₦airaland Forum

I WRITE this as someone who does not know
President Jonathan personally. I have never met
the man. Neither have I ever spoken to him
electronically. All I know about him is what I read
in the papers, or what I have seen of him on
television. Nevertheless, he has been my
president for the last five years.
When you write positively about the president, his
opponents insist you must either be a card-
carrying member of the PDP or be looking for a
job. They act as if it is impossible to like him
without having an ulterior motive. I have ignored
this cheap blackmail designed to discourage
people from expressing freely their liking for the
president. But it has already outlived its
usefulness. In a matter of days, the president will
leave office. From now on, those ostensibly
looking for a job are the praise-singers of
president-elect Buhari.
For over 20 years, I refused to write anything that
was not religious. I took no interest in politics,
and did not participate in political debates the
way I used to. When that proscription was lifted
two years ago, I became interested in President
Jonathan because some people were so adamant
that he must not succeed. Indeed, they did their
level best to sabotage his administration. Boko
Haram was one of their many weapons. The
press and the social media also became their
tools of persecution where the president was
maliciously labelled “clueless.”
I was affronted by this. I insist that President
Jonathan has an inalienable right to be president
of Nigeria, as does any minority citizen. Moreover,
close scrutiny of his presidency indicates he was
better in many respects than his predecessors.
The president himself observed that Nigerians
would appreciate him better after he leaves office.
I discovered, for instance, such anomalies as the
fact that while his administration is labelled as the
most corrupt in Nigerian history, the most
significant advancements in dealing with
corruption actually took place under him.
It is not my intention to go into those details
precisely here, having written copiously about
them in the heat of the election campaign. I have
been and will continue to be an ardent supporter
of Goodluck Jonathan, in or out of office. Within
the context of the current triumphalism of APC
supporters, I have found it necessary to point out
that president-elect Buhari was only awarded 52%
of the votes cast. That is hardly an index of
overwhelming support for him. Neither is it
evidence of overwhelming rejection of President
Jonathan.
Failure is an orphan, ensuring that the president,
by his own admission, has lost a lot of his fair-
weather friends since losing the election.
However, instead of losing me, the president has
now become my hero. I don’t want the defining
moment where my liking for him underwent this
sea-change to be lost in history. Therefore, I think
it is appropriate to put it down in writing
especially because I am convinced I might not be
alone in this assessment.
Clincher
On Election Day on 11th April, 2015, President
Jonathan and his wife went to their polling booth
in his hometown of Otuoke to cast their vote;
only to discover that their cards were not
recognised by the card-reader. At this point, the
2015 presidential election became farcical. If the
card-reader would not recognise the number-one
citizen in the country, then it was operationally
useless. As far as I was concerned, that faux pas
marked the failure of INEC in the election.
I regard this as a prime example of the
democratisation of Nigerian incompetence. In
even the most backward of countries, there are
usually exclusion zones for failure. There may be
no water in the capital-city, but you would not go
to the toilet in the presidential palace only to
discover there is also no water there. No way, no
how! There will be water in the presidency, even if
it is non-existent everywhere else. But not in
Nigeria! If there are power-cuts in the Abuja, Aso
Rock would not be exempted.
INEC’s malfunctioning card-reader seemed to
have sinister undercurrents. Although the card-
reader did not recognise the president in Otuoke,
it recognised General Buhari, the APC presidential
candidate, in Daura. I watched this embarrassing
moment for the president from the safety of my
bedroom. I knew if it was me in his position, all
hell would have broken lose. I would have put it
on record right there and then that the situation
was completely unacceptable.
I can imagine myself ranting off something to this
effect: “Clearly, INEC has bungled this election. If
I, as president of the republic, cannot be
recognised by the card-reader, who then would be
recognised? If the card-reader fails in the South-
South which is my stronghold, sending back
home a number of my supporters who may not
bother to return; but works perfectly well in the
stronghold of my main opponent, then it cannot
be said that we are operating on a level-playing
field in this election.”
Human-being
The president himself also revealed that the
governor of one of the South-East states had
phoned him to complain about ostensible INEC
conspiracy in the South-East. I recall his precise
words. He said the governor was “boiling.”
However, he did his best to calm him down. He
himself did not seem too bothered by it all.
Instead, he pleaded that contrary to what it might
seem; INEC was doing its best.
He said: “I encourage Nigerians to be patient with
INEC. Everybody will vote, even if the card readers
have issues. It is new and anything new you must
have challenges. INEC will have a way to handle
delayed accreditation and I believe they will follow
the guidelines to ensure that all Nigerians willing
to vote will vote”.
Someone then asked him how he fancied his
chances in the election. It was his reply to this
question that did it for me. “I am hopeful,” replied
President Jonathan.
I looked at the man again on my television
screen. He was so relaxed and unflappable. I even
got the impression that he had a sweet in his
mouth. I said to myself: “I don’t think Nigerians
fully get this man.” There and then, I gave him
the greatest compliment I give to anybody. I said:
“This man, Goodluck Jonathan, is a human-
being.”
Jonathan wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a
simple man who does not put on any airs. He is
the president, but he has not allowed this to get
into his head. This man clearly does not see the
