Franklin Delaino Roosevelt had a reputation for honesty and fairness. Throughout his career, he confronted many challenges in which being a nice guy without taken decisive action would have led to a disastrous political end. For twenty years, then his secretary, Louis Howe, handled the situations; by either manipulation of the press, or turn it over through campaign. That assisted Roosevelt a lot. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s message of humble beginning, and how it was not possible for him to wear shoes to school touched the heart of Nigerians. And that for a man who rose from grass to grace in a country like ours, such a man must be the Messiah we were waiting for. Jonathan won the 2011 election overwhelmingly, but his victory failed to transform the people and the nation. Unfortunately, Mr. President turned against his mentors. One of them wrote him an open letter, calling him to adjust his styles of governance; warning the president against the use of stringers. Neither the president nor his advisers gave thought to the letter. The mentor’s letter became the issue, its contents were later to haunt both the President and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Rueben Abati was a celebrated columnist. He was a man that used to hit the nail on the head while discussing national issues, perhaps his writings must have warm him into the president’s heart. Power, like intoxication, sealed Abati’s mouth to tell his boss the feelings and the desires of Nigerians. On several occasions, Abati and Dr. Doyin Okupe decended to the use of ungentlemanly languages. Abati onced called All Progressives Congress (APC) former National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, unprintable names for daring to criticise the president. At a point in time, each time either Abati or Okupe were addressing the public, half of their messages would be insults for the political opponents of their principal. It appeared as if the military regime was back. Not quite long, the governor of the Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, told Abati: “ Ao pade o,” meaning we shall meet. I imagine when Abati and Aregbesola shall meet again, what defence would the former president’s spokesman put up for all the uncomplimentary statements he had uttered against the perceived political opponents of his boss? PDP pride themselves as a united family, boasting to reign and rule Nigeria for sixty years. When the crack began to be noticed in the largest party, not only in Nigeria, but in black Africa, none of the members of the Board of the party noticed the danger. President Jonathan forgot the goodwill of some notable Nigerian activists like Femi Falana, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and a host of others, who risked their lives when the northern hegemony opposed his succession to the presidency after the demise of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He entered an agreement with the then Action Congress national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in 2011. The electoral success he had in South West with the exception of Osun then gave him easy ride to power. Later, Jonathan referred to AC now APC leaders as rascals that must be flushed out from the West. From that moment, it was obvious that the president may no longer enjoy the friendship that sustained his ascendancy to power. Like Napoleon who was formerly timid, but had to cultivate the habit of boldness on the battle field, where he knew it was a matter of life and death, President Jonathan suddenly became extremely bold and pungent whenever he took anyone up. His action allegedly made Olusegun Obasanjo to resign his chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of PDP. Later, the former president stopped attending meetings involving the incumbent president. Later both leaders were accusing each other on the pages of newspapers. Most of the times, the duo were throwing verbal missiles at each other. Instead of pacifying the younger president to ignore the old one, one of the Ijaw leaders took side with the incumbent, lambasting the old man, calling him unprintable names and threatened to go to war with the ex-Niger Delta militants should Jonathan lose the 2015 election. Obasanjo, who had become the wash hand basin, was the same man that packaged Jonathan for the throne. Even if Jonathan had forgotten the effort of his benefactor, should Edwin Clark forget to be appreciative for working for the installation of one of the Ijaws to become a president in a country where power had been rotating among the three major ethnic groups? Oil politics must have made the South-South believe that political power is theirs. But they failed to learn from Emperor Sung in China, who came to the throne in 959 AD, persuaded the generals that could eliminate him to give up their position for life of peaceful retirement, which they did, and by so doing, turned unfriendly wolves to docile lambs. What the oil communities should have done would be to deal gently with others, knowing that oil is now everywhere. Since their youths are now on foreign training, courtesy of Yar’Adua, and some receiving monthly allowances, while their daughter is the oil Minister, issuing threat if power is gone may not have been necessary. Jonathan mismanaged his success and his party’s fortune. The party was fortunate to have the highest numbers of governors. Jonathan carried his personal grudge against Governor Rotimi Ameachi to the public. It was an open secret that Dame Patience Jonathan had disagreement over Okirika infrastructural development. But what could have been handled amicably by two brothers became a national contest. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) was the theatre Jonathan utilised to disgrace Ameachi by setting Jona Jang, the Plateau Governor against Ameachi. But that method failed and the Governor’s Forum collapsed over the PDP and their governors. Subsequently, Ameachi’s suspension and expulsion was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Just as Jonathan would have retained his presidency had he settled with Amaechi, so Ameachi would have enjoyed his membership of the party. The bloodbath in Rivers, if not brought to judgement by man, will certainly receive God’s verdict, sooner or later. The PDP internal wrangling snowballed into party fragmentation. Every group had disagreements one time or another. The beauty of democracy is in the ability to agree in disagreement. The Chairmanship of Bamanga Tukur was a disaster in the waiting.
