The history of the human race and the chronological conducts of men and women of power have shown in all epochs that men seek for power, money and women than they seek for peace, justice and equity.
The history of the human race and the chronological conducts of men and women of power have shown in all epochs that men seek for power, money and women than they seek for peace, justice and equity.
The major lubricant to the wheel and chain of this unquenchable thirst for vain glory and material success is arrogance. This does not allow individuals while in privileged positions to realize their past and put the future in proper perspective. The lucre of power, money and women blinds power and authority wielders from seeing the long term implications of their myopic ambitions, desires and immoderate taste. I have no doubt that this albatross to man: the inability to have a firm grip of one’s personality, utterances and the failure to remain modest in all its ramifications led to the admonition by the celebrated writer and master story-teller, Chinua Achebe that “those whose palm kernels have been cracked by the benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”
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I make this categorical reference to the emerging disposition of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan .A former teacher at the College of Education Port-Harcourt, former Deputy Governor in Bayelsa State, former Governor of Bayelsa, former Vice-President, former Acting President and now, the President and Commander –In- Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. This erstwhile humble scholar and politician, who came to national limelight through the benevolent spirit of men and women who acknowledged his simple mindedness, humility , modesty and gave him public positions seems to have lost his innocence.
In his first media chat with journalists, President Goodluck Jonathan expressed himself with a good dose of arrogance while responding to the questions on whether he would for the sake of peace and in deference to the PDP ZONING FORMULA stay away from contesting the next election. The President in response said, He was at the meeting where he represented his then boss, former governor Diepriye Alamesieya. Jonathan said the meeting presided over by President Obasanjo where the “SO-CALLED ZONING” was discussed. It was shocking listening to President Jonathan referring to a major political strategy of his party by which he has benefited and stability has been achieved as “SO-CALLED”. This is not fair as it is was the first sign to me that President Jonathan has lost originality. For sure, President Jonathan in a typical human nature standard has climbed with a ladder and now wants to destroy it so that no other person will make use of it . He has adopted the old antics of men of power like General Abacha, Babangida and Obasanjo who used pretence and insincerity as weapons of political manipulation. He is so short sighted in his pursuit of power and fame .This has vitiated his understanding of the history and spirit of zoning in Nigerian politics. He has failed to realize like Obasanjo that eight years in Aso Rock will also finish
Suffice it to say that PDP as it is known today is not the architect of zoning arrangement in Nigerian politics. As far back as the second republic, the national Party of Nigeria {NPN} operated the zoning formula as a strategy for the re-unification of the country after the civil war. The part of the country that lost the war –Old Eastern Nigeria produced the Vice-president Alex Ekwueme, Senate President Joseph Wayas and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in a coalition government where positions were shared by the National Party of Nigeria {NPN} and the Nigerian Peoples Party {NPP}.This was done to maintain stability in the country and give every part of he country a sense of belonging. Some other civil society groups like Academic Staff Union of Universities {ASUU}, Nigeria Labour Congress {NLC},Nigeria Bar Association {NBA} and National Association of Nigerian Students {NANS} have operated zoning in their leadership and this is responsible for the smooth leadership successions they have enjoyed over the years.
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In 1995, during the General Sanni Abacha Constitutional Conference, Dr Alex Ekwueme and Chief Emeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu supported by other Southern Politicians and members of that conference championed the cause of zoning the presidency among the six geo-political zones. It was also Dr Alex Ekwueme who divided the country into six geo-political zones we have in the country today. They are called geo-political zones for the purposes of rotational presidency after the annulment of June 12 election. The crises it generated and the Abacha‘s military regime which had kept the North in power for over thirty years of Nigeria’s independence then led to the resolution.,
The agitation for rotation of presidential powers and the division of the country into six geo-political zones were very popular among the Southern delegates and people but unpopular among the North. I remember vividly Alhaji Mohammed Gambo, who served as the National Security Adviser to Abacha’s government who took part in the conference saying, in opposition to division of the country along geo-political zones and rotational presidency that “ North will not hesitate to shed blood to keep Nigeria one.” It was very glaring that the Northern political establishment did not forgive the former Vice-President, Dr Alex Ekwueme for the breakthrough at the constitutional conference.
The inclusion of zoning in that constitution was removed by General Abdul salami Abubakar who considered it as not in favour of the North. The North also used this against Ekwueme’s Presidential ambition in 1999.He was accused of the tendency to divide Nigeria and his penchant for confederation as a political option forNigeria. It was the fear of Ekwueme and the Bola Ige that led to the North’s dragging of General Olusegun Obasanjo into the Presidential race. The desperate campaign for the Obasanjo’s presidency was hinged on the expectation that President Obasanjo would favour the North in his administration’s policies as he did in 1976-1979.They claimed that he allowed his second in command Shehu Musa Yar’dua a lot of leverage to control the government. In the 1979 election he supported Alhaji Shehu Shagari against his kinsman Obafemi Awolowo.The North enjoyed that period and wished a repeat.
However, the focus of this piece is neither the North, nor Ekwueme and Obasanjo .The issue is zoning! I have only tried to throw some historical illumination on the issue of zoning in Nigerian politics. That it was purely a southern agenda for power rotation. That the Niger-Delta was been exploited was one of the reasons why it was important for all sections of the country to wait for their turn. The Yoruba having been n power for eight years 1999 to 2007 will have to wait for 40 years for that presidential position in Nigerian again. It had been worked out that zoning was going to bring presidential powers to all sections of the country in the course of time. But President Goodluck emergence in the presidency has generated another controversy that will drag Nigeria backwards politically. If he contests and wins this presidential election, he would have for selfish reasons violated a political arrangement fought for by many statesmen who have valued the unity, stability and development of Nigeria. This will re-open old wounds and bring back political tensions that were already dying.
The better option is for Jonathan, having become president and enjoyed presidential powers and privileges while it lasts, to conduct free and fair elections by next year and hand over power to a properly elected candidate. Jonathan cannot guarantee a free and fair election in an election where he is a candidate. He should in the national interest look in the direction of Abdulsalami Abubakar for some lessons in power management .As Bill Clinton once said while presenting a lecture in Nigeria, “politics is not only about contesting elections and winning, it is also about knowing when to quit.” For President Goodluck Jonathan, It would not be out of place if he realizes that the time to quit is 2011 .he does not need to push his good luck to far like Chukwuma Soludo who after a “glorious “ tenure at the Central Bank went to contest an inglorious election. Today he knows better!
Dept of Political Science
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