presidency as a do-or-die affair. He is a man of
destiny who seems to take everything with a
diffident equanimity. From that day forward, I saw
President Jonathan in completely new light. From
that day forward, he became my hero.
New departure
It does not matter that he then went on to lose
the election. Indeed, it helps to understand his
attitude to his loss. Before the last results were
announced, the president conceded defeat and
phoned to congratulate Buhari. Many have
extolled this as a new departure in the annals of
Nigerian politics. Moreover, the president’s
gesture saved lives by averting bitter disputes
and riots over the flawed election results. While I
definitely share the view that the president’s
actions established him as an exemplary
statesman, I still maintain that the icing on the
cake for me was hearing him say “I am hopeful”
on Election Day.
Nigerian presidents are not “hopeful.” They create
their own hope. Nigerian presidents don’t lose
elections. But Goodluck Jonathan lost. If
President Jonathan was determined to win the
2015 election, he would have won by hook or
crook. He lost because although he wanted to
win, he was not determined to win at all costs.
Winning was not the only option for him.
I have read all sorts of conclusions about the
election. Some of these only emphasise APC
talking-points, as if these make any difference in
Nigerian elections. Some who recognise that
elections are never free and fair in Nigeria would
have us believe this one was different because
the card-reader made it rig-proof. But the truth of
the matter is that, card-reader or not, Obasanjo
would not have lost this election had he been in
Jonathan’s shoes.
People seem to forget that the president’s party
lost many elections before 2015, and there was
no card-reader involved. PDP lost in Ondo. It lost
in Edo. It lost in Anmabra. It lost in Osun. In the
previous five elections before 2015, the PDP only
won in Ekiti. The president kept telling Nigerians
that one of the legacies he would like to leave
behind is that of being the man that revamped
the democratic system in the country. We heard
him repeat this again and again, but somehow,
did not take him seriously. We thought he was
just another politician sounding off.
Equanimity
However, Jonathan sat back, and watched
himself being defeated at the polls. My friend,
Benzak Uzuegbu, says this is conclusive proof
that Jonathan is, indeed, the most clueless man
that ever ruled Nigeria. “How could he have lost
the election? How can an incumbent president
lose an election in Nigeria, with all the powers
and resources at his disposal?”
I reach a different conclusion. Jonathan lost the
election because he belongs to a different class
of Nigerian politician. He lost because he did not
regard the president as something to be grasped.
He lost the election because, unlike most
politicians, Jonathan is a human-being. He is a
simple, decent, unassuming human-being, and
that makes him God-sent to Nigeria.
Before the election, Jonathan’s traducers tried to
compare him to Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire; a
President who refused to leave even after he lost
the election. How wrong they proved to be.
President Jonathan not only lost, his loss became
his victory. When the history of the 2015 election
is finally written, the emphasis will not only be
that General Buhari won, but more significantly,
that President Jonathan lost. To put it more
precisely, the President agreed to lose. What kind
of a man does that in a country like Nigeria.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/the-day-goodluck-jonathan-became-my-hero/
For over 20 years, I refused to write anything that
was not religious. I took no interest in politics,
and did not participate in political debates the
way I used to. When that proscription was lifted
two years ago, I became interested in President
Jonathan because some people were so adamant
that he must not succeed. Indeed, they did their
level best to sabotage his administration. Boko
Haram was one of their many weapons. The
press and the social media also became their
tools of persecution where the president was
maliciously labelled “clueless.”
I was affronted by this. I insist that President
Jonathan has an inalienable right to be president
of Nigeria, as does any minority citizen. Moreover,
close scrutiny of his presidency indicates he was
better in many respects than his predecessors.
The president himself observed that Nigerians
would appreciate him better after he leaves office.
I discovered, for instance, such anomalies as the
fact that while his administration is labelled as the
most corrupt in Nigerian history, the most
significant advancements in dealing with
corruption actually took place under him.
It is not my intention to go into those details
precisely here, having written copiously about
them in the heat of the election campaign. I have
been and will continue to be an ardent supporter
of Goodluck Jonathan, in or out of office. Within
the context of the current triumphalism of APC
supporters, I have found it necessary to point out
that president-elect Buhari was only awarded 52%
of the votes cast. That is hardly an index of
overwhelming support for him. Neither is it
evidence of overwhelming rejection of President
Jonathan.
Failure is an orphan, ensuring that the president,
by his own admission, has lost a lot of his fair-
weather friends since losing the election.
However, instead of losing me, the president has
now become my hero. I don’t want the defining
moment where my liking for him underwent this
sea-change to be lost in history. Therefore, I think
it is appropriate to put it down in writing
especially because I am convinced I might not be
alone in this assessment.
Clincher
On Election Day on 11th April, 2015, President
Jonathan and his wife went to their polling booth
in his hometown of Otuoke to cast their vote;
only to discover that their cards were not
recognised by the card-reader. At this point, the
2015 presidential election became farcical. If the
card-reader would not recognise the number-one
citizen in the country, then it was operationally
useless. As far as I was concerned, that faux pas
marked the failure of INEC in the election.
I regard this as a prime example of the
democratisation of Nigerian incompetence. In
even the most backward of countries, there are
usually exclusion zones for failure. There may be
