Jonathan And The Reality Of Defeat

On 29th of April 2015, the minister of National Planning and a member of the President Goodluck Jonathan Transition Committee, Abubakar Suleiman, declared that some of the demands put forward by the President-elect’s team on transition were not possible. He further accused the committee of indirectly taking charge of the country by forming a parallel government when the incumbent is still in office, his words “The magnanimity of Mr. President should not be taken to be cowardice and that is why Mr. President and indeed council members enjoined Nigerian people to see the olive branch extended to Nigerians and international community as a way of keeping this country intact, as a way of ensuring peace in Nigeria and as such whatever the outcome of the election, what is important is Nigeria’s national interest .... - Vanguard Newspapers”

On the following day, according to one of the national dailies, The Nation to be precise, the party of the incoming government opened the stealth through its transition committee by asking for an overview of some government agencies, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Customs and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). I assume the request of knowing some facts and figures about these agencies are what formed the basis for the accusation by the Federal Government against the committee of the incoming government.

In the first place, the much emphasis we stressed on the acceptance of defeat by the President Goodluck Jonathan is one of the problems we are having today. I have had opportunities of discussing with some few friends on this issue recently, most of them blindly and dogmatically argued that the greatest thing that the president has ever done was to concede defeat to his challenger, I find it odd and unbelievable as everyone was celebrating this action, I want to ask, what would he supposed to have done when he has lost the election. Did his concession on something else besides scoring lower figures than his challenger or what are the hues all about? Did he won the election and asked someone to come and take over? Did he have any basis to do anything other than to concede? Why are we celebrating a looser that has lost the confidence of his citizens? It is simple and logical; Nigerians can no more trust him with their mandate, what then is magnanimous about his actions?

It suggests to me that the president and his allies want an incoming government who will take a skeletal handover note from them. Where is that done? It surprises all that the NNPC Forensic Audit Report undertaken by PwC was ordered to be released within 24 hours of General Buhari’s assertion that he might need to look into the books of the Corporation over sundry allegations of financial misappropriation, a corporation that agreed to return $1.48b despite their apparent lack of cooperation with the auditing firm, some gray areas were left unchecked therefore make the auditors relied on estimations. Painting President Jonathan as a saint is disturbing, I am not saying he has done anything wrong but the putative exoneration of our president and his government actions is absurd and preposterous.

This new wave of sing praising of looser who accepted defeat is opening a new chapter in Nigeria politics. There is nothing wrong with their magnanimity but they are aware that elections do swing; the days of Tom and Jerry politics is over as long as we have two main dominant political parties. President Jonathan himself understands this and he subscribed by making public acknowledgement of accepting results no matter the outcome. Mr Gordon Brown of Labour Party find himself in the same position in the United Kingdom in May 2010, Former France President Nicolas Sarkozy was dazed with people’s verdict in May 2012, what can they do than to thank their people? It wasn’t a ticket for Norwegian Alfred Nobel Committee.

These accolades is becoming something else and need to be discouraged, any successive looser will now expect some level of praises when they should be scrolled for leaving in the lurch. These two apparent issues should be taken seriously. For Federal Government to attack the incoming government unnecessarily for the reason they are appointed is strange. What are they transiting if CBN, NNPC and co will not be discussed? These special agencies are the spine of the government in the country. Avoiding discussing it will be suboptimal.

His action is noble but idolising it is gratuitous and unwarranted. The president should allow the transition committee from both sides to work on getting the best. Books and figures should be verified. They are sent by an experienced man who knows a bit of governance. Hiding certain facts is not ideal and should be relegated immediately. In sane environment, all these facts and figures should be in public domain in the first place. Since our system is such a secrecy, hope Federal government will be benevolent enough to allow General Buhari and his team have a peep into what he is about to run for easy reconciliation, smooth running and avoidance of virulency.