A political neophyte by his own right, former EFCC mallam from Adamawa State and now presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has yet again fumbled in the latest choice of a running mate. Call it the proverbial "double wahalla for dead body" syndrome of a novitiate presidential candidate saddled with a nobody political greenhorn vice presidential candidate?
However Icheoku sympathizes with Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for being unable to free himself from the leech of his sponsor, Bolaji Tinubu, in choosing his running mate. Bola Tinubu cannot afford to let Nuhu Ribadu run free and has to maintain a stranglehold on him by wily-nilly imposing a candidate on him. Moreover, the ACN being a Yoruba party, cannot afford to have other tribes producing both their presidential as well as vice presidential candidates of the party. Otherwise what does the ACN stand to gain by spitting the Igbo South-East by removing the former running mate of Ribadu, Sunny Ugochukwu; and now venturing into the mouth of the Tiger, Ogun State, to get their latest running mate? Newest Ribadu's running mate, Afolabi Tajudeen Adeola's Ogun State is the home of Otta Deity Olusegun Obasanjo, the incumbent Governor Olu Gbenga and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Bankole. Icheoku wonders what the political calculation is in selecting Mr. Adeola, all of these competing odds considered. So with Yoruba vice presidential candidates for both Buhari and Ribadu, and Obasanjo influence included, the Yoruba South-West votes will now be split into three; leaving the entire South-South and South-East just for President Jonathan; with the entire north still at play?
Icheoku queries, who are political advisers to these opposition political parties or don't they have any for them to know about catchment areas of politics? Anyway those whom the gods want to kill he first make mad and so it is that the candidacy of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has suffered a still-birth with this latest choice of a running mate, singing its requiem even before the April election! As it stands now, Icheoku says, all hail President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, president and the commander in chief of the Nigerian armed forces for the next four years!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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ACN VP ticket: How Adeola beat Ebi, Akabueze
ReplyDeleteNewsFeb 22, 2011
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By EMMANUEL AZIKEN
LAGOS—THE Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday, formally submitted Mr. Fola Adeola to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the running mate of its presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu.
Vanguard learnt that Adeola, erstwhile Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank, beat former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Ernest Ebi and Lagos State Commissioner for Budget Mr. Ben Akabueze to the position of Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria for the spot.
ACN determination
Adeola it was learnt, was chosen on the basis of the determination of the ACN Presidential Candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to have an economic guru as his running mate.
A top party source told Vanguard: “Ribadu had said that his vice-president must be an economic expert and that is why you see that with the exception of Ngige all other considerations were on economic experts.”
However, the choice of another Muslim to be running mate for Mallam Ribadu was raising apprehension among party insiders despite the enthusiasm of some that the pair of Ribadu and Adeola would rekindle the victory achieved by the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe in the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who was Ribadu’s first choice declined the offer party sources said.
Party insiders Vanguard learnt had then focused on Dr. Chris Ngige from Anambra State who was favoured for his capacity for grassroots mobilization ahead of Ribadu’s primary criteria of economic expertise.
Ngige was, however, given the cold shoulder by a top party chieftain from Lagos, a development that compelled him to dash for his Anambra Central senatorial ticket.
Vanguard learnt that Ngige was screened for the post but “declined” for personal reasons, a party source said yesterday.
Ebi and Akabueze were the other choices but they were reportedly turned down in favour of Adeola on account of what one party source disclosed as “Adeola’s charismatic personality”.
Besides, Mr. Adeola is believed to have deeper pockets to contribute to the presidential campaign of the ACN.
Adeola is presently the chairman of FATE Foundation, a charitable foundation he founded to promote entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths. He founded the foundation following his exit from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc which he founded in 1990 and served as Managing Director and Chief Executive for 12 years