Tukur allegedly divided the party secretariat. Instead of seeking the settlement of who was the right Secretary, Tukur waged war against Olagunsoye Oyinlola. All Oyinlola’s appeal over his case fell on deaf ears. Just as Oyinlola was forced out of the PDP secretariat, Tukur left disgracefully after he had lost five sitting governors to a new political party, the APC. The PDP, on getting to the peak, forgot that a tree can never make a forest. Jonathan should have dialogued with the agrieved governors, but he called their bluffs, thinking that their exit would amount to nothing. The three women that created problem that led to the crash of the president were; Patience Jonathan: The woman no doubt loves her husband. A highly energetic woman, she may not be an intellectual, but she was full of native intelligence. If she had been married to Adolf Hitler, I perceive Hitler would not have committed suicide. She is pushful. She knows her onion, but does not know when to draw line between politics and private life. She pushed Ameachi out of favour and power over her native land, Okirika. She condemned Muhamadu Buhari, and told the world that the man has nothing to offer. Like Ayodele Fayose, she politicised with absolute hatred. In another clime, the president would have called his wife to order, but not our president. Her utterances brought public animosity against the president. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s second coming was not good for our economy as she lacked the fire and spirit with which she works with the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. Okonjo-Iweala was always in trouble with the National Assembly over appropriation bills. Instead of seeking understanding, she preferred confrontation, and led the nation to most of the avoidable debts. Under her, our foreign reserve was depleted without any cogent reason. Excess Crude Account was mismanaged. The naira crumbled and our economy ran into comatose. All she offered were excuses. Yet, the president relied on her for economic development. Diezani Alison Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum hails from the same state with the president. She was a liability in many ways. First, she messed up with oil subsidies. She failed to defend herself before the House of Representatives over the N10 billion aircraft charter. She got the backing of the president to ignore several invitations. The social network is full of the excessive lifestyle of one of her sons. Madueke will sooner or later tell the details of how she retire NNPC directors at will. No single refinery was built either by government or by individuals for the whole six years of Jonathan. There is no gainsaying the fact that success is not easy to manage. Now that power has been given to the APC and Buhari, caution must be taken so that members are not treated shabbily. The party executives must tread with care. The President-elect and the party chieftains must learn that power belongs to the people. Democracy allows for dialogues. Misunderstanding must be resolved amicably. Democracy is about issues that positively impact on the lives of the people. The first lady must not be allowed to have control on elective officers under the new dispensation. Corruption must not be allowed in the cabinet. No sacred cows. All must declare their assets. Accountability must be all the executives’ watch word. The need to build new refineries is a task that must be done if fuel importation and oil subsidies are to stop. The oil bunkerers and oil thieves must be checked by the law enforcement agents, and all private security outfits currently handling or overseeing the protection of oil pipelines must be disengaged. - See more at: http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/jonathans-exit-lesson-for-buhari/#sthash.T3jl3Wjm.dpuf
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