSTICE*

Written by 

Hon Emma Asie (Mr E). 

Background- 

No doubt the biggest story in town now as far as  the PDP is concerned is the ongoing and apparently irreconcilable rift between two major power blocs in the party  aptly named the Abubakar Atiku faction and the Gov Wike s faction. Both men contested the May 2022 primaries of the party and emerged first and second positions respectively. Ever since then, the once united and acclaimed biggest party in Africa has not known peace. It even worsened with the choice of Gov Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state as the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar other than Gov Wike himself. It got to a climax a few days ago when the Gov Wike s group announced it's withdrawal from the presidential Campaign Council of which one of it's members was named as National Vice chairman. The grouse of the group is that the party National chairman Sen Iyorchia Ayu must resign for a southern candidate before they can be part of the campaign.

In this piece, we are going to look at the PLAYERS, their POSITIONS,  POINTS to PONDER and the POSSIBLE OUTCOMES . 

The PLAYERS

Gov Wike s Group

1. Gov Wike of Rivers state- group leader, spokesman and financier who contested and lost the presidential primaries to Atiku Abubakar.  

2. Gov Seyi Makinde of Oyo state

3. Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue state (no longer as active as before)

4. Gov Ikpeazu of Abia state (no longer as active as before)

5. Chief Olabode George elder statesman and former national Vice President of the party

6. Ayodele  Fayose (former Ekiti state gov)

7. Olusegun Mimiko (former Ondo state gov)

8. Jonah Jang ( former gov of Plateau state)

9. Donald Duke (former Cross River State Gov)

10. Austin Nwuche (former House of Reps Deputy Speaker)

11. Mohammed Adoke (former Attorney General of the federation)

12. Jerry Gana (former minister of information)

13. Dan Orbih (current National Vice Chairman of PDP for south south)

And a host of others.

ATIKU  FACTION

1. Alh Atiku Abubakar (former VP and current Presidential candidate of the party)

2. Sen Iyorchia Ayu - PDP national chairman whose comments after the presidential primaries (called Gov Tambuwal the hero of the convention) is causing the current crises. 

3.  Gov Aminu Tambuwal- Sokoto state governor who stepped down for Atiku at the party primaries thus ensuring his eventual victory. He is currently named as the DG of the campaign council.

4. The NWC of the party which went against Gov Wike s group and announced a vote of confidence on the embattled national chairman

5. The other Governors of the party 

6. Dele Momodu and other presidential aspirants who do not support Gov Wike. 

THEIR POSITIONS

GOV WIKE S GROUP

1. Resignation of Sen Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman in the name of justice and equity. The group claims that with Atiku s emergence as party s flag bearer, all major positions in the party are now in the north. Hence the need for balance by having Sen Ayu resign and make way for a southern candidate to emerge as party chairman. (Definitely a member of Gov Wike s group, maybe  Fayose or Olabode George).

2. Signed Undertaking by Atiku to do only one tenure if eventually elected as Nigeria President in 2023

3. Undertaking that Gov Wike s group will produce the Senate President and /or Speaker House of Reps in Atiku s government

4. Undertaking that Gov Wike s group  be given prominent roles in the presidential campaign team. 

5. Undertaking that members of Gov Wike s group be given juicy ministerial slots and other key appointments in Atiku s government.

ATIKU'S  FACTION

1. Refused the resignation of the national chairman based on

a). The party chairman was constitutionally elected for a given tenure and can only be removed before the tenure expiration  by the NWC if there are proven cases of gross misconduct on his part. There are no such reports now

b). The timing is improper  and risky with barely 5 months to a national election. Removing a national chairman at this time may destabilize the party

c). The resignation is purely a personal choice of the national chairman and he could not be forced to resign against his wish except for nos (a) above. He may however decide on his own to resign anytime if he wants

d) For balance  and zoning sake, the party chairman as a northerner will only be prevailed upon  to resign if and when the party wins the presidential election so as to make way for a southerner. The national chairman himself has openly said he will resign when his happens. But as at now, what the party has is a presidential candidate and not an elected President. 

2. The group declined to sign such an Undertaking for a single term. However, the Gov Wike s group is no longer insisting on this. 

