e the good people of this great country, Nigeria, in our collective wisdom and folly haggled with our votes on April 16 2011 and returned Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as our president for the next four years. The Democracy mechanics in its idealism, has spawned its perfections and imperfections; we the majority have had our way and we the minority must have our say because the continuum of ��government of the people by the people�� most times is discountenanced by the beneficiaries of the majority voice in a transition.
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And the reason why the minority�s views must be accommodated is that it is no mean feat that the opposition garnered more than 16million votes in an election where the winner raked in a little more than 22million votes. In other words, it is important that the winner takes into cognizance the attractions of the personalities, manifestos and platforms of the opposition that made it possible for them to garner 16million votes.
Unfortunately, globally, all schools of thought hardly recommend a political culture that can make it a norm for losers in elections to persuade winners in the course of congratulating them, to accommodate some of the programs and election issues of the opposition that swayed voters to also vote for them even though they did not make enough to win. Even there had been instances where elections were too close to call that the loser lost with little votes and winner emerged with slim figures, yet the program, personality and platform of such opposition that had put such a good showing did not have any relevance in the government formed afterward in terms of policy directions (Al Gore vs George Bush jnr.). Nigeria can add that value to the celebrated successful 2011 elections so far conducted, and this is different from the often adopted Government of National Unity (GNU).
Therefore, president Goodluck Jonathan can run an all inclusive government even if such recommendation is novel. He can run a Jonathan/PDP government that has a flavour of Buhari and CPC�s values and the spirit of ACN and Nuhu Ribadu�s program, to mention but just this other two parties with good showings.
If president Jonathan runs a non-extravagant government and he is able to frontally challenge the endemic corruption inherited and sustained by the governments that had taken the centre stage since 1999 which incidentally are the governments produced through the president�s political party, he would have succeeded in accommodating the ideals and goals of General Muhammadu Buhari and the CPC. Nigerians are very hungry and angry. Angry at their leaders and the PDP, and the vote that returned president Jonathan should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of the PDP. The highly traumatized people have been under the spell of religion and the divisive tendency of the elite regarding ethnicity. Poverty, hunger, want, disease have no catchment area; have no religion; and have no language but because of persistent subjection and subjugation, these people have come to identify with these petty sentiments, hence the PDP is able to coast home to victory and parties with brilliant ideas losing in their strongholds.
If the president fights corruption tooth and nail, then he is running a Buhari or a Ribadu headed government. If the president has the courage to ask questions about past disbursements on electricity budget, then Buhari will have a good retirement in Daura. If the president has the courage to promote true federalism and sends a bill for state police, then he is giving the minority a say as represented in the ACN.
Should the president pursue a revolution in job creation, food production, human capital development (education and health), massive housing programmes and security to life and property, then he would have accommodated the yearnings of both the majority and the minority.
Can somebody please tell the president to summon an immediate meeting of all security apparatuses for the sole purpose of working out a better security arrangement for the Commander- in- Chief and his family such that ordinary mortals but bona-fide citizens of Nigeria are saved the trauma of more than five hours delay any time the C-in-C and his family have to share the roads, waterways and airspace with them? This president is fond of this indulgence any time he shares the travel routes with ordinary people. An airplane may be running low on fuel when it approaches the airport and the lives of the passengers are equally important as that of the first citizen too, so therefore air spaces ought not to be closed for too long or prior notice be given to operators if there is the need for it so that peoples� lives are not endangered.
Likewise on the road, out of the multitude traveling, it is difficult to enumerate how many pregnant women are on their way to deliver at the hospital and we do not know who among them will bear a future president, delay can therefore be dangerous for such expectant mothers. Other people are on emergency to the hospital and regardless of whether they are in an ambulance or not, they can learn how to die, it is not the cup of tea of the security operatives so far the Commander- in- chief�s �safety� is not compromised. An intending airline passenger on his way to the airport can miss his or her flight, the most important thing is the security of the number one citizen. This is an oppression and abuse of privilege which is condemnable.
May we also remind the president that his spouse� name was not on the ballot paper that was used to elect him. It is therefore advisable that the first lady does not move about as another elected public servant with retinue of security details and hangers-on sustained on tax payers� money. That wives of military usurpers and elected pretenders indulged in it does not mean it is noble. Nauseating as it is, majority of Nigerians detest it but in the absence of how to curb it, they have come to live with it.
The president should also avoid every act, deeds and sayings that are un-presidential. Can we forget so easily that arrogant and power- drunk ex- president who reduced the office of the president to pettiness and immaturity? Foul language, bad conduct, irascibility and act of vengeance are un-presidential. President Jonathan had already benefited from his attributes of humility, tolerance and decorum as the votes cast in his favour derived from such attributes.
Lastly, a sworn-in president is different from an aspirant, a candidate, a president-elect and a sworn in president. At every other level before the last, the duly elected person can claim to be a candidate of his party but once sworn in, he becomes the president of the whole country and every part becomes his constituency.
Whether we accept it or not, the duo of Ribadu and Buhari have sacrificed and benefited from this country and so they have a stake in the yesterday, today and tomorrow of Nigeria just like any other patriot. Their failed aspirations not withstanding, their vision and mission can help move Nigeria forward if carefully screened and adopted.
