2015: Thoughts On Jonathan's Eligibility

By Edwin Ekene Uhara
On unique characteristic of democracy in this part of the clime is that,

at every election period, our political actors unleash their political

dragons on the entire nation just because some of them want to be in power

at all cost! Sometimes, when I look at how some politicians beat their war

Tonga because of an election, I wonder if at all they understood the basic

tenets of democracy and its challenging responsibilities of using power

for the common good of the people! For them, democracy is the acquisition

of power for personal gains and enrichment at the expense of the people.

Application of this definition of democracy in Nigeria could only be the

reason we dissipate energy, time and resources arguing and debating over

trivial issues like ethnicity, region, religion and political party during

election periods.
However, as a prelude to the conduct of the 2011 Presidential Election, a

lot of resources were spent arguing on zoning and rotation and how it

applied to President Good Luck Jonathan's intention to run for the oval

office in the land. While some said zoning and rotation was dead and

buried or had been observed in breach, others opined that zoning principle

should be maintained. Also, while some argued that zoning was not in the

1999 constitution and should therefore not affect Jonathan's candidacy,

others said the principle of the Federal Character as contained in the

1999 was the grandfather of zoning and rotation in the country.

Furthermore, while the zoning debate was raging chiefly between the

Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) lead by Mallam Adamu Ciroma and

the Southern Elders and Political Leaders Forum (SEPLF) lead by Chief

Edwin Clark, a summit of who is who in the 19 Northern States plus the

Federal Capital Territory was held in Kaduna under the auspices of the

Northern Political Summit (NPS). At the end of the summit, a communiqué

was issued saying President Good Luck Jonathan was free to run for the

Presidential Election if he so wished. Their resolution was hinged on this

simple analogy; that, if they are two pilots on a plane, and one died

along the line, the second pilot should not stand idly-by and watch the

plane to crash, rather, he should continue piloting the plane till it

lands safely. But, at the end of the day, the Constitution of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria which is the grand norm of the country prevailed as

President Good Luck Ebele Jonathan
finally declared his interest in running for the 2011 Presidential

Election on September 18, 2010 at the Eagle Square Abuja, an election

that gave him landslide victory over all his opponents!

Similarly, it will be recalled that similar scenario played out during the

preparations for the conduct of the 2007 Presidential Election, where

virtually all the Southern States Governors completing their second term

of office were presidential aspirants! In the usual political drama fast

becoming one of our democratic hallmarks as a country, a group of

traditional rulers and political leaders from the 17 Southern States

sprang up claiming that, the south should still retain power because, the

north have ruled the country for about 38 years. After several meetings

and political horse-trading, the then out-going Rivers State Governor, Dr.

Peter Odili became the most visible Presidential Candidate from the pool

of candidates from the South. Dr. Odili was probably on his way to

clinching the PDP Presidential Ticket before the eventual emergence of the

then out-going Governor of Kastina State, Late, Umaru Yar'Adua as the

PDP Presidential candidate who
later won the Presidential Election in 2007.
Hence, it is understandable why the preparations for the 2015 Presidential

Election is creating similar tension, but in a dynamic way! First, while

some said President Jonathan is going for a third term, because he has

taken a presidential oath of office twice; the one he took on May 6th,

2010 when he was sworn-in as  president to complete the tenure of late

President Yar'Dua and the one he took on the 29th of May, 2011 when he

won a landslide victory at the polls for the first time, he should

therefore be banned from running in 2015, others countered the claims with

superior argument saying the first Presidential Oath was for the

completion of the late President Yar' Adua's tenure. Hence, President

Jonathan's tenure started counting from May 29, 2011; and that he is

free to seek re-election like his predecessors in 2015. This very argument

has been upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction and it is binding on

every Nigerian. That case should
therefore Rest in Peace (RIP)!
Since we have all known that President Good Luck Ebele Jonathan is

eminently and legally qualified to seek re-election in 2015, what then is

the cause of the prevailing political tension in the country? Like I have

said in my previous articles, nobody should blame the media for the

cascading political culture in the country, rather, we should blame the

opinion leaders who arm-twist media messages and pass on the distorted

versions to their followers. Hence, the opinion leaders should ask their

followers to stop their needles arguments and tensions over Jonathan's

candidacy.
In Conclusion, the February 14, 2015 Presidential Election will come and

go, and none of the artificial tensions in the country can prevent

President Good Luck Jonathan from winning his re-election! Therefore, I

advise that instead of threatening a man with an empty barrel, we should

drop all the scare tactics and allow the peoples will to prevail come

February 14, 2015.
Comrade Edwin Ekene Uhara, an Activist, Media Consultant and Public

Affairs Commentator is the National President of Young Nigerians for

Change.
Reach him on 07065862479, 08076134054
[email protected]
Temporarily writing from, No., 9, Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,

Nigeria.