2015 and Jonathan’s Ostrich game ,By Uche Igwe

Ostriches are the largest, flightless living species of birds that are found in Africa. They weigh from 63 – 145 kilograms and are 6 – 9 ft tall. When exposed to danger, the ostrich usually escapes by burying its head under the sand while exposing its huge body. This is called the ostrich game because the bird is notorious for disingenuously ignoring the obvious. Those who play ostrich refuse to face painful facts and unpleasant truths.
The same could be said about the attitude of Nigeria’s President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his rumoured bid to re-contest for his position in 2015. Otherwise how else will we describe the statement credited to his spokesperson Dr. Ruben Abati asking Nigerians not to distract the President with 2015 elections? In Dr Abati’s words, ‘President Jonathan’s wish to be left alone to focus on delivering on his promise of good governance and national transformation without unnecessary distractions must be respected.’ The Egba born comic artist further dismissed the rumours of the GEJ’s 2015 election bid as the handiwork of ‘political jobbers’ and their collaborators heating up the polity with baseless and falsehoods revolving around imaginary plans and schemes’
However, can Dr. Abati’s words be trusted? Dr Abati has consistently denied that his boss may be seeking re-election in 2015. However how can we explain why President Jonathan, is submerged in politicking even when several aspects of his political promises still remain in the pipeline. For example he has been shifting goal posts in the power sector. He has neither completed the second Niger Bridge nor built the coastal road in the Niger Delta. Instead of fighting corruption the way he promised, he is rather superintending over distributional politics. Available reports indicate that corruption has grown in leaps and bounds under the present administration.
To many Nigerians, the President has displayed outlandish hypocrisy that will make it almost impossible for anyone to trust him again. But practically GEJ has unleashed his men to do everything and anything that will improve the chances of their principal’s objective which is to clinch the most coveted position. As a citizen of the federal Republic of Nigeria, it is the Constitutional right of the President to vie for another term in office. Never mind that some quarters believe that he allegedly admitted to serving one term. That is at best a circumstantial political stunt which is neither here nor there. But what many people are worried about are the tactics that he is deploying.
One of these deplorable tactics can be seen in his interference in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). In the absence of a viable opposition and constructive dissent, the NGF has provided Nigerians with an alternative platform to debate national issues. Instead of stampeding the governors to ‘select’ a leader on their behalf, GEJ and his strategists should seek an NGF that is more open to the views and aspirations of the Nigerian people. He needs an objective channel to understand the pulse of the people. Deliberate efforts must be made beyond tokenistic ‘facebooking’ and ‘twittering’ to get a feedback of his policies on the Nigerian people. That is the direction GEJ and his loyalists should invest their energies and not hassle to intrude into the right of free association of the governors. A viable NGF with a majority membership drawn from the ruling party is an added value to the Peoples’ Democratic Party and by implication Jonathan himself. Frankly, the fact that he convened a meeting last week, to push for a leadership change at NGF, exposed his political apprehension and ostensibly heightened the suspicion even among the governors allegedly loyal to him.
One other blunder comes from the alleged interference of the Presidency in the affairs of the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Since the controversial ruling that ousted a set of executives and installed another, fingers have been pointing at the Presidency. Although some of these remain at the level of speculations, such ‘rumours’ are very unhealthy for a President who is posturing that he is not yet thinking about 2015. The hasty swearing in of the new executive by the national secretariat makes many observers tilt to the suspicion that it was in obedience to the orders from above. Since the controversy erupted, the spokesperson of the President have remained quiet, allowing Nigerians to rightly or wrongly speculate that such judicial banditry might have been part of a rehashed vindictive agenda, directed to whittle down Mr. Amaechi’s influence at home. One will think that President Jonathan currently should enjoy some goodwill in Rivers State. Such goodwill could diminish if he (or his proxy) is seen to be meddling unnecessarily into avoidable political battles.
How can the Presidency be living in denial? What are they afraid of? What are the achievements that this government can point to, that will make anyone vote for them again? Are we going to rely on the sentiments of power shifting to the goose that lays the golden egg? Has that tale not become old-fashioned and obsolete? Is it feasible to continue to depend on the marginal support that comes from dispensing patronage to political entrepreneurs with a long history of subverting the will of the people? Can the Presidency sustain the current onslaught of harassing and hounding any person with contrary views until all Nigerians are instilled with fear? How long will Nigeria survive under the current democratic authoritarianism? The late Prof Clauke Ake referred eloquently described this as democracy without choosing. Someone should tell the President that Nigerians have become wiser. He may be the one distracting himself by chasing shadows. Whenever and if ever he makes up his mind, he should be told that what the Nigerian want to see are new jobs created, improvements in their security, stability in the power supply, expansion in their infrastructure and enhancement of their livelihoods. Our young people want assurances of a secure future through visionary and incremental development, not just promises.
With the advent of information technology, we now know the amount of money being siphoned away through corruption and some of us know the opportunity cost in terms of development impact. President Jonathan should now own up to his 2015 ambition. It is his constitutional right to do so. He should push his programs aggressively to ensure that there can concrete deliverables from his 2011 electoral promises. He should sharpen his radar and break away from the walls erected around him by the real political jobbers and connect to the people who elected him in 2011. He must realize that he has become so unpopular even among politicians that he must be ready to make innovative compromises and incorporate those who will bring mileage to his rumoured ambition. He no longer has the luxury of time. In 2015, performance will count, not luck. Playing an ostrich game with his ambition at this time is strictly UNPRESIDENTIAL!