In the last couple of months, everyone has been jostling for the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan. The reason is simple, Óga I beg to apply’. Politicians of different shades have met under various camps beckoning at the President to contest as if he has said he will not contest. Nobody is cajoled or brain-washed with the hide and seek game by the President. It is a tradition, considering what his predecessors did. They are all pretenders. They make their intension look as if Nigerians earnestly requested them to continue the ‘good works’.
In Nigerian politics nothing goes for nothing. When it suits us, we hide under the guise of nascent democracy; when will our democracy develop beyond ‘family affairs, chop I chop and national cake syndrome’? Jonathan cannot fool anyone. The vast majority of Nigerians already know the antics of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Some politicians gathered at the Presidential Villa recently pleading with the President to seek re-election. If the President is not interested, let him say so. As it was in the time past, so it is now. Nobody occupied that position and says he will not seek re-election. The delay in declaration is deceitful and Nigerians can no longer be deceived. After having dinner with Mr. President at the Villa recently, Chief Tony Anineh, chairman of PDP BoT, announced that, ‘Jonathan will run’.
Nigerians on social media lambasted him for saying what we already know. As a fall out to Anineh’s declaration, many social media commentators asked some pertinent questions which none of them that have been beckoning at the President to declare are yet to answer.
These questions include, ‘who does not know that he will contest or seek re-election? Running to where? As he delivers on the fresh breath he promised us against 2011? As he tackled the insecurity and other social vices ravaging the land as he promised? Others asked of unfulfilled promises of steady power supply before 2015. As we approach another general election since September 2012, they promised to increase megawatt generation from the 4.6 megawatt to above 6megawatt but instead it has gone down beyond expectation while PHCN has been balkanized into about 18 different companies. Who is fooling who? The only thing Nigerians will be shocked to hear from the President himself is to say, ‘fellow Nigerians I am not contesting’. If he dares say so, then he should not return to Niger Delta. Even from the home front there at the Aso Rock, I can bet it if Mr. President declines to re-contest, he will not have peace form his bedroom as his dearest partner is patiently waiting to say, ’fellow Nigerian women, na only you waka come, thank you for not sharing my husband’s vote with another person’.
Nobody can keep the nation in suspense. In the event Mr. President declines, majority of Nigerians both within and outside the country will celebrate to the high heaven beyond the expectation of the buffoons that are beckoning at him for what will accrue at them than what his re-election will benefit the nation. They are just crying wolf to show solidarity that they are with him 100 percent. Before the 2011 Presidential election which he won by a ‘landslide’, we were desirous of better life. With emotional and sentimental attachments, we all thronged and trooped out to the polling booths excepting fresh idea and a new breath of life. What we got in return is incremental upsurge in corruption that Mr. President can crush if he so wishes but he closed his eyes to such vices as individuals lined their pockets with our money.
Mr. President, please while you are making up your mind to or not to contest, tell us what happened to the criminal charges levelled against the your cabinet members ranging from the unremitted $20 billion crude oil wind fall, N10 billion chartered private jets for the oil minister, N255 million NCAA or Aviation scam, oil subsidy or fuel scam, why PDP governors are not threatened with impeachment? Why are the financial crimes bodies like EFCC, ICPC and others, toothless bull dogs? I wish you good luck as you declare.
Koleoso Adelowo,
15, Apapa Oshodi Express Way, Lagos
