Wale Sokunbi CURRENTS, 08056180228 walesokunbi2003@yahoo.co.uk
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, woke up on
January 1, 2013 to the spectacle of re-election campaign posters of
President Goodluck Jonathan adorning the streets, including the highbrow
Asokoro and Wuse areas of the city.
Coming barely six weeks after the president declined to speak on his
interest or otherwise in the 2015 presidential election, saying it was
too early to do so, the posters of the president with screaming
inscriptions such as 2015: No Vacancy in Aso Rock, Let’s Do More, One
Good Turn Deserves Another and Support Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for 2015
Presidency, jolted many Nigerians.
The opinion that has been expressed in several quarters is that the
pasting of the posters, especially the one declaring that there is no
vacancy in the presidential villa in 2015, is unbecoming, coming from a
government that is still grappling with the challenge of delivering on
its campaign promises to the people. Although presidential spokesman,
Dr. Reuben Abati, has denied any involvement of the Presidency in the
printing or pasting of the posters, and quoted Jonathan as asking those
“playing games” with the posters to allow him concentrate on the job at
hand, many Nigerians, including leaders of some political parties and
civil society groups such as Campaign for Democracy (CD) are unimpressed
with the presidential denial.
The CD, through its president, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, has said that
the pasting of the posters smacks of “high-level insensitivity” coming
from a president that, after two years in office, is still saying he
does not want to make mistakes. Abati, however, put up a strong defence
of the president. According to him: “There is no reason for the
president to engage in any form of scaremongering. He has said that by
2014, his position on the 2015 presidential race would be made public.
“Nigerians should wait till then.
Those pasting the posters are trying to express their own views… They
do not have the consent of the president. What is most important now is
for the president to deliver on his electioneering promises to
Nigerians and not to embark on pasting of posters.” This is explanatory
enough, if only Nigerians will believe their presidents!. Unfortunately,
we have a culture of disbelieving our leaders, which is borne out of
their serial deceits of the past. It is not a peculiar “Jonathan
problem.
”Flying of kites through pasting of controversial campaign posters
before actual commencement of campaigns for political offices is a
well-known gimmick of Nigerian politicians. Official denial of knowledge
of such controversial campaign posters is also a popular past time of
Nigerian leaders. It is a practice that was embraced by the late former
Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, former military president, Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida, and even erstwhile president, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, before
the unveiling of his bid for a third term in office.
It is a tactic that has been used now and again by our politicians to
introduce controversial political propositions to test the waters. The
appearance of Jonathan’s campaign posters on Abuja streets may not,
therefore, be an exception. This posting of campaign posters for an
election that will not be taking place till April 2015, which is more
than two years away, is however, not the way to go for the the sponsors
of this poster campaign.
In spite of the fact some of the posters were reported to have the
imprint of the South South Peoples Action Group, the subterfuge
surrounding the posters is unhealthy. Considering the secrecy
surrounding the pasting of the posters, many Nigerians cannot be blamed
for taking the denial of the Presidency with a pinch of salt. They can,
indeed, be excused for refusing to take the denial by the Presidency on
its face value.
These are people who believe that the posters were pasted with the
president’s passive approval and endorsement, if not his direct
involvement. This hide-and- seek game on the campaign posters is,
however, unnecessary, considering the fact that if the president wants
to run for a second term in office, he is qualified to do so. He has
every legitimate right to go for a second term.
Therefore, if he is interested in another term, all he has to do is
to say so, and get on with his work. There would be no need for
amorphous groups to paste his posters, thinking they are doing him a
great favour by flying a kite on his behalf. . Since there are no time
limitations on when a president can declare his interest in a second
term, Jonathan should just come out and let Nigerians know his plans for
2015..
He should avoid methods employed by duplicitous politicians who
prefer to speak from both sides of their mouths while sounding out the
public on their political plans. I believe he is forthright and I expect
expect him to be different from his predecessors in office. Although
what is expected of President Jonathan now is for him to concentrate on
his efforts to improve the quality of life of Nigerians as he works
harder at delivering on his campaign promises, the people also expect
him to be straightforward and unequivocal on his political aspirations.
Nigerians should be able to be sure of the concentration of the
president on his duties and not have to bother themselves with
shenanigans over funny re-election posters flying around the Federal
Capital Territory. There are so many problems facing the country today
that all Nigerians should be thinking of ways to put behind the nation.
The 2015 presidential election is not one of these.
Jonathan will, therefore, do very well to either put the matter of
2015 behind him for now and concentrate on the task before him, or come
out clearly and vigorously on his plans for the poll. There is no need
at all for the controversy on those re-election posters.