I have refreshed your memory to paint a picture of what people do to come to power or hold on to it, even if peripherally. And how, once tasted, the longing for it never ends. Those around President Yar’Adua don’t give a fig about what becomes of Nigeria, for as long as power remains within their purview. The same goes for certain elements in the North in the campaign against Jonathan’s acting presidency. The Jonathan group also has its fair share of power-hungry people. It is obviously the jostle for power and position that has kept the mega party project on the drawing board for this long, though it’s the group that I belong, at heart. The least said about Atiku and IBB, the better. Yet, the Bible is clear about the one and only source and sustainer of power: “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs unto God (Psalm 62:11). And I wonder beyond consulting with themselves and the sycophants around them, do these people in, around, or seeking power ever bother about the God-angle? In other words, where is God in all of these hustling and scheming and manoeuvring?
We live in interesting times, in Nigeria. The months since November 26, when President Umar Yar’Adua disappeared from public view, have been particularly dramatic. We have treated to, as has already been noted, theatre of the absurd which has the potential of running interminably, unless something gives.
Replay some of the scenes in your head, if you will. A president, mortal as they come, falls sick and he’s flown abroad for treatment - like they do everyone who is rich or powerfully connected. His ailment was promptly diagnosed and announced to the public, as is the convention where public figures are concerned. And then, black-out. Predictably, the rumour mill set to work churning out unsubstantiated information. “Now, he’s alive; no, he’s not. Yes, he’s brain damaged; no he’s recovering.” In the midst of all of that, the president reportedly returned to the country in a air ambulance, was transferred into a land ambulance taken to his official residence where rumours had it, a special “ward” had been prepared for him.
For weeks thereafter he remained out of sight and incommunicado. Then reports started filtering through: “he is recovering fast; he played squash with this person or was it tennis.” Once it was reported that his convoy was seen driving round the villa grounds, as if to remind people that he was still alive and well. Then two weeks ago, he was said to have started receiving visitors. First, it was a team of mullahs who reportedly prayed with him, shook his hands, but had to fall back on their lip-reading prowess to communicate with him. Some Christian clerics followed. As we noted here last time, this command performance is in high demand, though it seems to have gone abruptly into recess.
Of course, other dramatic scenes were also playing side-by-side those. There were the many court scenes featuring some activists and groups including the Bar Association on one side, and a certain Senior Advocate of Nigeria who held the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Andoakaa on the other. Justice Dan Abutu was the arbiter who was, at least in these matters, a kind of soul-mate to the AG, handing him and those on his side of the argument one victory after another.
Then, there were the street scenes and the upsurge of eminent persons urging that the ship of state be not grounded because of the illness of one man who couldn’t or wouldn’t hand over power to his deputy and was constitutionally or at least conventional required. Recall how that the Senate had to unearth a so-called doctrine of necessity to resolve the problem and finally have Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan recognised as Acting President.
As I write this, Jonathan is in the United States officially to attend a nuclear summit. But, he has had the opportunity to articulate his vision for what might be the briefest civilian tenure in the history of Nigeria. He wants electoral reform; he wants to conduct free and fair election. This latter one he says will require him to drop the election commission boss, Maurice Iwu, who he says, has a credibility problem that’s more of perception than reality. He also wants to draw up a comprehensive power programme which he will begin to implement within the time available to him. But, analysts also conjecture that Jonathan would use the trip to test his international acceptability. This must be why he was not categorical about whether he would run in the forthcoming election or not – which, of course, is within his rights. I shall come back to this presently.
The epic drama of course has other sub-plots, which of course would be upgraded as the months go by. A mega party was being formed. Professor Pat Utomi says it will be known as Social Democratic Mega Party (SDP) and be inaugurated by end-April. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has all but returned to the Peoples Democratic Party, in obedience, he says, to the wishes of his people. And, of course, the self-styled evil genius, General Ibrahim Babangida has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2011 presidential election. And for good measure, he has let it be known that he’s not depending solely on PDP to actualise his dream.
Now, have I done all this review to fill space? Not on your life! I have refreshed your memory to paint a picture of what people do to come to power or hold on to it, even if peripherally. And how, once tasted, the longing for it never ends. Those around President Yar’Adua don’t give a fig about what becomes of Nigeria, for as long as power remains within their purview. The same goes for certain elements in the North in the campaign against Jonathan’s acting presidency. The Jonathan group also has its fair share of power-hungry people. It is obviously the jostle for power and position that has kept the mega party project on the drawing board for this long, though it’s the group that I belong, at heart. The least said about Atiku and IBB, the better.
Yet, the Bible is clear about the one and only source and sustainer of power: “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs unto God (Psalm 62:11). And I wonder beyond consulting with themselves and the sycophants around them, do these people in, around, or seeking power ever bother about the God-angle? In other words, where is God in all of these hustling and scheming and manoeuvring?
Now back to Acting President Jonathan. The history of our nation is replete with failed elections because elections have been conducted and supervised by people who are either running or have personal interest in certain candidates in the election they are handling. What the nation needs therefore is the opposite. Jonathan can be that man, if he disqualifies himself from the 2011 presidential race. In fact, I strongly believe that he is in office in the current political circumstances exactly for that God-ordained purpose. If he does that and concentrate on having a man in Aso Villa truly elected by the people, a grateful nation will someday bring him back. And even if he is not brought back, he would then, like we once said to Yar’Adua, not be Nigeria’s longest serving president, but he would be our greatest, yet.
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