3. The group did not agree or disagree with this. Still open. However it appears that Gov Wike s faction has likewise downplayed this.

4. The group fully agreed with this and it was based on it that Gov Seyi Makinde was made vice chairman (south) of the campaign council. 

5. The group treats this like nos 3 above. 

POINTS TO PONDER

GOV WIKE'S GROUP

1. On Sen Ayu s resignation, it is not only Sen Ayu that will lose his seat. The party s rotational arrangement  will have all the positions currently being occupied by southerners in the party will be swapped by northerners and vice versa. The National secretary for example is from the south. Should Sen Ayu resign, he will lose his position to a northerner. Gov Wike s group has not considered it. 

Removing Sen Ayu as a punishment for his alleged roles in Atiku s emergence as party 's candidate is like cutting your nose to spite your face. Counterproductive. And messy. 

Also, the timing is wrong. With less than 6 months to a national election and as an opposition party, removing Sen Ayu now will destabilize  and derail the party especially in the light of the swapping mentioned above. It could have been easier if the party was in power  and had a president like a father figure (like in 2011). But as an opposition, it is twice messier. 

Also note that it won't be the first time the party will have two persons from the same zone heading the two top positions. It did that briefly in 2010-2011 with Good luck Jonathan as president and Okwesilieze Nwodo as national chairman. 

The group should ponder on this and reflect on this question -  Sen Ayu or winning the presidential Election, which one is more important? 

Calls to mind the idiom of throwing the baby away with the bath water. 

2. All the other positions are not as weighty the call for Sen Iyorchia Ayu s resignation. So they are being handled. 

3. Another point is this - immediately after the presidential primaries, Atiku visited Gov Wike and Gov Wike assured him of his support. He only reneged on his promise when he lost out as running mate. If Atiku had chosen him as running mate, would he be making this call and alleging injustice to the south? His supporters should ponder on this. His call appear to be more personal than patriotic and he obviously intends to punish the one person he felt led to his losing out at the primary (despite his humongous spending) - The party national chairman, Sen Iyorchia Ayu. He gathered around him people he could either influence or pay to support his personal vendetta against the chairman. 

4. And yet another point. Gov Wike is alleging injustice to the south in the election of Alh Atiku Abubakar as party s flag bearer. But he is truly the unjust person in this issue. He is the oppressor and not the victim.  Granted that the clamor is for the PDP to produce a southerner as presidential candidate (and hence the choice of a northerner Sen Ayu as chairman) but in the PDP , the south west had produced Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as two term president (1999-2007)  and  the south south had Good luck Jonathan as one term president (2011- 2015). Justice and equity demands that the only other region in he south that should produce the party s standard flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election is the south east. But by hook and by crook, Gov Nyesom Wike , a south southerner like Good luck Jonathan, hijacked the slot, bullied and bribed his way through the process and now is crying injustice. The PDP was well on its way to micro zoning the presidential ticket to the south east (with Peter Obi as the most favoured candidate) but Gov Wike influenced the party to throw the race open and hence he and Alh Atiku Abubakar who eventually outspent him to  emerge winner, were free to contest. It's quite an irony that same person is now alleging injustice to the south, an injustice he himself perpetuated!!!

Talk about crying wolf!!!

 Even in his Rivers state, he is the  main perpetrator and beneficiary of rotational disruption. His predecessor Rotimi Amaechi, hails from Ikwerre from Rivers North zone. It was only natural that another zone produces the governor after Amaechi. But basing on the argument that the state is historically a  PDP state and that Amaechi had decamped to APC, he projected himself as the only candidate who can defeat Amaechi and the APC gubernatorial candidate and return the state to PDP. Hence he got the electorates votes not minding that he is from same Ikwerre and same local government as the then outgoing governor , Amaechi. Is that not injustice and disruption of the rotational arrangement? Gov Wike should know that by toeing his current path and raising cries of injustice , he is merely indicting himself as the chief proponent of injustice to the southern zone and the South East region specifically. 

