Your vote is your assured weapon for change; that is if it does really count this time around given the reshaping of INEC.
Among the current political hounds most have no merits or credentials that would make redefine the fate of Nigerians. Then popular perception regarding Jonathan is mainly predicated on his attitude toward office, his quiet and calculating disposition. In terms of public policy, there is a lot that Jonathan could have done by now to strategically position himself. It is no too late for him to do a few things. However, the biggest challenge to the reelection of Jonathan is the same factor that should ordinarily have helped him, in the Nigerian tradition ascend to that office, like past Nigerian leaders. That factor is incumbency.
Jonathan would have be better served if he declines to run now, and then do it later. However, within the mindset of the Nigerian political class, that could amount to a political suicide. Now, he is awfully besieged and I am sure his own lingering thoughts regarding his future aspiration and missing an opportuned moment, is not lost on him. He, ordinarily might be sulking in to the way that his incumbency factor is making everyone shout Jonathan, relinguishing then trying to recapture the presidency at another time, might not come easy. I think that is why he is dithering and yet undecided regarding his own intent. Yet, that there is a palpable political predicament for the candidacy of Jonathan in the 2011 election cannot be missed. In fact, what is ridiculous right now, is that these various geopolitical endorsements, stinks of the solidarity visits made popular by Babangida and the 1998 movement to enthrone Abacha by the corrupt political class and their business elites.
Jonathan has even a more serious problem at hand, because, I am not sure that can be certain of the validity of some of these assumed political supoports. It is also inconceivable that he does possess a broadbased or deep roots within the dynamism of the PDP party structure, beyond the support of folks like Obasanjo. How certain it is that those on the side of Obasanjo in the past would willingly rout for Jonathan is highly debatable. Jonathan is also showing weak nerves, in using his political capital and other associated advantages to coax political support. He leaves him at the mercy of some many uncertain forces.
Nonetheless, having assessed the current actors seeking the Nigerian presidency, the bunch of them from Babangida, Buhari, and Atiku have nothing to offer Nigeria and Nigerians. In fact, these bundle of kleptocraft and kleptomaniacs, who triumphed upon oppressing, tormenting, stealing, and degradating the Nigerian identity and citizens have no valid credibility to run for office.
Take Dictator General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida for instance. What is he running upon? Credibility, integrity, and records? Except for pillorying a northern agenda, he has nothing going for him in this direction. He lied to Nigerians many times during his time as military presidency, rumbling decency and tumbling the nation upside down. Did this evil despotic general not abreast us in 1991/92 that his would be the last military regime in Nigerian history? Was this true? Was this not the same man who left a highly ambitious, even demented, General Sani Abacha on the Interim Government, knowing fully well what this general-his blood covenanted power covertouos general was capable of? Of course, Sani Abacha, we now know with 40 military personnel easily shoved Chief Ernest Shonekan aside and seized power? A lying General Babangida informed Nigerians in 2007 that he was stepping down for the late President Umoru Yar'Adua (PbUH) because he was his younger brother, yet he truncated the well orchestrated presidential campaign efforts of the late President's brother, General Shehu Yar'Adua in 1992, after the late general massively won the Social Democratic Party (SDP's) primary elections across the nation? In April 2007, President Babangida denied that he would ever run for electoral office, especially the 2011 elections because he would be in his 70s. He made similar denials leading up to campaigning for the 2007 elections but ended up running anyway.
The above does not even chronicle Babangida's worst blazen and blatant lies to Nigerians. The greatest lie Dictator Babangida told Nigerians was that he would handover power to a democratically elected government in 1993, but did he? He knowingly and intentionally annulled (he calls it cancelled) the popular and acknowledged (himself included) the best election, free and fair, June 12th, 1993 presidential election. A rogue in power, thievery rodent, Babangida and his dictatorial ranks of military dictators, sucked the nation dried. Babangida possess no tangible achievement upon which to aspire to power. Given his antecedents, this dictator, called Babangida (IBB) has nothing ingenious, newly acquired, or predicated past expertize that would enable Nigerians ever entrust him with their sacred mandate, except if he rigs the election using his stolen wealth from a national he milked dry.