no water in the capital-city, but you would not go
to the toilet in the presidential palace only to
discover there is also no water there. No way, no
how! There will be water in the presidency, even if
it is non-existent everywhere else. But not in
Nigeria! If there are power-cuts in the Abuja, Aso
Rock would not be exempted.
INEC’s malfunctioning card-reader seemed to
have sinister undercurrents. Although the card-
reader did not recognise the president in Otuoke,
it recognised General Buhari, the APC presidential
candidate, in Daura. I watched this embarrassing
moment for the president from the safety of my
bedroom. I knew if it was me in his position, all
hell would have broken lose. I would have put it
on record right there and then that the situation
was completely unacceptable.
I can imagine myself ranting off something to this
effect: “Clearly, INEC has bungled this election. If
I, as president of the republic, cannot be
recognised by the card-reader, who then would be
recognised? If the card-reader fails in the South-
South which is my stronghold, sending back
home a number of my supporters who may not
bother to return; but works perfectly well in the
stronghold of my main opponent, then it cannot
be said that we are operating on a level-playing
field in this election.”
Human-being
The president himself also revealed that the
governor of one of the South-East states had
phoned him to complain about ostensible INEC
conspiracy in the South-East. I recall his precise
words. He said the governor was “boiling.”
However, he did his best to calm him down. He
himself did not seem too bothered by it all.
Instead, he pleaded that contrary to what it might
seem; INEC was doing its best.
He said: “I encourage Nigerians to be patient with
INEC. Everybody will vote, even if the card readers
have issues. It is new and anything new you must
have challenges. INEC will have a way to handle
delayed accreditation and I believe they will follow
the guidelines to ensure that all Nigerians willing
to vote will vote”.
Someone then asked him how he fancied his
chances in the election. It was his reply to this
question that did it for me. “I am hopeful,” replied
President Jonathan.
I looked at the man again on my television
screen. He was so relaxed and unflappable. I even
got the impression that he had a sweet in his
mouth. I said to myself: “I don’t think Nigerians
fully get this man.” There and then, I gave him
the greatest compliment I give to anybody. I said:
“This man, Goodluck Jonathan, is a human-
being.”
Jonathan wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a
simple man who does not put on any airs. He is
the president, but he has not allowed this to get
into his head. This man clearly does not see the
presidency as a do-or-die affair. He is a man of
destiny who seems to take everything with a
diffident equanimity. From that day forward, I saw
President Jonathan in completely new light. From
that day forward, he became my hero.
New departure
It does not matter that he then went on to lose
the election. Indeed, it helps to understand his
attitude to his loss. Before the last results were
announced, the president conceded defeat and
phoned to congratulate Buhari. Many have
extolled this as a new departure in the annals of
Nigerian politics. Moreover, the president’s
gesture saved lives by averting bitter disputes
and riots over the flawed election results. While I
definitely share the view that the president’s
actions established him as an exemplary
statesman, I still maintain that the icing on the
cake for me was hearing him say “I am hopeful”
on Election Day.
Nigerian presidents are not “hopeful.” They create
their own hope. Nigerian presidents don’t lose
elections. But Goodluck Jonathan lost. If
President Jonathan was determined to win the
2015 election, he would have won by hook or
crook. He lost because although he wanted to
win, he was not determined to win at all costs.
Winning was not the only option for him.
I have read all sorts of conclusions about the
election. Some of these only emphasise APC
talking-points, as if these make any difference in
Nigerian elections. Some who recognise that
elections are never free and fair in Nigeria would
have us believe this one was different because
the card-reader made it rig-proof. But the truth of
the matter is that, card-reader or not, Obasanjo
would not have lost this election had he been in
Jonathan’s shoes.
People seem to forget that the president’s party
lost many elections before 2015, and there was
no card-reader involved. PDP lost in Ondo. It lost
in Edo. It lost in Anmabra. It lost in Osun. In the
previous five elections before 2015, the PDP only
won in Ekiti. The president kept telling Nigerians
that one of the legacies he would like to leave
behind is that of being the man that revamped
the democratic system in the country. We heard
him repeat this again and again, but somehow,
did not take him seriously. We thought he was
just another politician sounding off.
Equanimity
However, Jonathan sat back, and watched
himself being defeated at the polls. My friend,
Benzak Uzuegbu, says this is conclusive proof
that Jonathan is, indeed, the most clueless man
that ever ruled Nigeria. “How could he have lost
the election? How can an incumbent president
lose an election in Nigeria, with all the powers
and resources at his disposal?”
I reach a different conclusion. Jonathan lost the
election because he belongs to a different class
of Nigerian politician. He lost because he did not
regard the president as something to be grasped.
He lost the election because, unlike most
politicians, Jonathan is a human-being. He is a
simple, decent, unassuming human-being, and
that makes him God-sent to Nigeria.
Before the election, Jonathan’s traducers tried to
compare him to Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire; a
President who refused to leave even after he lost
the election. How wrong they proved to be.
President Jonathan not only lost, his loss became
his victory. When the history of the 2015 election
is finally written, the emphasis will not only be
that General Buhari won, but more significantly,
that President Jonathan lost. To put it more
precisely, the President agreed to lose. What kind
of a man does that in a country like Nigeria.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/the-day-goodluck-jonathan-became-my-hero/

