Kalu Okwara With Agency Reports
5 June 2008
Lagos — SOME Nigerians including Prof. Pat Utomi, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Dr. Mohammed Usman yesterday welcomed the emergence of Senator Barack Obama as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party and described the feat as a watershed in the history of race relations in the United States of America (USA).
They said it was a sign of greater things to come the way of African Americans.
The 46-year-old senator had made history Tuesday when he garnered 2,118 delegates to defeat former first lady Senator Hillary Clinton and clinched presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.
He is the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a campaign for the White House.
In his reaction, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the April 2007 election, Prof. Utomi said Obama's victory was an indication that a great future awaited the black race.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Kila Odunayo, Prof. Utomi, tasked Nigerians to draw inspiration from Obama's success.
"It is with great sense elation at the American Democratic Spirit and the lessons for our own efforts at trying to fashion a democracy in Nigeria that I pay tribute to the American people and the Democratic Party on the emergence of Barrack Obama as the Party's flag bearer for the 2007 Presidential elections. The putative Democratic nominee deserves the commendation of democratic people everywhere for his gift to democracy.
"Beyond the historic points of the first person of African descent to become leader of one of the two major parties in America and the passing on of the touch to another generation, as the 46-year old Obama becomes front runner for the US Presidency, the events of yesterday morning (Nigerian Time), are worthy of our commendation because they show us that history is about people having the courage to dare to change things in the face of what orthodoxy considers impossible, and being convinced enough to inspire others to imagine the possibilities. We must acknowledge that these possibilities mark the coming alive of the dream of Matin Luther KingJnr that we be judged by the content of our character and not over state of origin or co lour. Barack Obama's hard fought campaign is also a lesson to us in Nigeria in making ideas and a passion for public service to advance the common Good as the essence and purpose of democracy.
"As the world celebrates the triumph of democratic ethos in its leading democracy, I find the most appropriate words when a white Anglosaxon Protestant Republican friend of mine who was a staffer in the Reagan white house said to me three months ago that Obama would not only clinch the nomination of his party but go on to become the 44th President of the United States as he and his friends go to work to prepare for Jeb Bush to succeed him as the 45th President. That would be the ultimate triumph of the American spirit. The United states deserves our toast for its infinite capacity to continue to reinvent itself. As we have said repeatedly, Nigerians have no reason being poor and only politics of the type of Barrack Obama championed car change culture and transform our living conditions.
"Obama's victory must be opportunity for serious reflection. Seeing the grave irony of our House of Representatives rejecting the Freedom of Information Bill on the day a more open society saw Obama cross the tape of the Democratic Party nomination process should help us realize in Nigeria that "Urgency" of now" to use a Martin Luther King Jnr phraseology is a recognition, in kings own words that "when evil men plot, good men must plan". When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind When evil men would seek to bring into being a real order of justice". Good men and women in Nigeria must arise, draw inspiration from this Obama moment and make our country rise from the ashes of corruption, poverty and mutual distrust into the glorious future that is its potential," he said.
Also, the Executive Director of Centre for Constitutionalism and Demilitarisation (CENCOD), Mr. Sylvester Odion Akheine, said Obama's success in the primary marked a historical turning point.
He said the USA has demonstrated its belief in liberty which, it has preached repeatedly.
But for Lagos lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, Obama's emergence was goodnews to the black race stressing that it was a good thing too for the USA.
"It shows that he who dares to struggle, dares to win. Barack Obama joined the fray and made a success of at," he said.
According to him, there is hope for Obama winning the November presidential poll in the USA, advising him to change the discrimination being suffered by the blacks when he becomes the president.
Also reacting, the Action Congress (AC) described the development as a historic feat.
Speaking with Daily Champion on telephone yesterday, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed, said a few years back such a feat would have been thought to be impossible.
"Barack Obama has made a big statement with his success in the presidential primary of the Democratic Party.
"He should not go there and rule as a black president, catering for the black race, rather he should be a president for the entire USA who have given him the ticket.
"He should be a president for the USA without discriminating against any race, gender or any section," he said.
Also reacting, Dr. Usman, described Senator Obama's feat as a "watershed in the history of race relations".
"Obama's victory is a watershed and huge boost to the history of race relations in the world,"
Usman, the Head of the International Relations Department of the University of Abuja, said yesterday in Abuja.
The don, who was speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that hope of any good deal for the blacks in the U.S.A. were lost after Rev. Jesse Jackson lost the bid for the Democrats presidential ticket in the 80s.
According to him, the U.S.A. had paid lip service to the issue of race for "too long before the latest development".
He said that Obama's victory was particularly sweet as it had thrown a challenge to the world on the need to promote equality in a free world.
Usman, however advised Obama and his team to prepare for a tougher battle as the race had just begun.
"The Democratic primaries were dirty as the other camp deployed all kinds of divisive tactics, but the race against the Republicans will be dirtier as they are known to be even messier," Usman said.
He expressed optimism that the Democratic party would embark on peace building measures to heal wounds resulting from the primary elections.
Usman particularly advised the Obama camp to "strive to bring Hillary Clinton and John Edwards to the fold," noting that their support was "very crucial" to victory in the final elections slated for November 4.
On a possible Vice President, Usman quickly opted for Edwards.
"People have voiced their support for Clinton, but I will prefer Edwards," he said, adding that Edwards had the capacity to win the crucial white vote.
He said that the Republicans had "so many loopholes," and advised the Democrats to look out for such loopholes and exploit them toward success in the.
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