Also vowing to help the party lose the presidential election is not only an anti party statement but an expression of lack of personal integrity and the spirit of sportsmanship. Yes he was obviously denied victory at the primaries by some high level conspiracy. But the primaries have come and gone and there s the need to move on. The more challenging project (the main election) is at hand. Should the PDP lose out, he himself will lose too. He and his supporters. He cannot be accommodated in the APC or any other party, forget all the mouth watering promises he is being lured with by the APC.  He will only  be a small fish in a large pond there. And what of his followers in the state? What becomes of their status in the party  and the APC? Good thing that he has openly said he will not leave the PDP but will  continue fight from within. But engaging openly in anti party activities by openly aligning with the candidate of another party is something the party may not tolerate from anyone, no matter their status in the party. At a point, the party may be forced to wield the big stick of suspension or eviction on him. Not likely to happen, but he should not push the party too far. The backlash from within and outside, may be unwholesome. Gov Wike should accept the fact that he was outspent at the primaries. Simple. 

ATIKU'S GROUP

1. Sen Iyorchia Ayu s resignation is not likely to happen. And it's good thing that the party stood it's ground and refused to be stampeded or railroaded by Gov Wike s group. But even then, there are limits to standing one s ground. Politics is all about compromises and negotiations and horse-trading. You give way to get way. 

The party especially the Chairman should be mindful of it's utterances. The recent speech by the party chairman in which he called his detractors and those calling for his removal "children" is not only tactless but in very bad taste. He should learn from the party s flag bearer who toes a reconciliatory path all the time and never talked down on anyone. The fate of the party and it's success at the polls lies in his hands as the party chairman. If he decides to ensure confirmed victory for the party by  stepping aside as Gov Wike s group requested, so as to unify the party, fine and good. If he does that, the election is PDP s own to win. 

But if he decides not to and wants the party to go to the polls and try it's luck as a disunited group, then he should not add fuel to a raging fire by making such tactless and insulting remarks.  It will only worsen an already worse situation. He and all members of the group.

Atiku Abubakar on his part should recognize the role Gov Wike and his group played in sustaining the party when he and others in his own camp, decamped to the APC in 2014. Their defection made PDP to lose the election to the APC. Without them, the APC stood absolutely no chance of upstaging the PDP.  Moreover, one on one, he is currently no match for Gov Wike. Gov Wike 's financial war-chest (forget the source) is almost at par with his own, as evidenced by the events at the party's primaries. And the governor enjoys more goodwill and  within the party (based on his previous unifying roles) and definitely a much better image as a reliable party man , having not left the party under any circumstances unlike he. Gov Wike s only drawback and main reason why he didn't enjoy northern votes, was because of his notoriously brash, arrogant and obdurate approach to issues which most members are uncomfortable with (that also cost him the VP slot). But Gov Wike remains intimidatingly  formidable- either as a friend or a foe.  So he should seek for more ways to appease the governor and his group. It's  a good thing that the Sultan of Sokoto (who is arguably the singular most influential factor in northern Nigerian politics) had visited Gov Wike. Though details of their discussions were not made public but it's definitely not unconnected with the 2023 elections and the crises in PDP.  Atiku Abubakar should engage others esp southerners whom Gov Wike holds in highest regards. People like former president Goodluck Jonathan , his wife Dame Patience Jonathan and Obasanjo. He should know that without Gov Wike and his group, his already threatened presidential ambition, has very minimal chances of becoming a reality. But with them, he stands a fighting chance. He needs Gov Wike desperately. 

On all other areas of disagreement, the PDP especially Atiku s group need to show more commitment to running an all inclusive and friendly government should the party reclaim the presidency in 2023. Thank God that the APC s 2015 victory bursted their bubbles and destroyed the party 's over confident boast that it will rule Nigeria for 50 years. Now they have a fighting chance to stage a come back having learnt their lessons while in opposition. 

Will the PDP flunk it? 

The  answer lies on the party and on the Atiku group specifically. 

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

1. WITH GOV WIKE AND HIS GROUP SUPPORT - 50% chance of victory

2. WITHOUT GOV WIKE S GROUP SUPPORT - 30%.

(My personal projections)

Working together ensures a win-win for both groups. 

But working against each other, both will definitely lose out. 

And the beneficiary will be either Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC or Mr Peter Obi of Labor Party.

Hon Emma Asie writes from Awka.

