Nigeria: So Jonathan was no show at the Presidential Debate, Eh?
By Ozodi Thomas Osuji – I did not watch the presidential debate. However, from what I gather, the man who was supposed to be there defending his administration’s policies was not there?
I have heard a couple of reasons why he was not in attendance, such as his having traffic problems, having prior commitments, giving interview to other reporters in lieu of the debate etc.?
I do not know why Jonathan was not there. What I do know is that he was supposed to be defending his failed (or if he believes it so, his successful) policies. The fact that he did not show up tells me that he has something to hide.
I have heard some folks say that he is too big to debate the alleged small fries that are vying for his job, that the president does not have to descend to the level of contenders and argue with them. This is incredible; it is only in Nigeria that a Nnanna Agomou would say such arrant nonsense. Could you imagine a United States where the sitting president refused to show up at the presidential debate?
That act of no show alone should disqualify him (INEC and his Jegga ought to look into legal means to disqualify Jonathan).
I watched Jonathan’s interview by Christian Amanpour of CNN and could not believe that such a nincompoop was the president of Nigeria; he was inarticulate; above all, he showed lack of knowledge for his position.
This man is not fit to be the president of Nigeria. He merely sits over a vast patronage, spoils system. Under his titular leadership the gangsters that control Nigeria’s government rob the house clean. This man has no business in government.
I am told that certain persons are defending him for ulterior purposes, that certain Igbos defend him because his middle name is Ebelechukwu, an Igbo name and thus by association he is a vicarious Igbo. If so what has he done for Igbos since he came to office (other than allow the crooks among them to steal their people’s money and he does not investigate them).
I am also told that his continued presence in office would make it possible for an Igbo to become the president of Nigeria in 2015. I thought that we agreed that the office of the presidency should not be rotated among the various ethnic groups; if folks still believed in rotation why didn’t we allow a Hausa to be the PDP candidate instead of Jonathan? Why resurrect that idiot desire that guaranteed incompetence in the presidency just because it allegedly serves Igbos goals to be at Aso Rock?
What exactly has Jonathan accomplished in the time he was in office? I cannot think of anything he has done that is stellar. Those Igbos who support this clown (one of them wrote to me a private letter calling me a saboteur for supporting Buhari instead of an alleged Igbo, Jonathan) are making the same old mistake they made in the past. They do things from their feelings instead of from their minds; they refuse to realize the consequences of their actions.
If what we want is a developed and corruption free Nigeria how is Jonathan going to serve our goal? If we need development don’t we need a decisive man who is action oriented and can get things done and done on time? Buhari can get things done. Above all Buhari is a man of integrity and probity and we all know it; we know that under his watch our money would be safeguarded.
Having Jonathan in office is like having a fox in a chicken coop. I do not see how any person with any kind of brain in his head would support timid and clueless Jonathan.
Two additional points: folks let us keep this debate clean; let us not drag ethnic sentiments into it. The objective fact is that Buhari, regardless of his ethnic affiliation, is the most qualified of the lot competing for the presidency at this time. I really do not want to see support for him based on Hausa-Fulani feelings or the fact that a vote for him is a vote against Obasanjo and his supposed protégé, Jonathan. Jonathan is to be rejected because he is not fit for the office he is interested in, not because the Yoruba should stand against Obasanjo and whatever he stands for. I am referring to Idowu’s incessant statements to the effect that Yorubas should reject Jonathan because he is associated with OBJ, an alleged traitor to Yorubas.
Finally, Idowu, I must observe that your statement to the effect that some people have what you called desire for immediate gratification that disposes them not to look at the long term consequences of their political behavior and choices is right on the mark. A few years ago I wrote at length about those peoples tendency to shoot themselves on their feet and speculated why. I wondered if it had to do with their lack of political maturity and the fact that their society did not have large scale political organizations hence they have not understood the need to dispassionately analyze politics and calculate what serves their interests, as required by what our German friends call real politics. Whatever, you had a good point there, my man.