Long

People seem to forget that the president’s party
lost many elections before 2015, and there was
no card-reader involved. PDP lost in Ondo. It lost
in Edo. It lost in Anmabra. It lost in Osun. In the
previous five elections before 2015, the PDP only
won in Ekiti. The president kept telling Nigerians
that one of the legacies he would like to leave
behind is that of being the man that revamped
the democratic system in the country. We heard
him repeat this again and again, but somehow,
did not take him seriously. We thought he was
just another politician sounding off.[size=8pt][/size]

Wie lang worter

Bullsh*t[s][/s] I mean dog sh*t... that man dey on his 5th bottle of orijin..

Did I not read somewhere that this same Aribisala said that Paul was against Christ and his writngs are against christ. Go figure.

Babalegba:
Did I not read somewhere that this same Aribisala said that Paul was against Christ and his writngs are against christ. Go figure.

Yes he's the man., probably you read it on dailypost.com.ng...

I was about to ask of the where-about of Femi Aribiliar
Now he has suffice.

Lemme read what he has to say


modified
Femi Aribiliar, is a shameless old fool. I am really really sorry for insulting him.
This was same man who kept quite , when corruption was the order of the day.
Where was him during the immigration job scam? where was him when Stella Odua brought 2 Bullet proof Jeep? Where was him during the fuel subsidy scandal? Where was him during the Sham call election in Ekiti? The lists are just endless.
He was aware of all these, but choose to keep quite.
He kept on saying he is not a card carrying member of Pdp, who care's if he is or not.
His hatred for Tinubu and Buhari (Apc) knows no bond.
I could remember vividly when Apc lost in Ekiti state, he was quick to write an article he title '' This is the End of Apc.


I will advice the PhD holder to face his pastoral work.

This man sha, he tried to write sanely, but still he misses the mark.

No one was turned back from voting for card reader not reading his/her fingerprints after all said and done , so, what is the fuss?.

The international pressure and concentration was enormous, so GEJ had only one life saving option to accept his loss. Nigeria is no burundi, the secretary of state , USA was here to meet the two political gladiators weeks to the election, Obama specifically spoke to Nigerians and political actors in a special video message days to the election, Obj & co kept reminding GEJ what happened to Gbagbo of Ivory coast. GEJ would be deposed in matter of weeks , if he had refused to accept the loss.

emiye:
This man sha, he tried to write sanely, but still he misses the mark.

No one was turned back from voting for card reader not reading his/her fingerprints after all said and done , so, what is the fuss?.

