Jonathan’s Historic Victory

The Nigerian electorate have spoken in very loud and unequivocal terms. In the freest, fairest and most credible election since June 12, 1993, Nigerians have vociferously blown the trumpet of freedom from oppression, from domination, from tyranny and from oligarchic and militaristic rule as experienced throughout the post-June 12 era.

For the first time in the history of this country, we have a presidential candidate who has scored widely above the margin of constitutional requirement and acceptability for any elected president in Nigeria. Even in the era of Maurice Iwu’s dishonourable and bribery, prone-INEC, we did not get such a historic verdict of a massive majority win and with 25% in 32 states plus the FCT.

By this overwhelming victory, the South Eastern and South South states have given a clear message: that this country belongs to all of us and that no section of the country should be given a permanent monopoly to dominate and subjugate other components of the country to permanent political slavery.

The British colonial masters who assembled Nigeria into one United Nation had sympathy for Northern Nigeria because it was then the least developed and least prepared for self-rule of independence. Britain therefore ensured a politically dominant North to keep Nigerians’ dream alive in the interest of Great Britain.

Both Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe energetically struggled to wrest power from the North but to no avail. Chief Obafemi Awolowo the then Western leader who was the most visionary of all Nigerian leaders of his time, was euphemistically and sarcastically dubbed “the best President Nigeria never had” by Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu.

As at 1998 no Southerner had emerged president after four national presidential elections. In order to stem this scandalous tide, the North agreed to allow a southerner to rule for only four years. The North then chose Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to rule Nigeria as a result of the implicit trust they had in him. How Obasanjo later did two terms of office and even tried a 3rd term is not germane to the issues at stake here.

In furtherance of the Colonial preference for Northern domination, the three big tribes now conspiratorially aspired to hedge power only around themselves. This then became known as the Wazobian Philosophy which made it impossible for any Nigerian leader to come from the Nigerian South-South geopolitical zone.

Then the Nigerian Civil war broke out in 1967 with the South Eastern states pulling out of the Nigeria Federation. The Nigerian Civil War ended in January 1970 and the power brokers then decided that it will be easier for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for

the Igbo man or woman to rule Nigeria. It was rationalised that if the Igbo had fought against the existence of Nigeria an Igbo president could use constitutional means to break up the country. It then became a question of patriotism and nationalistic fervour which the power-givers thought was in short supply in the Igbo states.

Nigerian governance then became a two-horse race between Northern Nigeria and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was a Northern favourite and was chosen by the North to represent the South due to his then love for the North as brilliantly displayed during the 1979 122/3 mathematical imbroglio.

By this political equation, the Igbo who was an integral index of the

wazobian philosophy was now jettisoned because of his “suspect” allegiance to the Nigerian Nation. With the demise of this tripartite alliance, it was obvious a new political frontier was being drawn up in Nigeria as it would be impossible for Nigeria to be permanently ruled by the North and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

The inclusion of the South-South in the Leadership of the Nigeria Federation is an accident of Nigerian’s political history. It was not the intention of Nigeria’s founding fathers to include the South-South and the North Central geopolitical zones of Nigeria as producers of Nigeria’s ruling class.

And the appearance of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as a member of Nigeria’s ruling class is to say the least a divine manipulation which was wrought through Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, one of Nigeria’s undisputed power brokers.

But Northern Nigeria after ruling for 38 of Nigeria’s 50 years is still unwilling to give up power to a “junior” member of the federating units of the Nigerian federation.

There are so many reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan’s Victory on 16 April 2011 would be recorded as one of the historic landmarks of Nigeria’s political history. It is the day that 59% of Nigeria’s 38.2 million voters unanimously decided to choose a minority candidate from the smallest state of the federation as their president.

The voting pattern that gave victory to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan defied former voting patterns in Nigeria. For instance Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe in the North West all voted massively for President Jonathan even as these states are regarded as part of the core north. Gombe even hit the 60% mark while Taraba grossed 63%. The story in the North Central geopolitical zone was more palatable and cheery. This zone did not disappoint as it was pencilled down for a massive vote catching area for President Goodluck Jonathan. With an average 61% and a total vote of 3.12 million, the 6 states of the North Central zone have lived up to the expectations of the political analysts except for Niger state where Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s enormous influence swayed the votes in favour of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

In the 5 South Eastern States, it was a bounteous harvest for President Goodluck Jonathan as they contributed a whopping 4.98 million votes with an average of almost 1 million votes per state and an average of 97.87% of total votes in the states. This block vote for President Jonathan by the Igbos is an expression of a concerted will to break the jinx that has excluded them from the governance of this country. If someone from a “minor” minority can make it to the presidency the Igbos too believe that they will soon have a taste of Aso Rock as they are also a federating unit of the Nigerian Nation.

The case of the South-South geopolitical zone is very understandable. Here is the case of the home boy – the son of the soil. And from the 5 states in this zone the President grossed 4.3 million votes winning almost 100% of the votes in his Bayelsa state.

The 6 South West State did not surprise too many Nigerians as President Goodluck Jonathan visited Lagos more than any state of the Federation and his winning all the states except Osun state did not take most people unawares because of his heavy presence on the ground here.

But if there was any shocker in this presidential election, it was in Kastina state. Here is Gen. Buhari’s home state with the highly orchestrated rally crowds running into millions. And yet President Goodluck Jonathan was able to get 428,392 votes and 26.13% from the lion’s den. What a surprise victory for President Goodluck Jonathan.

There is no doubt that a wind of change is blowing through Nigeria. A change that will make it possible for the President of this country to come from any of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

We know that the Northwestern and Northeastern states will resist this change with the last drop of their blood as even the youth in these zones have been taught from their nursery schools to the university that they were born to rule their junior citizens from the south. It has been so ingrained into the psyche of the Northern youth that the Northerner must win any election and rule Nigeria forever. If the Northerner does not win there must be chaos and Nigeria must cease to exist. After all, all of Nigeria’s four previous elections have been won by Northern candidates.

All presidential candidates must endeavour to douse the tension in the country by addressing their various followers on national television advising the rampaging youths to sheathe their swords so that we can build on the peace we have enjoyed over the years.

In civilised countries losers are always magnanimous in defeat and immediately congratulate the lucky winner but not so in Nigeria. How many of our 19 losers have congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan? Some may never do. That is not the spirit of the game. Nigeria needs good sportsmen even in the political arena.

God bless President Goodluck Jonathan and his Team.

God bless Nigeria.

•Nanaghan wrote from Lagos.