Babangida, by constitutional right, as a citizen is free to contest any election of his choice, but the Nigerian people would never forget. His regime set the tone for Nigerian descent to armaggedon, helped prepped the most brutal dictatorship and kleptomanic leader, Sani Abacha, that Nigeria ever had. Babangida, has he alluded to himself in a 1995 news magazine interview, is an evil genius, a man whose creative ability has been deployed in the service of bestiality and evil. Babangida cold-blooded helped even murdered his own military conferes, of which the plane crash in Lagos in 1992 was a known instance. Babangida is yet to fully clear his name in the state murder of the late Newswatch magazine editor, Dele Giwa, killed in October 1986 under his leadership watch. If Babangida has nothing to hide, why did he refuse to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation panel, the Oputa panel in 2001? Dirty hands, guilty conscience, afraid of the consequences of his own actions, he was too scared to appear publicly and either announce or denounce the accusations against him. All, he knew was to deploy threats against Obasanjo to enable the military generals breath fresh air. Babangida cannot fool Nigerians again. Only the greedy, the luridly unconscionable Nigerians would continue to beat their drums in his favor. In fact, in Minna, Babangida' assumed hometown, after he left office, his own brothers and sisters showed him how much they disliked him, when they removed his shoes, removed at the town mosque's entrance, allowing him to walk bare footed home.
Dictators hardly think rationally full of their own sense of obtuse self-relevance. Babangida believes he can purchase and then possess everything or anyone with his stolen wealth. How did he come about this wealth? Just how, a general's pension? The late Major Gideon Orkar, during his April 1991 coup announcement gave us insight into how Babangida was accruing his money, outside of that stolen from the Nigerian people. Drugs was focally named. Unfortunately, Babangida never countered Orkar's allegations but only carried on with vegeance and a bloated ego of more assumed impunity.
This is just a brief cynosure of a brutal dictator, who is trying to cleverly plot his come back, with no solid credentials, except using patrimonial means and wealthy display to win coerce allegiance.
Jonathan, unfortunately, continues to deal with Babangida with a kid glooves, rather than putting him where he truly belong in jail, or public execution, as he did to his friend Vatsa.
Jonathan sluggishness would be his worst undoing. While southerners often take the intelligence of northerners for granted, they fail to realize the astutuness and concrete strategization and plotted schemes that northerners, especially the ruling political and military class, are fluently capable of. Southerners may indulge in flowery rhetoric and romance with the media, but northerns strategize and plot their graphs well, planning for any eventuality, and accentuating new designs if need be.
Until Jonathan and his people recognize this, and outwit the acumen of these strategists from the north, with proven and accountable actions, rather than purchasing new jets for the presidential fleets, especially dealing with the energy problem, releasing or promptly sentencing the Mustapha and his allied assassins, and other significant measures that Nigerians feel its impact, his sluggishness and time wasting approach would consume him.
From: Gben Silver <gbensilver@yahoo.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, August 31, 2010 4:23:43 AM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - A MESSAGE FROM NIGERIA'S YOUTH: RSVP Project...
Obi Dikas, What exactly is your reason for supporting Jonathan? What is your motivation? Talking of "I hope you youths of the 21st Century will remind our politicians that they can no longer continue to engage in massive corrupt practices'', what positive difference has Jonathan made since he took over as the nation's president? Here is one man who had spent billions of dollars on the purchase of three presidential jets to compliment the fleet. Who knows, maybe they are to aid in the presidential campaign and you talk of massive corrupt practices? While the jets were purchased from the excess crude oil account, Jonathan felt he could lend money to finance INEC's intention to give a fairly free election. An action that clearly shows what his intentions are; you say ''massive corrupt practices'' which is more important, Jets or the Elections? My question is what difference would Jonathan make? There are some fundamental things that he should have done, some positive steps in the right direction that he ought to have taken and that way we would not need you to tell us what to do. Naturally we would support the man that gives us the confidence of hope by deeds. How dare you compare Jonathan to Obama? Would Obama purchase three presidential jets from an Excess Crude Oil Account and borrow money to finance his country's elections? I'd want you to point out the similarities that the two personalities share, if not I consider your campaign and your message an insult on our personalities. Do this or forever hold your peace. Gbenga Dasylva
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
No comments:
Post a Comment