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS - LAGOS VS ANAMBRA

 *The parable of the Talents - Lagos Vs. Anambra*

By Ayodeji Oyewumi

@iam_ayooyewumi

I have decided to lay before all Nigerians the TRUTH by making a comparative performance analysis of Lagos & Anambra using key development indicators

*Walk with me...*

The famous biblical parable of the talents is one I love so much cos it's lessons can be taught by all generations. 

This is the first of a 3 parts comparative performance analysis series; 

Did I hear u say, oh Mr Ay, its unfair to compare Lagos state with Anambra, well🤔

You maybe right, after all why would anyone compare;

Lagos the Toast of Africa - from the Portuguese, to the British, to the locals & Nigeria as a whole, everyone just want her

*&*

Anambra the state left in ruins after the civil war (imagine what's happening in Ukraine currently)

However, like the lessons taught in the parable of the talents, u still have to be accountable with the little u have, if u want to be entrusted with more.

So here we will be looking at the performance of *BAT (2003-2007), PO (2007-2014)* using key development indicators

*Disclaimer: This thread is not for;*

1.) *Blockheads* - If you are not teachable, just pass 

2.) *IGR boys* - If ur understanding of development economics is IGR please pass. This is above ur pay grade

Everything i will be sharing are verifiable facts from verifiable sources.

Below are growth indicators often used by development economist to access low-middle income countries hence we will be using it here

1.) Gross National Income per Capita

2.) Life Expectancy

3.) Human Development Index (HDI)

4.) Health Index

5.) Educational Index

6.) Income Index

My data source is from the renowned Global Data Lab (GDL) - an independent data & research center at the institute of Management research, Radboud University, Netherlands

https://globaldatalab.org

GDL started compiling data from 2003, hence BAT's Performance is evaluated from 2003

*1.) Global National Income Per Capita*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 8.887 & in 2007 at 9.218. Had a growth of 3.72%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 9.218 & in 2014 at 9.303. Had a growth of 0.92%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 8.823 & in 2014 at 9.220. Had a growth of 4.50% ✅

*2.) Life Expectancy*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 55.40 & in 2007 at 56.80. Had a growth of 2.54%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 56.81 & in 2014 at 58.21. Had a growth of 2.46%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 53.55 & in 2014 at 58.97. Had a growth of 10.12% ✅

*3.) Human Development Index (HDI)*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 0.610 & in 2007 at 0.630. Had a growth of 3.28%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.630 & in 2014 at 0.644. Had a growth of 5.40%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.569 & in 2014 at 0.659. Had a growth of 15.82% ✅

*4.) Health Index*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 0.545 & in 2007 at 0.566. Had a growth of 3.85%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.566 & in 2014 at 0.588. Had a growth of 3.89%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.516 & in 2014 at 0.600. Had a growth of 16.30% ✅

*5.) Educational Index*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 0.645 & in 2007 at 0.634. Had a DECLINE of -0.011%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.634 & in 2014 at 0.702. Had a growth of 10.73%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.560 & in 2014 at 0.686. Had a growth of 22.5% ✅

*6.) Income Index*

BAT(2003-2007): In 2003 at 0.647 & in 2007 at 0.697. Had a growth of 7.73%

Lagos(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.697 & in 2014 at 0.710. Had a growth of 1.86%

Anambra(2007-2014): In 2007 at 0.637 & in 2014 at 0.697. Had a growth of 9.42% ✅

From the above 6 indicators used in measuring public governance performance in low-middle income country, *PO* outperformed lagos of Fashola & *BAT* in ALL

Factoring IGR, investments in lagos since colonial days & the civil war, its safe to say Peter Obi is in a league on his own.

So comparing Lagos with Anambra in terms of the globally accepted developmental indicators is an INSULT to Anambra state & the leadership of Peter Obi.

As if that was not enough, also look at the departing gift Peter Obi presented to Anambra state & BAT's to Lagos state (everywhere in public domain)

*To prove that his education at Harvard Business School, Kellog School of Management, Oxford & Cambridge wasn't just for fun, PO in his handover note left local & foreign investment savings in billions of Naira & cash savings for the state as has been verified.

The investment had a MINIMUM 2years maturity period before the state can sell part of it for liquidity

It has also been verified how the next government generated funds from the investments PO made on behalf of the state

These are funds, Peter Obi could have easily stolen like many governors in Nigeria shamelessly do.

