Saturday, January 29, 2011
How I was decked-Atiku
Long before the actual conduct of the PDP presidential primary Jan. 13, 2011, the Organization of the campaign Atiku Abubakar has raised more alarms about the apparent lack of transparency and fairness throughout the primary process and the reluctance of management party to provide a level playing field for all aspirants.
Wednesday, 22nd December 2010, the Director General of the campaign, Senator Ben Obi, has attracted the attention of the Nigerian population in the confusion and obfuscation orchestrated regarding the format of the presidential primary election and non-composition of the Presidential Screening Committee. He said it was the duty of the leadership of PDP to ensure that the process leading to the presidential primary and the actual behavior of it reached the minimum standard of democratic ideals. Two days later, December 24, 2010, Senator Obi wrote on behalf of Atiku Campaign Organization Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, the party's national chairman, asking him to provide comprehensive guidelines for the conduct of the presidential primary election. "As the ruling party, the DPP must set the highest level of internal democracy as a vital step to achieving free and fair elections in 2011. The ability of the leadership of the PDP must be neutral and provide equal opportunities will be a great influence on the standard election Nigeria has promised the world, "wrote Obi. He said that Nigeria can not afford to repeat the mistakes of the 2007 elections and that the PDP had a moral burden to lead efforts to give Nigeria credible elections. He called for "openness as a necessary condition to ensure transparency and confidence between the PDP stakeholders, including Atiku Abubakar, who offered himself as a contender for the largest country in public office." Senator Obi then remind the leaders of the PDP that unity in the party depends on the feeling of comfort for each member that he or she is entitled to a fair and equal treatment.
The Director General also requested a meeting between the leadership and the Atiku Campaign Organization so that it can be better informed about the plans of the party in respect of the conduct of the primary election and make necessary inputs on the same.
Finally, the Atiku Campaign Organization was invited to meet with the National Working Committee (NWC) of Part 28 December 2010 at the party's national secretariat in Abuja. The meeting had to be shifted to January 3, 2011 due to the tight schedule of party leaders, and also to allow other organizations to attend the campaign. The purpose of such a meeting between the leadership and various organizations campaign was to discuss all issues relating to the conduct of primary elections to ensure free, fair, credible, transparent and acceptable primary.
The meeting never took place and the leaders of the PDP never offered any explanation why he could not keep. Senator Obi placed several calls to the National Chairman of PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, and sent several text messages. Nwodo said he was still consulting and would return to Obi at the end of its consultation. He never did.
It is interesting to note that the camp Jonathan was never bothered about these issues which are fundamental for the success or failure of the primary election - an indication, perhaps, that it was work hand in hand with the national secretariat to subvert the will of the delegates to the primary. It became quite obvious, therefore, that an alliance against nature had formed between the direction of the PDP and the presidency and it was decided to manipulate the process leading to the primary for President against the will of Jonathan the generality of party members and delegates.
Signals from the party headquarters were disturbing. The party leadership does not pretend to be neutral. The Atiku camp could not find protection in a family allegedly close PDP work together and live under a common umbrella. The PDP family policy has not been able to reassure its members and supporters that he was fairly neutral and willing to all candidates.
For example, the composition of the Committee of the National Convention, which had the broad mandate of planning and program implementation of primary elections, was not released until 72 hours before the convention. Similarly, the identity of members of the selection committee were also released as 72 hours before the screening of candidates for president January 11, 2011. The direction of the PDP Atiku campaign maliciously kept in the dark on key issues and process until the time of the primary began.
Specifically, the party has refused to provide any official communication on the guidelines and rules that govern the conduct of the primary election, on time, place and method of screening for delegates, the emission of laissez- go to accredited officials; security arrangements for such an undertaking major political published a list of all the delegates who will participate in the exercise of voting method and voting procedures, counting and announcement of results, and a thousand and other details that should have been clearly set out weeks before the conduct of the election.
The basic rules governing the primary election should have been accepted and signed by all parties concerned, and such agreement should not be mandatory for all parties, but also have been published and widely disseminated in the press. The agreement on special rules because the Convention was an important way to ensure that the electoral process was the main objective, impartial, fair, just and non-programmed to produce a predetermined conclusion. But the direction of the DPP refused to be guided by these basic democratic standards. In addition, the list of delegates who will vote in the primary election should have been published and widely disseminated in the press before the primary in order to prevent the list or be altered or his integrity is substantially impaired. But the list of delegates was seen for the first time by members of the Atiku Campaign while voting was underway. The list of delegates is crucial to the smooth running of all primary election. It is also important that the list of Nigerian voters, including the INEC is required by law to publish prior to the general election.
