Obama will partner Nigeria if voted into office

Senator Barack Obama will partner Nigeria as a major ally of the United States on the African continent if he wins the presidential election for the White House, says his campaign.
Also, the Democratic Party convention opened Monday in Denver, Colorado, with an appeal by ailing Senator Edward Kennedy and Obama’s wife, Michelle, giving a warm description of her husband, as party leaders struggled to unify the party ahead of the general election.
Obama's Foreign Policy Adviser, Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, told THISDAY that Nigeria was an important country in Africa, not only in terms of its sheer size but because of its growing economy and its influence on the continent.
"Nigeria is obviously a very important country in Africa. It has a growing economy, a large population and a democracy with some bumps on the way. Senator Obama has spoken of the importance of Africa in terms of the growing world economy... the importance of trade, African labour and failed states of which Nigeria is not."
Sherman added that the Obama presidency would support Nigeria in order "to ensure the entire continent the kind of progress that Nigeria is making at this time."
Asked why Obama did not visit any African country during his recent world tour to Europe and Asia, another Senior Adviser to the campaign, Mr. Gregory Craig, simply stated that Africa was important to him.
Craig mentioned the presidential candidate's previous trips to the continent as proof that he would not neglect that part of the world.
Edwards's grand entrance lit up the Pepsi Center, venue of the convention.
He delivered an emotional speech that was interrupted by friendly banters at regular intervals. Edwards urged Democrats to unite behind the man that would be the first African-American to become president.
"Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender and group against group. This November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans," he stated.
He echoed his speech at the Democratic Convention in 1980 during his unsuccessful run for president:
"The work begins anew. The hope rises again and the dream lives on," he said.
He reminded voters that Americans did not doubt former President John F. Kennedy when he suggested that they could go to the moon.
He urged Democrats to believe in Obama's message of hope just as they believed and made it to the moon.
A short documentary on Michelle titled "the South Side Girl", followed Edward’s exit from the podium.
The piece meant to re-define Obama's wife, show her soft side, counter misconceptions about her and featured testimonies from people that know her.
It traced her roots, upbringing, career and relationship with her brother, Craig Robinson, her community service, which led to the birth of a community service centre at the University of Chicago, her compassion for people, love for family and meeting Obama who was an intern at the law firm where she worked.
She received a standing ovation as she stepped onto the stage.
Michelle talked about her role as a daughter, mother and wife.
She spoke about her husband and their struggles. She tried to connect with voters by showing how much they have in common with working class American families, a block Obama has struggled to win over, particularly Whites.
She said: "I come here as a wife who loves her husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. I come here as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the centre of my world... I come here as a daughter raised on the South side of Chicago by a father who was a blue collar city worker and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me.
"And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he has this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine. He was raised by grandparents who were working class folks just like my parents and by a single mother who struggled to pay bills just like we did. Like my family, they scrimped and saved so that they could have opportunities they never had themselves.
"And Barack and I were raised with so many values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them and even if you don't agree with them."
She paid tribute to Hillary Clinton and her remarkable run for the White House, suggesting that her daughters would benefit from that historic act.
But Clinton's supporters are still stoking fire as Republicans take advantage of the division to cause mischief.
The latest Republican advertisement aired a former Clinton supporter endorsing GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, John McCain, part of a ploy by the party to win disaffected Democrat voters.
Clinton was forced to make a public statement denouncing the ad. "I, Hillary Clinton, do not approve that message," she stated.
She went on to say that "I want those of you who supported me to work just as hard for Barack Obama as you worked for me."
But it is not certain whether Clinton's statements would make much difference.
The convention was meant to push through Obama's message, unify the party and paint Republicans as a losing party.
The opposite appears to be happening with a debate about what the Clintons want.
Some of her supporters wore a badge with an inscription: "Team Hillary" yesterday.
Obama has also tried to douse tension by stating that he would not "edit" Bill Clinton's speech. The former president told aides that he was not happy with the topic chosen for him.
He was meant to speak on National Security, portraying Obama as a capable Commander-in-Chief.
But he indicated he would rather speak on the economy.
Hillary's role in the convention is problematic for Democrats. It is expected that her speech yesterday night will help Democrats put behind their bruising primary election early this year. Obama is counting on her support in key battle ground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida which she won during the primaries.
The Obama team has bent over backwards to accommodate some of her campaign staff, put her name on the ballot at the convention and give her a speaking slot.
Team Hillary does not seem satisfied. She hits the right note and says the right things in public to get Obama elected.
However, analysts read her words, actions and body language for any clue if she actually means what she says. For instance, she stated yesterday that "I've probably done more for Senator Obama than anybody in my position has ever done by this time."
Some of her supporters say the Obama team had not given her enough credit for her efforts to unite the party since the primaries ended.
They also think that an Obama loss would open an opportunity for her to run again.
Meanwhile, three men initially suspected of plotting to assassinate Obama at the convention do not pose a threat and will be charged for carrying guns, officials have said.
"We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," US Attorney Troy Eid said.
Officials said three men were arrested and charged with security-related crimes, conspiracy and threatening statements.
The issue has now been downplayed by law enforcement officers in Colorado and Washington.
Reports said one of the men arrested told newsmen that others arrested on the issue made racist statements about Obama and voiced their opinion to kill him on Thursday when he is expected to deliver his speech in a 70,000 capacity stadium.
Reports quoted Nathan Johnson as saying: "Looking back at it, I don't want to say yes, but I don't want to say no."
He was interviewed while being held in jail on drug charges and denies any involvement in the said plot.
Policemen had on Sunday arrested 28-year-old Tharin Gartrell for carrying walkie-talkies, bulletproof vest and boxes of ammunition and two rifles in his truck.
Another fellow by name Johnson was arrested at a hotel in Denver and held on drug charges.
Thirty minutes later, 33-year-old Shawn Robert Adolf jumped from a six story house when police tried to arrest him at a hotel in suburban Glendale.
He is being held on a $1 million bond for other outstanding charges involving drugs.