President Goodluck Jonathan, penultimate week, spent almost one week
in Lagos during which he commissioned some federal projects in the
South-west as well as naval war ships to boost the nation’s maritime
security. He also met with different segments of the society where he
told them why he should be re-elected on March 28 when the presidential
election will be held.
Meanwhile, the unspoken reason for the President’s five-day stay in
Lagos where he met with several groups from the South-west was to
redouble efforts at getting significant votes from the region during the
presidential election.
With the release of the number of people who have collected their
permanent voter cards, PVCs, so far nationwide, it was apparent that
with the lack of disposition of voters in the North western to
Jonathan’s candidature, it became apparent that because of its high
number of voters, the support of the South-west was critical to his
re-election.
FILE PHOTO:President Goodluck Jonathan (right) with Hrm Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo during the visit of the president to Oyo town. Photo: State House. |
In this context, the postponement of the general elections by six
weeks by the Independent National Electoral Commission was a huge
blessing to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and especially the
candidacy of Jonathan. Although conspiracy theorists have argued that
the postponement of the elections was orchestrated by the PDP, the
reason given by the INEC and subsequent events that followed have since
given a lie to this theory. For instance, the postponement has given
eligible voters more time to collect their PVCs.
But for the PDP, which appeared to have been doing so badly judging
from the crowd that attend its rallies, especially in some northern
states, the postponement offered an opportunity to cover lost grounds
and the make some foray into the South-west.
Jonathan met with a cross section of Yoruba political and opinion
leaders beginning with the Yoruba Council of Elders at the State House,
Marina, Lagos. The President also met with market women groups under the
aegis of the Iyalojas, the Oodua Cooperative Alliance from the six
states of the South-west, as well as representatives of other ethnic
groups and tribes in Lagos.
He visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III; the Soun of
Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Ajagungbade; and about 20 traditional rulers of Egba
extraction from Ogun State. The significance of the meeting with the
traditional rulers from Egbaland stems from the fact that this is same
area which former President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the worst critics
of Jonathan, hails from.
The traditional rulers, who attended the meeting in Abeokuta, the
Ogun State capital, were led by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun
Gbadebo. Others at the meeting included the Akarigbo of Remo, Oba
Michael Sonariwo; and the Olowu of Owu, Oba Dosunmu. The Awujale and the
paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and Olu of Ilaro and
paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, were absent.
The meetings provided avenue for the President to solicit support of
the various groups in a more personal manner for his candidacy at the
polls. For instance, while at the palace of the Alafin of Oyo, Jonathan
used the opportunity of the visit to inform the nation that he would
implement the report of the National Conference. Bearing in mind that
the South-west has been in the fore front in the demand for a National
Conference, the President could not have chosen a better place than the
Alafin’s palace to give his commitment.
Jonathan’s whirlwind visit to the South-west appears to be yielding
dividends if the assurances given by some prominent Yoruba leaders are
anything to go bay. For instance, the founder of the Odua Peoples
Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, has publicly stated that Yoruba elders
have decided to support Jonathan based on his promise to implement the
National Conference report.
“The promise he gave us is that if he comes back for a second term,
he will ensure that the decisions of the Confab are perfected and
implemented as soon as he comes in. The Yoruba want self-determination
within the federation that will ensure their form of government and
politics and want to be able to develop their own region”, Fasheun said
while justifying their support for Jonathan.
A meeting of Yoruba leaders in Akure, under the aegis of Afenifere
with the theme: ‘’National Conference, 2015 Elections and the Yoruba
Nation’, also endorsed Jonathan for the 2015 elections, citing his
commitment to implementing the report of the National Conference as
their reason.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in an elaborate
explanation to justify the decision of the group, noted that the action
was not borne out of partisan considerations but pragmatic assessment of
the best interest of the Yoruba race.
According to him, “We are supporting Jonathan because of the
consistency of the Yoruba to have this country restructured so that it
can develop. People are calling for change. I want a change in the
Constitution of Nigeria. Only a change in the Constitution can truly
bring about the change that we need.”
FILE PHOTO: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (M) PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, ALHAJI ADAMU MU’AZU; FORMER GOV OF OGUN STATE, OTUNBA GBENGA DANIEL; PRESIDENT, OODUA COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE, ASIWAJU ADETOKUMBO AND MEMBERS OF OODUA COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE AFTER A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT JONATHAN AT THE STATE HOUSE MARINA IN LAGOS ON FRIDAY (20/2/15). |
But if the resurgence of hope on Jonathan from the South-west is
reassuring, the change in tide in the security situation in the
North-east, which has been under the grip of Boko Haram terrorists, has
brought a new sense of renaisssance.
Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east took a dangerously different
dimension when the group graduated from attacking military formations
and government offices to occupying large towns and villages across the
three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. The large scale defection of
members of the armed forces as well as the large number of security
service being court martial send a bleak message to many Nigerians,
especially those living at the epicentre of these attacks, that the
government is either unable or unwilling to bring about their sufferings
to an end.
Three weeks after the postponement of the election, the military has
dealt a devastating blow to the Boko Haram sect as hundreds of its
members have been killed in battle, several of their military hardware
and weapons either captured or destroyed while Baga, Munguno, Diwa,
Gwoza and other villages hitherto occupied by the terrorist group have
been liberated.
With the supply of new weapons and ammunition to the army and the
renewed cooperation between the neighbouring countries of Chad,
Cameroon, Niger and Benin Republic to fight the Boko Haram terrorists,
the confidence of many Nigerians, displaced from their homes and
villages by the terrorists, appears to be waxing stronger.
And with the assurance by the President that the Boko Haram would be
defeated and its leader captured or killed by the military, there
appears to be new hope for the candidacy of Jonathan. Whether these
renewed interests will transform into electoral fortunes would be
determined by moves that the ruling PDP and the opposition All
Progressive Congress would make to convince the electorate who are yet
to decide on who to vote for in March 28 presidential poll.
Source: Vanguard
1 comments:
Unfortunately the clock ran out on February 14th. The president is now redundant so far as I'm concerned. You only get one time to take the nation to the brink. We can't risk even a day beyond May 29th in Johnathan's hands.
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of Stephen Chuka