The international pressure and concentration was enormous, so GEJ had only one life saving option to accept his loss. Nigeria is no burundi, the secretary of state , USA was here to meet the two political gladiators weeks to the election, Obama specifically spoke to Nigerians and political actors in a special video message days to the election, Obj & co kept reminding GEJ what happened to Gbagbo of Ivory coast. GEJ would be deposed in matter of weeks , if he had refused to accept the loss.

Some people sha them no de see truth as it is unfolding in Burudi. If someone has done well accept it simple. President Jonathan is a man of his word.
Ok people die in Ivory Cost and Gbagbo is still alive & will not be killed. He can only go to Jail. life goes on

Titilayodeji13:
I WRITE this as someone who does not know
President Jonathan personally. I have never met
the man. Neither have I ever spoken to him
electronically. All I know about him is what I read
in the papers, or what I have seen of him on
television. Nevertheless, he has been my
president for the last five years.
When you write positively about the president, his
opponents insist you must either be a card-
carrying member of the PDP or be looking for a
job. They act as if it is impossible to like him
without having an ulterior motive. I have ignored
this cheap blackmail designed to discourage
people from expressing freely their liking for the
president. But it has already outlived its
usefulness. In a matter of days, the president will
leave office. From now on, those ostensibly
looking for a job are the praise-singers of
president-elect Buhari.
For over 20 years, I refused to write anything that
was not religious. I took no interest in politics,
and did not participate in political debates the
way I used to. When that proscription was lifted
two years ago, I became interested in President
Jonathan because some people were so adamant
that he must not succeed. Indeed, they did their
level best to sabotage his administration. Boko
Haram was one of their many weapons. The
press and the social media also became their
tools of persecution where the president was
maliciously labelled “clueless.”
I was affronted by this. I insist that President
Jonathan has an inalienable right to be president
of Nigeria, as does any minority citizen. Moreover,
close scrutiny of his presidency indicates he was
better in many respects than his predecessors.
The president himself observed that Nigerians
would appreciate him better after he leaves office.
I discovered, for instance, such anomalies as the
fact that while his administration is labelled as the
most corrupt in Nigerian history, the most
significant advancements in dealing with
corruption actually took place under him.
It is not my intention to go into those details
precisely here, having written copiously about
them in the heat of the election campaign. I have
been and will continue to be an ardent supporter
of Goodluck Jonathan, in or out of office. Within
the context of the current triumphalism of APC
supporters, I have found it necessary to point out
that president-elect Buhari was only awarded 52%
of the votes cast. That is hardly an index of
overwhelming support for him. Neither is it
evidence of overwhelming rejection of President
Jonathan.
Failure is an orphan, ensuring that the president,
by his own admission, has lost a lot of his fair-
weather friends since losing the election.
However, instead of losing me, the president has
now become my hero. I don’t want the defining
moment where my liking for him underwent this
sea-change to be lost in history. Therefore, I think
it is appropriate to put it down in writing
especially because I am convinced I might not be
alone in this assessment.
Clincher
On Election Day on 11th April, 2015, President
Jonathan and his wife went to their polling booth
in his hometown of Otuoke to cast their vote;
only to discover that their cards were not
recognised by the card-reader. At this point, the
2015 presidential election became farcical. If the
card-reader would not recognise the number-one
citizen in the country, then it was operationally
useless. As far as I was concerned, that faux pas
marked the failure of INEC in the election.
I regard this as a prime example of the
democratisation of Nigerian incompetence. In
even the most backward of countries, there are
usually exclusion zones for failure. There may be
no water in the capital-city, but you would not go
to the toilet in the presidential palace only to
discover there is also no water there. No way, no
how! There will be water in the presidency, even if
it is non-existent everywhere else. But not in
Nigeria! If there are power-cuts in the Abuja, Aso
Rock would not be exempted.
INEC’s malfunctioning card-reader seemed to
have sinister undercurrents. Although the card-
reader did not recognise the president in Otuoke,
it recognised General Buhari, the APC presidential
candidate, in Daura. I watched this embarrassing
moment for the president from the safety of my
bedroom. I knew if it was me in his position, all
hell would have broken lose. I would have put it
on record right there and then that the situation
was completely unacceptable.
I can imagine myself ranting off something to this
effect: “Clearly, INEC has bungled this election. If
I, as president of the republic, cannot be
recognised by the card-reader, who then would be
recognised? If the card-reader fails in the South-
South which is my stronghold, sending back
home a number of my supporters who may not
bother to return; but works perfectly well in the
stronghold of my main opponent, then it cannot
be said that we are operating on a level-playing
field in this election.”
Human-being
The president himself also revealed that the
governor of one of the South-East states had
phoned him to complain about ostensible INEC
conspiracy in the South-East. I recall his precise
words. He said the governor was “boiling.”
However, he did his best to calm him down. He
himself did not seem too bothered by it all.
Instead, he pleaded that contrary to what it might
seem; INEC was doing its best.
He said: “I encourage Nigerians to be patient with
INEC. Everybody will vote, even if the card readers
have issues. It is new and anything new you must
have challenges. INEC will have a way to handle
delayed accreditation and I believe they will follow
the guidelines to ensure that all Nigerians willing
to vote will vote”.
Someone then asked him how he fancied his
chances in the election. It was his reply to this
question that did it for me. “I am hopeful,” replied
President Jonathan.
I looked at the man again on my television
