Nigeria: On a rocky journey
10 February 2015 By Abi Giwa
Nigeria's power wielders
The ground is set for a showdown between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the opposition party over postponed elections, and the terminal leave the government reportedly ordered Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent Electoral Coomission, INEC.
Kayode Idowu, Jega's press secretary said in a Punch newspaper report that Jega said he had no plan for a terminal leave, against widespread information that President Goodluck Jonathan had ordered him on vacation from March 1, and that one Olufemi Mimiko had been appointed to take over from him.
In far away Nairobi, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a member of the ruling party, the People Democratic Party, declared support for the opposition candidate, Muhammed Buhari, and warned against military coup. But observers say Obasanjo himself had prepared the ground for a coup he warned against, by his masterminding the worst carpet crossing of politicians in Nigeria's history.
Observers further noted that under the present political circumstance in Nigeria, possibility of a free and fair election has been eroded. The ruling party is accusing the opposition of plans to rig the election, and the opposition is accusing the ruling party of a plan to rig the election. The election has become a forum for a fight for resource control for politicians and their acolytes.
The most dangerous dimension in the entire calculation is said to be the regional and the religion undertone. The north wants to take back power, and the South does not want to surrender power. Christians want to retain power, and Moslems want power. Opposition politicians and their supporters are calling the president clueless, and ruling party politicians and their supporters have hooked to the certificate forgery and perjury against the opposition candidate.
Many people are asking why is Nigeria so unfortunate. They say the country has a president whose performance is below expectation. And there is the opposition candidate who has submitted that an affidavit that he has a school certificate that he cannot show its proof, despite all entreaties for him to show his certificate. He is relying on his years in the military fighting corruption as a qualification to rule a country with one of the largest educated elites in the world.
Already, there are talks about a possibility of an interim government, which the opposition party has warned against. Obasanjo's words that he hopes the president is not going for broke by saying 'look dammit', it's either I have it it or nobody has it, and say s he hopes they will not have a coup , and hopes they can avoid it, points to a rocky journey for Nigeria.
People say that Obasanjo is asking Jonathan to put the interest of the nation above self and wonder whether Obasanjo himself has done what he is asking Jonathan to do. They say Obasanjo has engineered the worst political boat jumping in the nation's history, because he wants to be kingmaker and continue to control the country from his bedroom for selfish political interests.
Kayode Idowu, Jega's press secretary said in a Punch newspaper report that Jega said he had no plan for a terminal leave, against widespread information that President Goodluck Jonathan had ordered him on vacation from March 1, and that one Olufemi Mimiko had been appointed to take over from him.
In far away Nairobi, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a member of the ruling party, the People Democratic Party, declared support for the opposition candidate, Muhammed Buhari, and warned against military coup. But observers say Obasanjo himself had prepared the ground for a coup he warned against, by his masterminding the worst carpet crossing of politicians in Nigeria's history.
Observers further noted that under the present political circumstance in Nigeria, possibility of a free and fair election has been eroded. The ruling party is accusing the opposition of plans to rig the election, and the opposition is accusing the ruling party of a plan to rig the election. The election has become a forum for a fight for resource control for politicians and their acolytes.
The most dangerous dimension in the entire calculation is said to be the regional and the religion undertone. The north wants to take back power, and the South does not want to surrender power. Christians want to retain power, and Moslems want power. Opposition politicians and their supporters are calling the president clueless, and ruling party politicians and their supporters have hooked to the certificate forgery and perjury against the opposition candidate.
Many people are asking why is Nigeria so unfortunate. They say the country has a president whose performance is below expectation. And there is the opposition candidate who has submitted that an affidavit that he has a school certificate that he cannot show its proof, despite all entreaties for him to show his certificate. He is relying on his years in the military fighting corruption as a qualification to rule a country with one of the largest educated elites in the world.
Already, there are talks about a possibility of an interim government, which the opposition party has warned against. Obasanjo's words that he hopes the president is not going for broke by saying 'look dammit', it's either I have it it or nobody has it, and say s he hopes they will not have a coup , and hopes they can avoid it, points to a rocky journey for Nigeria.
People say that Obasanjo is asking Jonathan to put the interest of the nation above self and wonder whether Obasanjo himself has done what he is asking Jonathan to do. They say Obasanjo has engineered the worst political boat jumping in the nation's history, because he wants to be kingmaker and continue to control the country from his bedroom for selfish political interests.