Show me any servant leader in Nigeria's history at least since 1999 like PO. 

Meanwhile He did all of this and still chose to deprive himself of ALL entitlements as an ex-governor.

Contrast that with BAT

BAT left 27 billion naira in the treasury & a whopping 100billion naira debt which his successor increased to over 400 billion naira

-allafrica.com

Nigeria: Fashola to Inherit N100bn Debt From Tinubu

The self serving leader also proposed huge renumeration for himself as has been verified. 

Dear Citizens of Nigeria, this day life & death has been presented to you, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

FRED NWABUFO AND THE LIMITS OF IDIOCY IN DEFENSE OF A POLITICAL ALBATROSS-TINUBU'S AGBADO SPEECH

 

FRED NWABUFO AND THE LIMITS OF IDIOCY IN DEFENSE OF A POLITICAL ALBATROSS- TINUBU'S AGBADO SPEECH

*By Emma Asie*

I find this piece by renowned writer Fred Nwabufo in defense of Tinubu s notorious "Agbado speech" not only comical and nonsensical but also idiotic 

Can anyone in his right senses actually defend Tinubu s senility induced statement about agbado and cassava?

Fredrick Nwabufo is trying to insult our collective intelligence by reinterpreting what we all heard Tinubu say very very clearly. 

Tinubu made that statement in his response to how to tackle the security situation in Nigeria which at that time was at its budding stage compared to what we have in our hands now. He said and I quote "... the solution is to recruit  50 million youths into the army, what will they eat? It is available, feed them Agabdo, cassava  in the morning, eba in the afternoon... Create demand here and consumption there ...."

I now wonder how the above incomprehensible statement which his handlers had apologized over and which is a clear evidence of Tinubu's fast deteriorating mental health, could be reinterpreted to mean that Nigerians need not import food (or whatever Fred Nwabufo in his pitiable attempt to excuse the inexcusable and defend the indefensible)!!

I once opined and I repeat , no sane human being can defend or speak for Tinubu without sounding like an idiot.

Where do you start from?

How will you defend his age and origins? How old is he? Where is he actually from? What are the evidence for these?

How will you defend his academic history? Where did he do his primary and secondary schools? Or did he skip them and entered straight to the University of  Chicago (or Chicago State University whichever one you fancy), according to Festus Keyamo, an Impossible feat that even the greatest minds in human history have not attained? His 1999 form with INEC  (with which he contested  and won the Lagos state governorship election)  indicated the primary and secondary schools he attended but when the curious public tried to probe this information, he strangely  refused to indicate the same schools in his 2022 INEC forms.  Why?

Or is it his source of wealth? His deputy governor in 1999 claimed that when he returned from USA after having worked with Mobil as an accountant, he was so broke that he had no house, no car and no money . She claimed he used her cars, she gave him money for upkeep and he lived in her house for a long time before he contested for the Senate in 1992 and won. Then in 1999, out of gratitude, he made her his deputy governor , though they fell out later.  But with no other visible means of income, Tinubu is today arguably the richest politician in Nigeria, "owning most of Lagos" according to local gossips which are nevertheless not baseless. 

Or will you defend his health? Granted that one s health status should not be used as a yardstick for measuring competence or intellectual capacity (Stephen Hawkings one of the greatest minds on earth was an invalid and USA s WW2 hero. President Franklin D Roosevelt was committed to a wheelchair all his adult life due to polio), yet in this fast paced society of today, a healthy leader is essential to a vibrant nation. Moreover, maintaining secrecy about a leader s state of  health is unpatriotic and undemocratic. Is TINUBU physically and mentally fit for the harrowing and physically/mentally challenging task of a president? His agbado speeches and his openly twitching and jerking hands as well as his posture and difficulty with walking most times, point to someone who is not mentally and physically topnotch. Should such a person especially one who is in his late 80s (according to  most Nigerians and facts available) or 70s (according to his supporters and handlers) be more concerned with attaining the presidency or maintaining his health? It's left for the reader to decide but one thing is sure, Sen Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate is not in the best of physical and mental health, not by a long shot 

