2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND THE ACN

 Sir,

2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND THE ACN

The ACN and the CPC should have merged and presented Buhari; even though it would have been Muslim-Muslim ticket had after the merger Tinubu became Buhari’s running mate, it would have been better than the present ACN pair of ‘immature’ Ribadu and ‘little-known’ Adeola (yet a Muslim-Muslim ticket). The era of Abiola and Kingibe cannot hold (water) now. ACN would wrestle States like Akwa Ibom, Benue, Ogun, Oyo among others, from PDP, but it will be difficult for it to win the presidency with its flag-bearer pair as presently constituted.

What made ACN to go this way still remain unexplainable. ACN, if determined to go it alone; it would have paid the party if running mate to Ribadu was a Yoruba of Christian background. Such suitable personalities abound; Segun Osoba (the former Ogun governor) is one of such. If they wanted to go outside Yoruba land a personality like Dr. Chris Ngige (former governor of Anambra state) was there. Ngige it would be recalled actually won the 2010 Anambra governorship election even as he contested under ACN, a party regarded as unpopular in the south-east. What helped Peter Obi emerge winner was rigging recorded in the computation and disenfranchisement of voters. Without prejudice to the matter still in court, people of Anambra overwhelmingly know this as a truth.

The three major parties – PDP, ACN and CPC may have tactically ignored the south-east as if their votes do not count. APGA hierarchy had asked their supporters to vote Jonathan, the PDP presidential candidate. One would not be surprised if APGA becomes extinct after the 2011 election because they may have, unwittingly, asked for it. Instead of strengthening its hold on the south-east, it sold its rite. Igbo nation is not happy with the PDP because denying them the position of the national chairman of PDP looks more a slap on the face ; but Igbos are no fools. 

As it now looks ACN need to work harder in order to make it as one of the two parties for the inevitable run-off. But if it fails nevertheless, they should ensure that its voting population are enjoined to vote for the other candidate other than PDP’s; thereafter the party would form the next government in association.

Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, Omoba Road, ABA, Abia State.