JONATHAN’S FAILURE: A LESSON FOR GEN. BUHARI

Eventually the long awaited 2015 general elections have come and gone with its intricacies of rhetoric, uncertainties and a catalogue of varying forms of controversies which preceded this period. Many people bore the unflinching notion that Nigeria will explode, while some groups especially in the South-Eastern part of the country preached it like a gospel to folks and the world who may care to hear, some others including countries like America prophesied secession.

Thank God! Nigeria remains in one piece and despite the
irregularities, impunity, intimidation, human right abuses and pockets of indiscriminate killings which oversaw the elections across the country and within the states, we must remain grateful to God at least for the fact that the foretold civil war faded away with the wind following the defeat of PDP at the federal level.

You see, the issue is not that APC clinched the presidential poll, but that Jonathan conceded defeat when he congratulated Gen. Buhari even before the election results were announced, a gesture which saved the day, and more importantly a symbolical demonstration of a man who does not want the keg of gunpowder upon which Nigeria was sitting on, to catch fire, and he be blamed for it.

It had appeared as if the out-going president never wanted to contest in the elections for 2^nd tenure or maybe had at some point bit his fingers in regrets when the reality of the incoming president’s opposition force dawned on him. Initially, the PDP pride and egoistic aspersions against opposition parties alongside their self-deluding talent for rigging elections filled their psyche with false energy of a sure victory. For some people it is called the winning spirit. But then it has to be rooted in fairness, transparency, good judgment and implementable policies (which PDP lacks) before it can yield benefits. If the out-going president’s tomb prints were rejected by the Card Reader machine in his Home Town and in many other locations across the states did same to registered voters and if having heard or seen probably in viral videos and pictures the use of underage voters yet decided not to contest Gen. Buhari’s victory then it is indicative that Jonathan like Nostradamus (the man who saw tomorrow) must have anticipated his crooked defeat as a lee way to steer-clear of a volatile capitalist government vulnerable to disembodiment, political and economic sabotage, a burden he felt he can’t bear.

Be that as it may, it will be wrong to say Jonathan accepted defeat at the polls because he can no longer bear the burden of leadership (after all, his antecedents are there to speak against him) but rather he was scared of what will happen to Nigeria if he wins. We had witnessed the brutality and inhumanity of Boko Haram, Political Haram and Economic Haram which his actions and inactions allowed to hold sway for 6 years unabated in his administration. More so, the heightened tension among the politically active ethnic groups, and the fierce struggle (campaign of calumny and bickering) among political parties and geopolitical zones of the country nailed a clear picture of another regime of folly, and possible anarchy should he emerge instead of Gen Buhari.

However, it is germane to point out here that Jonathan could have at this time be relived of circumstances that had tied his hands behind his back leaving him helpless, if he had done and outdone certain things;

Firstly, Nigerians had become alienated to Jonathan’s government following the entrenched ill-feelings against his administration’s inability to completely quell the menace of insurgency throughout his reign. More so, the unprecedented postponement of Presidential polls on the guise that the military needed that time within the polls shift to halt Boko Haram uprising in the North in order to allow free, fair and violence free elections to uphold, further angered Nigerians when the military’s heavy bombardment of the insurgents within that period pointed to the fact that the presidency actually had the capacity to do away with this deadly group long before now but for reasons best known to the government of the day failed to save the sacred lives of innocent Nigerians.

Secondly, Jonathan’s regime had empathy for corruption as exemplified in the state pardon granted some notoriously corrupt politicians, and now it has become even more worrisome as he is under pressure by his kinsmen to grant corrupt Iboro (former Delta State governor) state pardon, before handing over power on May 28^th (a very suspicious hand-over) instead of the usual 29^th. Again the indifference feigned by the presidency concerning the multitude of job seeking Nigerians, who were unduly charged N1, 000 for seeking employment in their country, and some of who lost their lives or maimed in their pitiable bid to get immigration employment  leaves much to be desired. Though the recruitment exercise was cancelled, and automatic employment granted relatives of deceased victims (an ill-fated campaign strategy), the non-affected youths are yet to be refunded their monies or recruited into the agency.

So many economic indicators also pointed to the greater preeminence of god-fatherism contrasted 

against Obansajo’s regime which downplayed the economic emancipation of many employable graduates roaming the streets looking for job, as meaningful employment into the Federal or State Civil Service was a question of “who you know?”

Furthermore, Jonathan’s administration rode on the wheels of high cost of governance, which created a lot of redundant appointments and ministerial positions thereby giving room for money bag politicians to fiddle away a-floating-class-restrained-available-task-payer’s money. This scenario undoubtedly aggravated the anguish of the poor masses, who they (the politicians) dim fit to use as campaign pawns when tipped with pea nuts stolen from their commonwealth. Consequently, it is not surprising that this regime is indebted of about 9. 19 trillion Naira which Gen Buhari’s regime must inherit due to the high cost of running the Nation’s affairs, and which primarily was never centered on the poor citizenry.

Lastly the high level of political rascality as demonstrated by political desperados especially in recent times further created disenchantments and a new devious style of democracy which further appraised Jonathan’s regime below average and hastened his loss for 2^nd tenure. The use of executive power to intimidate opponents, abuse of office and the boycotting of rule of law all held this country ransom at the detriment of his victory and advancement of democracy. Nigerians are more aware now than before. Our consciousness on National Issues has increased and our opinions about leadership being informed by the actions and inactions of stakeholders directed the massive votes or rigging which failed to favour Jonathan.

The president-elect is by this medium urged to consider the shortfalls of this regime in building a new Nigeria where all the policies he will ever make will be masses oriented.