The loss of last month’s presidential re-election effort by President Goodluck Jonathan has continued to inflict major social and political changes on the Nigerian landscape, including the desertion of the once bubbling Abuja residence of his godfather, Chief Edwin Clark.
The Asokoro home once had a security force of about 12 soldiers, civil defence officers and the police.
In the past, politicians who were looking for appointments or favours of the now-humbled Peoples Democratic Party, thronged the place to seek the approval of the self-appointed leader of the Ijaw tribe.
Apart from soliciting favours, some of the politicians visited Clark to report those they considered to be moles within the PDP at both national and state levels to him in the hope he could use such information to their benefit.
However, since the President’s defeat by the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammad's Buhari, the politicians have all disappeared from the presence of the once influential man.
When our correspondent visited the house on Sunday, only four armed security men were there.
All the others were said to have been recalled by their bosses, who have concluded that with Mr. Jonathan’s loss of office, there is no longer need to attach so many men to a political hanger-on who should never have had them in the first place.
The former Minister of Information was also known to have an inexhaustible supply of alcoholic beverages at the residence, with which he entertained his visitors lavishly.
Sometimes, as early as 8am, some of the security men would be seen drunk and disorderly.
Mr. Clark is presently in London where he is hoping to recover from the shock of the re-election by the President. He had sworn many times that Jonathan would be re-elected.
It is unclear if he will return by May 29 to witness the inauguration of Buhari, who has pledged to attack the corruption which Jonathan’s government championed.