By Edwin Ekene Uhara
\nOn unique characteristic of democracy in this part of the clime is that,
\nat every election period, our political actors unleash their political
\ndragons on the entire nation just because some of them want to be in power
\nat all cost! Sometimes, when I look at how some politicians beat their war
\nTonga because of an election, I wonder if at all they understood the basic
\ntenets of democracy and its challenging responsibilities of using power
\nfor the common good of the people! For them, democracy is the acquisition
\nof power for personal gains and enrichment at the expense of the people.
\nApplication of this definition of democracy in Nigeria could only be the
\nreason we dissipate energy, time and resources arguing and debating over
\ntrivial issues like ethnicity, region, religion and political party during
\nelection periods.<\/p>\n
However, as a prelude to the conduct of the 2011 Presidential Election, a
\nlot of resources were spent arguing on zoning and rotation and how it
\napplied to President Good Luck Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intention to run for the oval
\noffice in the land. While some said zoning and rotation was dead and
\nburied or had been observed in breach, others opined that zoning principle
\nshould be maintained. Also, while some argued that zoning was not in the
\n1999 constitution and should therefore not affect Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s candidacy,
\nothers said the principle of the Federal Character as contained in the
\n1999 was the grandfather of zoning and rotation in the country.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, while the zoning debate was raging chiefly between the
\nNorthern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) lead by Mallam Adamu Ciroma and
\nthe Southern Elders and Political Leaders Forum (SEPLF) lead by Chief
\nEdwin Clark, a summit of who is who in the 19 Northern States plus the
\nFederal Capital Territory was held in Kaduna under the auspices of the
\nNorthern Political Summit (NPS). At the end of the summit, a communiqu\u00c3\u00a9
\nwas issued saying President Good Luck Jonathan was free to run for the
\nPresidential Election if he so wished. Their resolution was hinged on this
\nsimple analogy; that, if they are two pilots on a plane, and one died
\nalong the line, the second pilot should not stand idly-by and watch the
\nplane to crash, rather, he should continue piloting the plane till it
\nlands safely. But, at the end of the day, the Constitution of the Federal
\nRepublic of Nigeria which is the grand norm of the country prevailed as
\nPresident Good Luck Ebele Jonathan
\nfinally declared his interest in running for the 2011 Presidential
\nElection on September 18, 2010 at the Eagle Square Abuja, an election
\nthat gave him landslide victory over all his opponents!<\/p>\n
Similarly, it will be recalled that similar scenario played out during the
\npreparations for the conduct of the 2007 Presidential Election, where
\nvirtually all the Southern States Governors completing their second term
\nof office were presidential aspirants! In the usual political drama fast
\nbecoming one of our democratic hallmarks as a country, a group of
\ntraditional rulers and political leaders from the 17 Southern States
\nsprang up claiming that, the south should still retain power because, the
\nnorth have ruled the country for about 38 years. After several meetings
\nand political horse-trading, the then out-going Rivers State Governor, Dr.
\nPeter Odili became the most visible Presidential Candidate from the pool
\nof candidates from the South. Dr. Odili was probably on his way to
\nclinching the PDP Presidential Ticket before the eventual emergence of the
\nthen out-going Governor of Kastina State, Late, Umaru Yar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Adua as the
\nPDP Presidential candidate who
\nlater won the Presidential Election in 2007.<\/p>\n
Hence, it is understandable why the preparations for the 2015 Presidential
\nElection is creating similar tension, but in a dynamic way! First, while
\nsome said President Jonathan is going for a third term, because he has
\ntaken a presidential oath of office twice; the one he took on May 6th,
\n2010 when he was sworn-in as\u00a0 president to complete the tenure of late
\nPresident Yar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Dua and the one he took on the 29th of May, 2011 when he
\nwon a landslide victory at the polls for the first time, he should
\ntherefore be banned from running in 2015, others countered the claims with
\nsuperior argument saying the first Presidential Oath was for the
\ncompletion of the late President Yar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Adua\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tenure. Hence, President
\nJonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tenure started counting from May 29, 2011; and that he is
\nfree to seek re-election like his predecessors in 2015. This very argument
\nhas been upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction and it is binding on
\nevery Nigerian. That case should
\ntherefore Rest in Peace (RIP)!<\/p>\n
Since we have all known that President Good Luck Ebele Jonathan is
\neminently and legally qualified to seek re-election in 2015, what then is
\nthe cause of the prevailing political tension in the country? Like I have
\nsaid in my previous articles, nobody should blame the media for the
\ncascading political culture in the country, rather, we should blame the
\nopinion leaders who arm-twist media messages and pass on the distorted
\nversions to their followers. Hence, the opinion leaders should ask their
\nfollowers to stop their needles arguments and tensions over Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s
\ncandidacy.<\/p>\n
In Conclusion, the February 14, 2015 Presidential Election will come and
\ngo, and none of the artificial tensions in the country can prevent
\nPresident Good Luck Jonathan from winning his re-election! Therefore, I
\nadvise that instead of threatening a man with an empty barrel, we should
\ndrop all the scare tactics and allow the peoples will to prevail come
\nFebruary 14, 2015.
\nComrade Edwin Ekene Uhara, an Activist, Media Consultant and Public
\nAffairs Commentator is the National President of Young Nigerians for
\nChange.
\nReach him on 07065862479, 08076134054
\nedwinuhara@rocketmail.com
\nTemporarily writing from, No., 9, Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,
\nNigeria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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