Or will you defend his choice of a Muslim -Muslim ticket in a religiously volatile and polarized country like Nigeria? His decision might be based on extant political calculations knowing that the north is essential to his victory and the Muslim population in the north is definitely higher than that of the Christians. So in order not to offend the majority, he decided to offend the minority and offend christians all over the country as well as religiously sensitive Nigerians. However, one major fallout of this decision is that it woke the  hitherto  inactive  and subservient christian political elites in the north and most of them are now rallying together across party lines in defense of their faith. The recently voters registration exercise witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of Christian voters in the north. They now have an identity and are speaking with one voice against the Islamic imperialism as evidenced by Tinubu s choice of a Muslim -Muslim ticket. As a notable Christian cleric once put it "The choice (of a Muslim -Muslim ticket) should not be an issue at all. Nigerians have options (of presidential aspirants) and will speak with their votes when the time comes". Tinubu might not lose the majority northern Muslim voters in the north with his choice of a  northern Muslim as a running mate despite being a Muslim himself, but he will definitely lose the support of the fast growing Christian population in the north and across the country. 

Or will you  defend his past criminal records and his links with the illicit hard drug trade in USA? David Hundeyin an investigative journalist, unearthed records that show he was indicted for drug offences and money laundering in USA and was even fined by a court in lieu of jail term at a point. The write up and evidence is in the public domain.

Whatever be the feat of such a person in human capital development and empowerment (an euphemism for planting his cronies in important places of power and influence and empowering them to rise to future prominent, thereby ensuring his continued political and economic dominance, something he excelled at) will they be enough for us to overlook these all important aspects of his life?  In the name of voting an alleged economic guru into power, should we overlook and not question his dubious mysterious and even criminal past? It is being alleged that he "built" Lagos but it is on record that Lagos has been a federal capital for over 40 years of Nigeria s independence and hence most of the development projects in the state were done by the federal government. Can the current (or any ) minister of FCT claim credit for having developed Abuja? Of course not. Granted that we cannot begrudge his modest contribution to the development of Lagos state in his two tenures as governor of the super rich state, but it should not be overblown. Lateef Jakande of blessed memory did far more than Tinubu in less than four years of his administration than Tinubu did in his entire 8 years! The records once again are open for public scrutiny and verification. And Tinubu got  far far more from Lagos state than he gave to it. His current stupendous wealth did not happen untill after his tenure as governor unlike others like Peter Obi who was already a self made multi billionaire (as chairman of the board of several blue chip companies including banks) before venturing into politics as governor. Tinubu was the opposite. And that he has not been probed or prosecuted should not be seen as an evidence of his innocence. Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house. His dexterity and clout in positioning, blackmailing and worming his way out of such scrutiny should be condemned rather than praised. And it points to the compromises of our political systems and anti corruption Campaigns even under opposition administrations. He isn't the only  Nigerian that has not been subjected to the Eagle eye. Atiku Abubakar is another. But their days  of reckoning are coming. 

The only thing known for certain about Tinubu is that he was once a governor of Lagos state and that he is married to Senator Remi Tinubu. Any and every other thing is clouded in mystery and suspicion. Is that the kind of man Nigerians want as our President? If his personal and public lives are this mysterious, imagine how his administration will be if Nigerians made the mistake of voting him into power!  President Buhari s cloak and dagger stance over his health status, will be child's play compared to what should otherwise be public knowledge under a Tinubu Presidency!

At this stage of our national lives, we should yearn for and rally around someone who is open, transparent and as clear as daylight. Someone who has subjected every aspect of his personal life and public service to easy and open scrutiny by everyone. Someone who may not be an angel or a saint, but definitely has no skeleton in his personal or public cupboard. Someone who's  life and lifestyle Nigerians can and had investigated extensively and found impeccable. Someone  who unlike the Biblical King Belshazzar in  the book of Daniel, has been counted, weighed and *NOT FOUND WANTING* in any area. 

And added to that, some one who had a fairly commendable performance as a state governor and who has the  energy, virility,  the intellectual capacity, political will, actionable plans and programs and the burning passion to truly make Nigeria Great again. 

That person is HE Peter Obi. 

Can anyone see such a budding star and still go for an expired toxic drug like Tinubu?

Maybe Idiots will. 

We shall know them by the number of votes Tinubu gets in 2023. 

Emma Asie Writes