The political capital in the constant harassment of Jonathan

History is replete with instances where men have come to power mainly through sympathy-induced circumstances. And there are some notable instances where such “children of circumstance” become great leaders or men of note in history. The story of Adolf Hitler is arguably a classic example of men who rose from very lowly statuses to become noteworthy whether positively or negatively. Hitler had the sympathy of the then Social Democrats of Germany and came to power because the Democrats saw in him a puppet they could manipulate. History was soon to speak differently.

Coming closer home, in East Africa haters of Patrice Lumumba had found a ready tool in Mobutu Sésé Seko, using him to run their interest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mobutu was to grow larger than life. Again in East Africa Idi Amin of Uganda was seen as a stooge of the British government. He was to be used to run the interest of his masters; in the service of her Royal Majesty. But Amin was to later get out of hand. The rest remains with history.

The late Sir Michael Otedola came to power as Lagos State governor in the early nineties under a rather more positive sympathy circumstance. Lagos State was the bastion of the then Social Democratic Party. But just before the elections, party stalwarts began to tear at one another’s throat in what greatly offended the sensibilities of party supporters and the entire Lagos electorate. As the sinews of war played out from level to level among SDP party men and women, Otedola and the National Republican Convention carted away the spoils.   

President Jonathan’s story is arguably, the most classic of such circumstances. First the man came to national political limelight as a dark horse who could ordinarily be said to be the least of all contenders, having no strong political pedigree. The man was perhaps seen by powerful power brokers as one that would sit as a lame-duck Vice President, holding fast a de facto non-existing office, never to challenge the President, and then sit there for eight years and quietly go home thereafter. But as it turned out, the well lettered man was later to hoist the office of President; an office he took on in real terms.

But soon after the man sat firmly as President, he was to be inundated with all kinds of accusations, darts and criticisms particularly unconstructive ones. Matters were not helped by what seemed a stereotype and inappropriate pattern of response by the President’s aides who kept arguing that President Jonathan did not cause the problems of Nigeria. That was a very unintelligent way of projecting the image of the President. Nigerians voted for Jonathan to solve our problems and not to blame our earlier fathers or simply be looking at our problems. 

That said, it is on record that of all the leaders Nigeria has had, Jonathan has seen the most unfairness and the most injustice from those who detest him. And there seems to be no reason for the many attacks the man has experienced including the most severe reign of terror from insurgent groups, than the baseless notion from some quarters that the man should not be president. If not, how else does one understand the call for him not to contest when the will to do so or not should be his, as firmly entrenched in the constitution? How else does one understand the threat from certain quarters that they would not accept a return of Jonathan for a second term? 

Jonathan may not have succeeded in many fronts but given the unfair circumstances in which he has been operating, how many past presidents could have done as much as he has? While no one holds brief for the President we must accept if nothing else, that what the lessons of the two recent elections in the west with all the regions political sophistication holds, must go beyond the façade of free and fair elections, to a deeper meaning of the birth of a new dawn.

Recently, the President was given an ultimatum by a certain group of “Northern elders” tying his return in 2015 as president to his ability to rescue the abducted Chibok girls by October this year, even when the group did not first of all, condemn the act of terror. Soon after that, a group of pensioners also told the President to pay all that is due to them before 2015 or forget re-election. There is nothing wrong at all in anyone or group of persons giving an ultimatum to the President but that can only be as far as the votes of the ultimatum givers, counted, can go. There is no country in the world where the votes of pensioners or of a group of “elders” no matter by what other prefix or suffix they are addressed, decide the election of anyone for that matter let alone a President. This type of politicking which smacks of uncommon arrogance is informed by the same philosophy that persuades some farragoes who think they can grossly undermine the nation and its spirit by terror.

In my thinking, the barrage of unconstructive attacks on Jonathan’s administration, rather than kill the spirit of the Nigerian voter, is capable of re-awakening his or her sensibilities and those of others who have been largely apathetic to the scheme of things in Nigerian politics. It seems to me that if the arrogant attacks on the present administration continue, it will better succeed in amassing sympathy votes for the President than in frightening people into voting him out. Indeed, it stands to reason that those who do not want Jonathan to come back for a second term must change their strategy. 

Chuba Keshi