screen. He was so relaxed and unflappable. I even
got the impression that he had a sweet in his
mouth. I said to myself: “I don’t think Nigerians
fully get this man.” There and then, I gave him
the greatest compliment I give to anybody. I said:
“This man, Goodluck Jonathan, is a human-
being.”
Jonathan wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a
simple man who does not put on any airs. He is
the president, but he has not allowed this to get
into his head. This man clearly does not see the
presidency as a do-or-die affair. He is a man of
destiny who seems to take everything with a
diffident equanimity. From that day forward, I saw
President Jonathan in completely new light. From
that day forward, he became my hero.
New departure
It does not matter that he then went on to lose
the election. Indeed, it helps to understand his
attitude to his loss. Before the last results were
announced, the president conceded defeat and
phoned to congratulate Buhari. Many have
extolled this as a new departure in the annals of
Nigerian politics. Moreover, the president’s
gesture saved lives by averting bitter disputes
and riots over the flawed election results. While I
definitely share the view that the president’s
actions established him as an exemplary
statesman, I still maintain that the icing on the
cake for me was hearing him say “I am hopeful”
on Election Day.
Nigerian presidents are not “hopeful.” They create
their own hope. Nigerian presidents don’t lose
elections. But Goodluck Jonathan lost. If
President Jonathan was determined to win the
2015 election, he would have won by hook or
crook. He lost because although he wanted to
win, he was not determined to win at all costs.
Winning was not the only option for him.
I have read all sorts of conclusions about the
election. Some of these only emphasise APC
talking-points, as if these make any difference in
Nigerian elections. Some who recognise that
elections are never free and fair in Nigeria would
have us believe this one was different because
the card-reader made it rig-proof. But the truth of
the matter is that, card-reader or not, Obasanjo
would not have lost this election had he been in
Jonathan’s shoes.
People seem to forget that the president’s party
lost many elections before 2015, and there was
no card-reader involved. PDP lost in Ondo. It lost
in Edo. It lost in Anmabra. It lost in Osun. In the
previous five elections before 2015, the PDP only
won in Ekiti. The president kept telling Nigerians
that one of the legacies he would like to leave
behind is that of being the man that revamped
the democratic system in the country. We heard
him repeat this again and again, but somehow,
did not take him seriously. We thought he was
just another politician sounding off.
Equanimity
However, Jonathan sat back, and watched
himself being defeated at the polls. My friend,
Benzak Uzuegbu, says this is conclusive proof
that Jonathan is, indeed, the most clueless man
that ever ruled Nigeria. “How could he have lost
the election? How can an incumbent president
lose an election in Nigeria, with all the powers
and resources at his disposal?”
I reach a different conclusion. Jonathan lost the
election because he belongs to a different class
of Nigerian politician. He lost because he did not
regard the president as something to be grasped.
He lost the election because, unlike most
politicians, Jonathan is a human-being. He is a
simple, decent, unassuming human-being, and
that makes him God-sent to Nigeria.
Before the election, Jonathan’s traducers tried to
compare him to Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire; a
President who refused to leave even after he lost
the election. How wrong they proved to be.
President Jonathan not only lost, his loss became
his victory. When the history of the 2015 election
is finally written, the emphasis will not only be
that General Buhari won, but more significantly,
that President Jonathan lost. To put it more
precisely, the President agreed to lose. What kind
of a man does that in a country like Nigeria.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/the-day-goodluck-jonathan-became-my-hero/
For over 20 years, I refused to write anything that
was not religious. I took no interest in politics,
and did not participate in political debates the
way I used to. When that proscription was lifted
two years ago, I became interested in President
Jonathan because some people were so adamant
that he must not succeed. Indeed, they did their
level best to sabotage his administration. Boko
Haram was one of their many weapons. The
press and the social media also became their
tools of persecution where the president was
maliciously labelled “clueless.”
I was affronted by this. I insist that President
Jonathan has an inalienable right to be president
of Nigeria, as does any minority citizen. Moreover,
close scrutiny of his presidency indicates he was
better in many respects than his predecessors.
The president himself observed that Nigerians
would appreciate him better after he leaves office.
I discovered, for instance, such anomalies as the
fact that while his administration is labelled as the
most corrupt in Nigerian history, the most
significant advancements in dealing with
corruption actually took place under him.
It is not my intention to go into those details
precisely here, having written copiously about
them in the heat of the election campaign. I have
been and will continue to be an ardent supporter
of Goodluck Jonathan, in or out of office. Within
the context of the current triumphalism of APC
supporters, I have found it necessary to point out
that president-elect Buhari was only awarded 52%
of the votes cast. That is hardly an index of
overwhelming support for him. Neither is it
evidence of overwhelming rejection of President
Jonathan.
Failure is an orphan, ensuring that the president,
by his own admission, has lost a lot of his fair-
weather friends since losing the election.
However, instead of losing me, the president has
now become my hero. I don’t want the defining
moment where my liking for him underwent this
sea-change to be lost in history. Therefore, I think
it is appropriate to put it down in writing
especially because I am convinced I might not be
alone in this assessment.
Clincher
On Election Day on 11th April, 2015, President
Jonathan and his wife went to their polling booth
in his hometown of Otuoke to cast their vote;
only to discover that their cards were not
recognised by the card-reader. At this point, the
2015 presidential election became farcical. If the
card-reader would not recognise the number-one
citizen in the country, then it was operationally
