Jonathan presidency: Why North backed down

Posted by admin Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Latest Politics, Presidency Sunday, May 8th, 2011

The flurry of messages congratulating President Goodluck Jonathan from all over the world may have finally persuaded northern elements who were once opposed to his emergence as the nation’s number one citizen into soft-pedalling.

SUNDAY PUNCH investigations showed that this change of heart and the consequent thaw in the attitude of some key northern leaders to support Jonathan was a product of current realities.

Jonathan’s opponents in the Peoples Democratic Party initial arrangement to produce the party’s standard-bearer, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and former president, Ibrahim Babangida, had congratulated the president after his election victory last April 16.

Atiku, Babagangida and some other northern leaders had opposed the candidacy of Jonathan, insisting on a zoning formula that would throw up a northerner to carry the party’s flag in the just ended presidential race.

Our correspondents learnt that the wide condemnation that greeted the post-election violence that followed Jonathan’s victory informed the new posture from the north.

Many Nigerians among them nine corps members serving in Bauchi State lost their lives, even as many properties were destroyed in the protest that accompanied the announcement of Jonathan as the president-elect.

Jonathan defeated other candidates comprising three northerners, Gen. Muhammedu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria; and Mallam Ibrahim Shekerau of All Nigeria Peoples Party.

This year’s polls, particularly the presidential election, were adjudged credible by the international community, with even the United States President, Barak Obama, congratulating Jonathan on his victory. Many world leaders also saw the poll as a step forward in Nigeria’s quest to take her rightful position on the African continent.

Obama said, “As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria can show what is possible when people of different parties, ethnicities and faith and backgrounds come together to seek peace, provide for their families and give their children a better future,” he said.

Obama said Nigeria had the historic opportunity to move forward together and make their nation a model for Africa.

Besides, the perception of many Nigerians is that Jonathan needed a fresh chance to move the country forward.

Those opposing the president were seen to be heating up the polity and setting the nation on edge.

Although Alhaji Adamu Ciroma of the Northern Political Leaders Forum declined to speak to one of our correspondents, indications were that the once influential group that had shopped for a northern consensus candidate to replace Jonathan is now alone.

“I won’t comment on anything. I’m not answering any questions. Thank you, goodbye,” Ciroma said to inquiries from one of our correspondents.

However, the umbrella northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum, said it soft-pedalled in its initial tough stance towards Jonathan in order to respect the wishes of the electorate, including northerners, who gave him their mandate to rule for the next four years.

According to the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, it is the patriotic duty of a responsible body to applaud Jonathan’s election.

Sani, however, noted that the forum’s position should not be misconstrued, maintaining that it had not abandoned its position on the rotation and zoning of the nation’s number one political office.

The ACF also urged Jonathan to constitute a government of national unity that would give all sections of the country a sense of belonging.

“No nation thrives on the victory of its factions but through their ultimate reconciliations,” he said.

Sani argued that the ACF decision to congratulate Jonathan should not stop anyone not satisfied with the outcome of the election from seeking redress in court.

He said it would be unpatriotic for the group to felicitate with the winners of the other elections, leaving out the nation’s number one citizen.

“Now that the elections have been conducted by a constituted authority, INEC, and northerners have participated, it is only patriotic and civil that a responsible forum committed to democratic tenets congratulates the participants, be they winners or losers, and advise losers with strong feeling of perceived injustice to seek redress through due process of law.”

Sani said the ACF was concerned with the unity and progress of the nation.

He added, “ACF’s position is informed by the reality that Nigeria is of political economy where government is about the only access to national resources. Politics goes beyond ideals to include about who gets what, why, where, how and when, as well as the fact that good governance is not more than the art of balancing competing demands among the constituent parts, then you would have the realistic appreciation of the danger of leaving some factions or sections on the ring side. In any case, of the 19 northern states, 15 are under the watch of Mr. President’s party. How feasible is it to ask the 15 states not to be part of the government?”

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Grassroots Initiative for Peace and Social Orientation, said the north had finally taken the right steps by joining the rest of the country to support Jonathan.

The group’s National Coordinator, Mr. Akinaka Richard, commended the northern stakeholders that had expressed support for the president-elect.

“We appreciate the position of the north. It is the right thing to do. I commend them, they should help him to succeed,” he said.

Akinaka said the current reality was that no matter the parochial and sectional interest of any group, all heterogeneous societies need collaboration from all sections of the society.

“The South-South has been collaborating with that axis of the country. The South-South has never antagonised the North. We are the friends of the North. It will further strengthen the unity of the country,” he said.

-Punchwp_posts