It is an open secret that President Goodluck Jonathan would seek another reelection as we approach the 2015 elections. That the machinery of the Peoples Democratic Party on whose platform Jonathan is seeking a renewal of his mandate has also set to ensure a smooth ride to the party’s ticket for the President is also glaringly obvious. Then, there is another open secret that the President’s seat of power in Aso Rock Villa is being highly- and rightly too- coveted by elements within the ruling PDP and the Northern divide of the country.

And there is a historical dimension to all these agitations. Once upon a time, not too long ago, a wave of pro-democracy activism swept across Nigeria. This movement, heralded by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola by then military President Ibrahim Babangida, was largely led by compatriots from Southern Nigeria who felt that the entire process of the annulment was an affront to their continual claim to Nigeria. Gen. Sani Abacha, the immediate beneficiary of the political crisis, became an object of national and global focus during the ensuing period. There was a calculated barrage of criticisms against anything the Abacha junta represented by NADECO, PRONACO, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and several other platforms whose main aim was to return civil democracy and common sense to Nigeria and to ensure that justice was done to the people of the South-West who were feeling greatly alienated from the political scheme of things. As all these continued amidst a national atmosphere of apprehension, Abacha thought it wiser to perpetuate himself in office against the consensus of the people of Nigeria to return our beloved country to the path of national reconciliations.

Just as we are witnessing today with the emergence of all manner of groups purportedly canvassing for President Jonathan to remain in office beyond 2015 “and set the record of the longest serving president in Nigeria’s history by 2019,” as one of such groups recently affirmed, there were series of sinister moves by many prevailing on Abacha to transmute unchallenged from military to civilian presidency. As a matter of fact, all the existing five political parties then adopted the dark-goggled despot as their “consensus candidate in an event of any presidential election”! Though Abacha was later to pass away in controversial circumstances thus paving way for a transition to democracy superintended by the amiable Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar who took over as Head of State, history had passed its verdict that when a particular divide of the country begins to express frustration in an unfair political arrangement, there must be a resort to reason.

Northern Nigeria has contributed immensely to national consolidation in terms of human and material resources. The North, through her influential leaders like the venerable Sir Ahmadu Bello, Mallam Aminu Kano, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Senator J.S. Tarka, et al collaborated with their counterparts from southern Nigeria to bequeath a nation filled with hopes for the future. That handshake across the Niger River, though with all the peculiarities and limitations, was what brought out the Giant of Africa status that we today parade. The ravages of the Civil War notwithstanding, we have continued to relish the glory of those days gone by.

Jonathan’s presidency which came to be from the demise of President Umaru Yar’Adua shares a lot of peculiarities with the Abacha junta. As people of the south felt shortchanged, that Abacha wouldn’t have popped up if Abiola was inaugurated as President, so also is the feeling across the North today that Jonathan has served his best in these last six years and should extend another handshake across the Niger to further consolidate on our national unity. History has it that Chief Olusegun Obansanjo was widely supported from the North as a form of solidarity to Southern Nigeria to pacify their aggrieved interests. The Obasanjo years were a reprieve from the debauchery that ensued during the intervening period.

The cacophony of “endorsements” of President Jonathan for another term in office by all manner of people are reminiscent of the experience of Nigerians during the Abacha years. Like Daniel Kalu and his “Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha” who set to pull a one million-man march to register their endorsement of Abacha for self-perpetuation, the strides by groups like the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria who are collecting obviously fictitious signatures to pave the way for President Jonathan’s declaration of intention for reelection, do not bring good tidings to our President. These groups could make Jonathan further lose public goodwill.

The people of Northern Nigeria today greatly feel alienated from the ‘Transformation Agenda’ of Jonathan. Like the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, rightly reminded Nigerians, the President has not effectively carried the people of Northern Nigeria along in terms of development projects in line with his transformation agenda to deserve a worthy endorsement. Lamido has set an example on how to truly transform a state with his numerous people-oriented projects across Jigawa and thus posses the wherewithal to challenge the shortcomings of the Transformation Agenda and salvage our national heritage.

The PDP under the leadership of Adamu Mu’azu could do better by providing a level-playing ground for all those aspiring to halt Nigeria’s macabre dance to the brink. The party’s chances in next year’s elections are further enhanced when the people of Northern Nigeria are given a fair sense of belonging.

http://www.punchng.com/opinion/the-north-jonathan-and-verdict-of-history