useless. As far as I was concerned, that faux pas
marked the failure of INEC in the election.
I regard this as a prime example of the
democratisation of Nigerian incompetence. In
even the most backward of countries, there are
usually exclusion zones for failure. There may be
no water in the capital-city, but you would not go
to the toilet in the presidential palace only to
discover there is also no water there. No way, no
how! There will be water in the presidency, even if
it is non-existent everywhere else. But not in
Nigeria! If there are power-cuts in the Abuja, Aso
Rock would not be exempted.
INEC’s malfunctioning card-reader seemed to
have sinister undercurrents. Although the card-
reader did not recognise the president in Otuoke,
it recognised General Buhari, the APC presidential
candidate, in Daura. I watched this embarrassing
moment for the president from the safety of my
bedroom. I knew if it was me in his position, all
hell would have broken lose. I would have put it
on record right there and then that the situation
was completely unacceptable.
I can imagine myself ranting off something to this
effect: “Clearly, INEC has bungled this election. If
I, as president of the republic, cannot be
recognised by the card-reader, who then would be
recognised? If the card-reader fails in the South-
South which is my stronghold, sending back
home a number of my supporters who may not
bother to return; but works perfectly well in the
stronghold of my main opponent, then it cannot
be said that we are operating on a level-playing
field in this election.”
Human-being
The president himself also revealed that the
governor of one of the South-East states had
phoned him to complain about ostensible INEC
conspiracy in the South-East. I recall his precise
words. He said the governor was “boiling.”
However, he did his best to calm him down. He
himself did not seem too bothered by it all.
Instead, he pleaded that contrary to what it might
seem; INEC was doing its best.
He said: “I encourage Nigerians to be patient with
INEC. Everybody will vote, even if the card readers
have issues. It is new and anything new you must
have challenges. INEC will have a way to handle
delayed accreditation and I believe they will follow
the guidelines to ensure that all Nigerians willing
to vote will vote”.
Someone then asked him how he fancied his
chances in the election. It was his reply to this
question that did it for me. “I am hopeful,” replied
President Jonathan.
I looked at the man again on my television
screen. He was so relaxed and unflappable. I even
got the impression that he had a sweet in his
mouth. I said to myself: “I don’t think Nigerians
fully get this man.” There and then, I gave him
the greatest compliment I give to anybody. I said:
“This man, Goodluck Jonathan, is a human-
being.”
Jonathan wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a
simple man who does not put on any airs. He is
the president, but he has not allowed this to get
into his head. This man clearly does not see the
presidency as a do-or-die affair. He is a man of
destiny who seems to take everything with a
diffident equanimity. From that day forward, I saw
President Jonathan in completely new light. From
that day forward, he became my hero.
New departure
It does not matter that he then went on to lose
the election. Indeed, it helps to understand his
attitude to his loss. Before the last results were
announced, the president conceded defeat and
phoned to congratulate Buhari. Many have
extolled this as a new departure in the annals of
Nigerian politics. Moreover, the president’s
gesture saved lives by averting bitter disputes
and riots over the flawed election results. While I
definitely share the view that the president’s
actions established him as an exemplary
statesman, I still maintain that the icing on the
cake for me was hearing him say “I am hopeful”
on Election Day.
Nigerian presidents are not “hopeful.” They create
their own hope. Nigerian presidents don’t lose
elections. But Goodluck Jonathan lost. If
President Jonathan was determined to win the
2015 election, he would have won by hook or
crook. He lost because although he wanted to
win, he was not determined to win at all costs.
Winning was not the only option for him.
I have read all sorts of conclusions about the
election. Some of these only emphasise APC
talking-points, as if these make any difference in
Nigerian elections. Some who recognise that
elections are never free and fair in Nigeria would
have us believe this one was different because
the card-reader made it rig-proof. But the truth of
the matter is that, card-reader or not, Obasanjo
would not have lost this election had he been in
Jonathan’s shoes.
People seem to forget that the president’s party
lost many elections before 2015, and there was
no card-reader involved. PDP lost in Ondo. It lost
in Edo. It lost in Anmabra. It lost in Osun. In the
previous five elections before 2015, the PDP only
won in Ekiti. The president kept telling Nigerians
that one of the legacies he would like to leave
behind is that of being the man that revamped
the democratic system in the country. We heard
him repeat this again and again, but somehow,
did not take him seriously. We thought he was
just another politician sounding off.
Equanimity
However, Jonathan sat back, and watched
himself being defeated at the polls. My friend,
Benzak Uzuegbu, says this is conclusive proof
that Jonathan is, indeed, the most clueless man
that ever ruled Nigeria. “How could he have lost
the election? How can an incumbent president
lose an election in Nigeria, with all the powers
and resources at his disposal?”
I reach a different conclusion. Jonathan lost the
election because he belongs to a different class
of Nigerian politician. He lost because he did not
regard the president as something to be grasped.
He lost the election because, unlike most
politicians, Jonathan is a human-being. He is a
simple, decent, unassuming human-being, and
that makes him God-sent to Nigeria.
Before the election, Jonathan’s traducers tried to
compare him to Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire; a
President who refused to leave even after he lost
the election. How wrong they proved to be.
President Jonathan not only lost, his loss became
his victory. When the history of the 2015 election
is finally written, the emphasis will not only be
that General Buhari won, but more significantly,
that President Jonathan lost. To put it more
precisely, the President agreed to lose. What kind
of a man does that in a country like Nigeria.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/the-day-goodluck-jonathan-became-my-hero/

