When the ACN, the CPC and a few other political parties announced a merger,I was one of those who felt elated. I felt joy not because I believed that the saviour to all our problems as a nation had arrived,but because for the very first time since the return of democracy in 1999,the ruling party would have a strong opposition. Democracy is widely hailed as the best form of governance in the whole world,but that can quickly change to the worst form of dictatorship if a single political party holds sway for too long a time. And so the reason for my joy.
The ruling party PDP dismissed the merger as just one of those lil bumps that had been popping upsince it came to power. But events of tthe last PDP convention took every keen political observer by surprise. Before then,there had been signs that the cracks within the PDP had been widening but not even in my wildest dreams that I expect 7 incumbent governors of the party, a former vice president and some other party bigwigs to walk out of the convention like they did. And so, what would prove to be a game changer in Nigeria's political landscape.
Suddenly,the new merger that the ruling PDP had dismissed became very significant as leaders of the newly merged APC set about to lure the 'rebel governors' and some members into their fold.
It took a lot of lobbying,but they succeeded in wooing them into the party- not all of them- but a sizeable number. That day will always be remembered as the day Nigeria finally had a very strong opposition to challenge the ruling party.
President Jonathan who is a member of the ruling party once complained of being the most criticised president this country has ever had. I think he goofed big time. Nigerians are becoming more politically enlightened. We are gradually learning to hold our leaders to account as evidenced in the stoning of two senators in one of the states in the north. Online platforms like Facebook, twitter, nairaland and so on also makes it very easy for youths to interact and discuss about good governance and hold their leaders when they fail. So his outcry holds no water. I don't belong to any political party, nor do I have sympathy for any but statistically speaking, this administration has provided more jobs than the ones before it. And if world bank forecasts are anything to rely upon,then we should expect more. I was glad when I read a report on the BBC website that Nigeria is set to overtake South Africa as the biggest economy in Africa. More and more people are getting out of poverty, the standard of living is improving for most Nigerians, most of the country have stable power supply, the country is fast becoming the most attractive business destination in Africa. So I believe he is doing the right thing. But his failure to tackle corruption has soiled most,if not all of his good works. King Solomon was great. The wisest and greatest that ever lived and yet he was undone by his weakness for women.
It was U.S President Harry S. Truman who kept a sign with the phrase 'The buck stops here' on his desk in the oval office. I sincerely believe Jonathan is a good man, a good man who has probably surrounded himself with certain people that are only interested in their selfish interests. But that is not an excuse as the 'Buck firmly stops on his table' and no one else.