Nigeria to have a Canadian president?

postpolitical.com/ppblog/2007/04 … an-future/

Nigeria’s Canadian Future?
Posted by: Lee | April 8th, 2007 · 9:08 PM

Isa Odidi

In an interesting development in Nigerian politics, one of the leading candidates in the presidential election is a Canadian pharmaceutical company’s CEO, Isa Odidi. His New Democrat Party, was founded by pro-trade Nigerian expatriate researchers and business leaders living in North America. They are opposed to outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo’s corruption and constitutional meddling.

Odidi’s return to Nigeria as a presidential candidate, marks an interesting new chapter in the history of African brain drain. Should he succeed, it may encourage a trend among highly-educated and successful African expats:

The next president of Nigeria could be a successful Canadian research scientist and entrepreneur who longs to bring the ideals of his adopted country to his homeland.Fifty-year-old Isa Odidi will fly from Toronto to Nigeria’s capital, Lagos, on Sunday to campaign in the lead up to the oil-rich west African nation’s presidential election April 21.

If elected, the chief executive of IntelliPharmaCeutics Corp. says he will reform Nigeria’s judicial system, adopt legislation similar to a bill of rights, push for freedom of information laws and protect freedom of the press.
(Edmonton Sun)

However, he’s keeping his options open. Nigerian officials had been pressing him to give up his Canadian citizenship, yet he has refused. He’s done so on the innovative grounds that he intends to import Canadian values to Nigeria:

“I consider Canada home seriously,” Odidi said, noting he fought and won in court to keep his Canadian citizenship when Nigerian officials suggested he had to give it up if he wanted to run for the presidency. “It’s one of the strong reasons I am actually running because I think there are a lot of values I can bring to the situation in Nigeria.”
(CTV)

This actually sounds like a fantastic idea? Could it work?

I am not sure how I feel about him not giving up his citizenship. But I think he could accomplish a lot of good in Nigeria.

Does anybody give a rats ass or should we just re-name this forum the American Politics Forum?

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the president of Latvia, used to be a Canadian. Her parents fled their home at the end of the war and ended up in Canada. She had to give up her citizenship to assume the post–but I think she was selected as a safe alternative during a showdown between rival camps. Apparently she’s popular, and took a run at heading up the UN. She also imported a few Canadian tricks to Latvian politics, including a language law similar to Quebec’s Bill 101, and timing controversial bills so that when students took to the streets to protest they’d be out there in the middle of winter: an old favorite of Chretien’s. When asked if it were a deliberate move she answered, “Sure, I lived in Montreal. I hope they (protesters) dress warmly.”

In earlier threads I’ve argued that there’s little need to given up citizenship beyond optics, and I still feel the same way.

Nigeria’s a complex country and could probably benefit from a few Canadian tricks to help the north and south muddle through together better in reality than theory would suggest. So, good on Odidi. Maybe good for Canada and Nigeria too. I imagine, given the deep internal divides, they ought to be able to accept a president with strong links elsewhere.

If he’s serious about his platform, terrific.
If he’s not going to get mired in local clan politics, fantastic.
If he helps establish capital building trade relationship between Canada and Nigeria (we, at least, don’t need their oil), party time.

I’m glad he’s sticking to his guns on this issue.

  • Get used to starting interesting threads that go nowhere due to a lack of interest… I have. :slight_smile:

So, he wins and Nigerians immediately start sending out spam emails saying they aren’t from Cameroon, how different Nigeria really is, and and a full list of Nigerian celebrities?

Well, it’s over, he lost, and according to him, the whole election was a “scam”, anyway, and the votes were bought.
680news.com/news/national/ar … =n0423104A

Nigeria can just stew in it’s own filth, then, if they don’t want any help from the civilized world.