There is a real possibility that former President Goodluck Jonathan will be dragged into contesting the forthcoming presidential elections under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria. This article examines his chances at the polls on that day.
By Sunday Olabinjo, from Benin City
Put side by side with incumbent President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is no match for the ubiquitous Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On the surface, Good Luck, Jonathan appears weak, simple, and ordinary. His voice is inaudible, and he walks with a swagger that suggests tiredness. Even a lightweight boxing champion would perform better in physical appearance in comparison to him. At 67, he is supposed to be agile, active, and if not determined. These were the qualities he displayed while in office as the former Head of State. He wasn’t firm, often caught napping, and lost in decision-making. Till this day, critics hold his inaction and passiveness as being largely responsible for the menace of insurgency currently ravaging the country! Jonathan was in power for six years, during which Nigerians grappled with constant fuel queues, traffic gridlock, and worse corruption hit the rooftops!
Independent marketers held the country spellbound and looted the treasury blind under his watch. His Minister of Petroleum couldn’t give an account of oil proceeds and, for a long moment, abdicated her responsibilities to the nation. So, when revelations began pouring in about the billions stolen and distributed for party patronage, the commotion was too much to handle. At one point, it was reported that $2 billion was craftily removed from the Central Bank vaults and distributed to privileged persons! Awful, you might think. Seen from this angle, questions would certainly be asked about his impending second coming: what is he coming to do? To repeat the same circle or introduce another dimension of violent theft? Let’s move on to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At first glance, he looks tough, bold and straight forward; he doesn’t appear to speak much, but his cold looking eyes conveys the impression that this man is authoritative and smells power Don’t be deceived by his frail body physique, which also has a mysterious coating portraying him more as a retired military commander which is why he has survived many tough elections, whether local government, governorship and now presidential. ; You know the aura that surrounds people in that class: purposeful, fixated and direct! Whatever doubt that exists is carefully wiped out when you study his character and attitude; you first get the impression of a free-flowing comrade, but along the line, you begin to experience his mean and tough approach to resolving issues! That’s what gifted him the position he now occupies, overcoming hurdles with ease.
Tinubu once told Nigerians the naked truth: “Don’t wait for power to come to you, go for it, grab it and run with it! That’s the man Jonathan wants to contest against. Truly, his powerful charms may have worked for him steadily in the past, but now, against a Tinubu who understands everything, including the underworld, orthodox and unorthodox practice, it remains to be seen if Jonathan stands a chance. Here, there is strong advice for him, and that is, better not to exhaust your goodwill. For a man who had practiced for nearly two decades learning the ropes of how to grab and run with power, better to tread carefully. If he is banking on Nigerians’ support, that’s just a bad idea; Nigerians are unreliable when it comes to matters of this nature. Obaseki, former Edo State governor, once said they care more for their “stomach,” which is true!
Call a native doctor, a seer or necromancer, or whoever is adept at seeing the future; Tinubu is not the man to be pushed out of power; He wasn’t caged when he was outside and certainly not this time. You do not need a prophet to tell you this; the presidency is closed till 2031! Unless something dramatic happens, even then, Jonathan is not the man. I would prefer to see his Bowler Hat worn, addressing a United Nations Peace seminar, than on the throne of power; he relinquished power peacefully when he lost the 2015 general elections, and if he has good advisers, it may not be out of place to work with Tinubu to make Nigeria a better place.
