Changing Face Of Jonathan, Obasanjo Relationship

In this report, Chibuzo Ukaibe of 'LEADERSHIP' looks at the changing faces of the relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo. The on and off affair (if the intent of photo ops were to change) between President Goodluck Jonathan and former president Olusegun Obasanjo might just drag out for probably the rest of the electoral season- or so it would seem. The former president, an estranged political father and son, Jonathan had to sit close to each other and even shared smiles at the funeral service of former governor of Lagos State, Sir Micheal Otedola in Lagos recently. However, it would appear that former president is enjoying the taunting game, teasing his successor in the face of the security turbulence that he has to go through with him (Obasanjo) shut out from the inner corridors of power. The former president has neither hidden nor been apologetic about his preference for the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido to become president by 2015, a position which hinges on the touchy issue of the disputed zoning arrangement, which Jonathan has denied signing as a precondition for his 2011 mandate to fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flag. But proponents of the zoning arrangement have not stopped their agitation, chief of which is Obasanjo, who in his open letter to the president expressed worry at Jonathan’s body language which points at remaining on the throne beyond 2015. As such, the former president having withdrawn from active participation in PDP’s activities, has since focused on taking jabs against Jonathan’s administration, opening his doors to the opposition and forming a new alliance with some of his hitherto fierce political opponents. But the former president has gotten his best arsenals yet against the current administration with the handling of the Boko Haram which has culminated in the kidnap of over 200 Chibok School girls since April 14 this year. Obasanjo, at an interview with Bloomberg TV, blasted Jonathan for not responding quickly to the abduction of the girls, alleging further that it was because the president did not believe the pupils were abducted until 18 days after. He said; “On the kidnapping or abduction, the President did not believe that those girls were abducted for almost 18 days. If the President got the information within 12 hours of the act and he reacted immediately, I believe those girls would have been rescued within 24 hours, maximum, 48 hours. “Don’t forget, they are almost 300 girls. The logistics of moving them is something. Unfortunately, the President had doubts; ‘Is this true? Is this a ploy by some people who don’t want me to be President again? Who is doing this?’ I think that was the unfortunate aspect of the whole exercise or situation.” The former president also pointed out that if Jonathan had acted on the report of his earlier fact- finding mission in 2013 to resolve insurgency, the situation would probably have been positively different. Explaining, Obasanjo said; “I went to the President and asked if I could take it upon myself for a fact- finding visit. I want to find out things. The President was gracious and said ‘I trust your judgment. You can do that’. There was a lawyer, who knew most of them (insurgents) and their leaders. He acted as proxy to talk to them and talk to me. He communicated my arguments, my ideas and my questions to them. “I reported to the two most important principals – the state governor and president at that time. I believe that if action had been taken at that time, as recommended, maybe we would not have got to this stage,” he said. Not only had Jonathan failed in rescuing the girls, Obasanjo said the President had also failed to live up to expectations in the administration of the country. “It is not about disappointment; I don’t believe he has performed up to the expectations of many Nigerians, not just me. I always tell the President himself; ‘if God doesn’t want you to be there, you won’t be there.’ But having been there, you have to perform. That is what I believe. When you get there, no matter how, just perform and keep on performing,” he stated. While, analysts are drawn between the patriotic stance of the former president in the germane threat to the unity of the country (vis-a-vis the criticisms that have trailed the military’s operations) and what others are won’t to describe as Obasanjo’s intent to wrest power from Jonathan ahead of 2015, the political angle to the situation cannot be wished away nonetheless. Jonathan perhaps intends to sustain the eye-balling tussle with his estranged god-father, believing he will have the upper hand eventually. The president had replied his former boss on the letter questioning in not so many words his posture of attaining higher political moral ground. He has since waved aside the threat to the dominance of the PDP in coming elections. His comments at the recent PDP 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting portrayed a more confident president who is ready to braze the challenges ahead of 2015. He said; “from the privileged position that I am I see wider, when I looked across I did not really see that threat. I said ‘look, psychologically we must let everybody know that PDP is still the dominant party. I told National Chairman that let us have zonal unity rally, let us demonstrate our strength so that they will know that one or two persons that left is inconsequential” “Some of them I am not sure they can win their ward in an election now because some of those states are totally PDP states” According to Jonathan, the party has not noticed the governors that left the PDP, stressing that it is as a result of the total commitment of chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Jonah Jang and chairman of the PDP Governors forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio and PDP governors. “Even though some people left, but we are not noticing their absence because of the leadership and commitment shown by Governor Akpabio, the chairman of PDP and Governor Jang, the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and other members of the Governors Forum from the PDP “We have to encourage them, we have to commend them. They are working and defending the party as if we have 36 governors and we believe they will carry on with that spirit especially in this injury time” Jonathan added. By his disposition, the tussle ahead can only get feisty. Still, there are reports of a possible truce enounced in an arrangement that might result in huge sacrifices on both sides.