It was in light of these shortcomings, uncertainty, injustice, secrecy, non-disclosure of vital information and outright violations of both the party's guidelines for the conduct of the presidential election primary and the 2010 electoral law, the Atiku campaign was forced to warn the leadership of the PDP does not allow a repeat of the chaotic and undemocratic primary conducted earlier in the States for the assembly of State Assembly National Governor and candidates.a
Wednesday, 22nd December 2010, the Director General of the campaign, Senator Ben Obi, has attracted the attention of the Nigerian population in the confusion and obfuscation orchestrated regarding the format of the presidential primary election and non-composition of the Presidential Screening Committee. He said it was the duty of the leadership of PDP to ensure that the process leading to the presidential primary and the actual behavior of it reached the minimum standard of democratic ideals. Two days later, December 24, 2010, Senator Obi wrote on behalf of Atiku Campaign Organization Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, the party's national chairman, asking him to provide comprehensive guidelines for the conduct of the presidential primary election. "As the ruling party, the DPP must set the highest level of internal democracy as a vital step to achieving free and fair elections in 2011. The ability of the leadership of the PDP must be neutral and provide equal opportunities will be a great influence on the standard election Nigeria has promised the world, "wrote Obi. He said that Nigeria can not afford to repeat the mistakes of the 2007 elections and that the PDP had a moral burden to lead efforts to give Nigeria credible elections. He called for "openness as a necessary condition to ensure transparency and confidence between the PDP stakeholders, including Atiku Abubakar, who offered himself as a contender for the largest country in public office." Senator Obi then remind the leaders of the PDP that unity in the party depends on the feeling of comfort for each member that he or she is entitled to a fair and equal treatment.
The Director General also requested a meeting between the leadership and the Atiku Campaign Organization so that it can be better informed about the plans of the party in respect of the conduct of the primary election and make necessary inputs on the same.
Finally, the Atiku Campaign Organization was invited to meet with the National Working Committee (NWC) of Part 28 December 2010 at the party's national secretariat in Abuja. The meeting had to be shifted to January 3, 2011 due to the tight schedule of party leaders, and also to allow other organizations to attend the campaign. The purpose of such a meeting between the leadership and various organizations campaign was to discuss all issues relating to the conduct of primary elections to ensure free, fair, credible, transparent and acceptable primary.
The meeting never took place and the leaders of the PDP never offered any explanation why he could not keep. Senator Obi placed several calls to the National Chairman of PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, and sent several text messages. Nwodo said he was still consulting and would return to Obi at the end of its consultation. He never did.
It is interesting to note that the camp Jonathan was never bothered about these issues which are fundamental for the success or failure of the primary election - an indication, perhaps, that it was work hand in hand with the national secretariat to subvert the will of the delegates to the primary. It became quite obvious, therefore, that an alliance against nature had formed between the direction of the PDP and the presidency and it was decided to manipulate the process leading to the primary for President against the will of Jonathan the generality of party members and delegates.
Signals from the party headquarters were disturbing. The party leadership does not pretend to be neutral. The Atiku camp could not find protection in a family allegedly close PDP work together and live under a common umbrella. The PDP family policy has not been able to reassure its members and supporters that he was fairly neutral and willing to all candidates.
For example, the composition of the Committee of the National Convention, which had the broad mandate of planning and program implementation of primary elections, was not released until 72 hours before the convention. Similarly, the identity of members of the selection committee were also released as 72 hours before the screening of candidates for president January 11, 2011. The direction of the PDP Atiku campaign maliciously kept in the dark on key issues and process until the time of the primary began.
Specifically, the party has refused to provide any official communication on the guidelines and rules that govern the conduct of the primary election, on time, place and method of screening for delegates, the emission of laissez- go to accredited officials; security arrangements for such an undertaking major political published a list of all the delegates who will participate in the exercise of voting method and voting procedures, counting and announcement of results, and a thousand and other details that should have been clearly set out weeks before the conduct of the election.
The basic rules governing the primary election should have been accepted and signed by all parties concerned, and such agreement should not be mandatory for all parties, but also have been published and widely disseminated in the press. The agreement on special rules because the Convention was an important way to ensure that the electoral process was the main objective, impartial, fair, just and non-programmed to produce a predetermined conclusion. But the direction of the DPP refused to be guided by these basic democratic standards. In addition, the list of delegates who will vote in the primary election should have been published and widely disseminated in the press before the primary in order to prevent the list or be altered or his integrity is substantially impaired. But the list of delegates was seen for the first time by members of the Atiku Campaign while voting was underway. The list of delegates is crucial to the smooth running of all primary election. It is also important that the list of Nigerian voters, including the INEC is required by law to publish prior to the general election.
It was in light of these shortcomings, uncertainty, injustice, secrecy, non-disclosure of vital information and outright violations of both the party's guidelines for the conduct of the presidential election primary and the 2010 electoral law, the Atiku campaign was forced to warn the leadership of the PDP does not allow a repeat of the chaotic and undemocratic primary conducted earlier in the States for the assembly of State Assembly National Governor and candidates.a
