Ralph, this is a very beautiful piece as usual. Kalu’s move is a masterstroke. In this nation to make impact, you are either with the party ruling in the state or the federal. I welcome the move. – 070066919040
The issue you touched on is not one for debate; everybody has the right to join the political party he wants. I can only take offence when a politician decamps and still holds to the office he won on another party’s platform. Outside this, they can move 10 times and for me it won’t matter. The parties were not after all built on ideological basis; they are birds of the same feather. Kalu has a right to be active and that is the choice he made. Would it pay off? That is the big question which only time can tell. – Adeyemi Olusegun ([email protected])
Ralph, defection in our politics is a very serious and sensitive matter. If I have my way the law should be very clear that politicians should not move from one party to the other anyhow. That attitude is stalling democratic development in our nation. Yet, you must understand that our political culture is still developing with all the problems associated with it. Not many people can stand the nonsense often executed by the leaders of the various political parties. What they do with internal democracy cannot be adequately captured by words. For Kalu, he is a young and vibrant personality and I think he has so much to offer; so it is good he is seeking a platform to express himself. I don’t see anything wrong with pitching his camp with the All Progressives Congress (APC); if I were to give him my advice, I would tell him to work closely with other prominent politicians from the Southeast and ensure they extract reasonable concessions from the Buhari administration on behalf of the people of the region. – Dr. Azubuike Onyeaghalachi –[email protected]
Dear Ralph, I want you to know that I read your column every Sunday. I use it to engage my afternoon every Sunday. I commend your contributions. I read the article titled “Kalu and APC, the posers” and it was good. As usual you marshaled your points very intelligently, I like where you said a lion can never give birth to a fowl. Never! You are correct! Buhari is evil and will never change, so Kalu joining him is a big mistake. Some of us are not happy Kalu gave Obasanjo money in 1998/1999 so that he could take away the presidency from Ekwueme who suffered more than any other politician to drive away the military from power. Ekwueme was in the country fighting the military, when the other politicians hid away and NADECO leaders took refuge overseas. Obasanjo came from prison and had no money but Kalu gave him money to displace Ekwueme. I am also not happy that he apologized on behalf of Ndi Igbo for fighting civil war. I tried to find out when he was born and I saw 1960, so he does not know anything about the civil war and why the Igbo fought the war. The Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani don’t like the Igbo. See what they did to Jonathan. As the vice-president it was difficult for him to become the president when Yar’Adua, the president died. When they made him president, they made it very difficult for him to rule. What was his sin? Northerners and the Yoruba thought ‘Ebele’ in his name meant he was Igbo; the Yoruba were so angry that they ganged up with the Northerners to prevent him from having a second term in office. Buhari has come and we are shouting. It is nemesis; it is the outcome of many atrocities they had committed against the Igbo. With maltreatment of Igbo, Nigeria cannot have peace. They will only have peace if they allow the Igbo to go. – Ezeani – 080334330236
“Quicquid plantateu solo, solo celi” is a legal Latin principle related to fixtures which means that whatever is affixed to the land becomes part of the land. Therefore, it only amounts to foolhardiness to fault your imputes to Abia political analogy having been part and parcel of it albeit actively, spanning across both military and civilian dispensations. You can therefore be defined as a political technocrat who cannot be severed from the political conjugation of the state. But my question is an answer to your question. I’m a Nigerian so I can answer question with question: will it not be tantamount to killing the dream (democracy) before its full realization, if all political heavy weights are logged into one political party? Now that the second party that would have provided the much-needed opposition to season our democracy is being decimated by the day, where are we heading to eventually? This is where the prophecy or talk of another political party or parties in the offing becomes a welcome development, if only it would not be aimed at grabbing power but with correct aspirations of leading the nation to the wharf where ideas/armoury to fight the battle for socio-economic cum political recovery are berthed. May God help Nigeria, the leaders and the led! – Agono Duke – 08035475402
You are wrong to say the division in APC would not be a good development for our nation. What has Nigeria gained from the unity of APC? They are doing a lot of harm to good people, and that is what the nation has experienced since they took over power. The fall of APC will be rise of Nigeria. Mark my words. – 08028253086
Regarding your piece, Kalu and APC, my brother you know who is buttering your bread. – Uzo – 08037274935
Ralph, what APC is going through was expected. Its emergence as a political party was far from the two party desire of Nigeria meant to strengthen democracy in the strict political sense. The objective for forming APC was to oust Jonathan’s government and split PDP into shreds. Now if you take that into account, it will be a case of the old dictum, “What a man sows he reaps.” There is nothing unusual about political juggernauts jumping from one party to another in a political setting that is bereft of political ideologies, which usually determine the thrust of political parties in a democracy. Kalu by his action has proven he knows the political terrain well enough to do whatever he considers right and suits him best and which would confer him relevance in the polity. For long I have been wondering about his open relationship with politicians of political parties, an unusual act with most of them. Let us hope his decision is wise. – Lai Ashadele – 07067677806
My brother, sir, I really enjoyed your wonderful article, Kalu and APC, a very good one where you played with words. I will cross your path after through the series, meanwhile it is a great piece like I said; you are a great writer, which is the major reason I admire much in you. Keep it up and hope to be hearing from you every Sunday. Good wishes and remain in Christ where you will be blessed. Amen – Oliver – 08034749924
Uncle Ralph, it is always a pleasure reading you every Sunday even when I disagree with some of your positions like that the one on OUK, who is now in APC. – Kelvin – 08036772715
I think that individuals that have the intellectual capacity to do so, should manage OUK’s move. I will advise that OUK at the moment should move slowly while rebuilding his group and APC. – 08038088244