He is my hero too ! A true Nigerian, not one define by tribe or language but he who believe in this great country called Nigeria

anwe:
Some people sha them no de see truth as it is unfolding in Burudi. If someone has done well accept it simple. President Jonathan is a man of his word.
Ok people die in Ivory Cost and Gbagbo is still alive & will not be killed. He can only go to Jail. life goes on

hush with your sycophancy! who told you gbagbo won't be killed BTW,his wife already on over 20 yrs imprisonment more like life imprisonment. Gbagbos trial is ongoing.

Jonathan was under enormous pressure, much of it from the outside world, even wen some of his sycophants were threatening he will hand over to the military . The external world will react differently to a case of Nigeria with 200 million population than a tiny Burundi. My point is that without these internal and external pressures and alarm on him pre election, the story would have been different.

hadura29:
Wie lang worter

Richtig

citizenY:
Richtig

Ja, genau. Wie geht?

hadura29:
Ja, genau. Wie geht?

.

Gut....Alles in ordnung.

citizenY:
.

Gut....Alles in ordnung.

Super.... Gut zu wissen!!!

In the fullness of time, as historians cast their studied gaze back over the tumultuous political history of the nation called Nigeria, President Jonathan Goodluck will come to be recognized as one of the greatest statesmen and champions of democracy ever to ascend the pinnacle seat of power ANYWHERE on the African continent.

As pointed out in the above write-up, Jonathan's steadfast refusal to exploit the evident procedural defects of the recent elections as an excuse to postpone or discredit the polls, capped off with the swift congratulatory phone call placed by Jonathan to the presumed victor of the presidential election, EVEN BEFORE the final votes had been counted, were wise and humble preemptive actions that saved COUNTLESS lives by maintaining peace, while significantly boosting the sterling democratic credentials of the man Jonathan Goodluck in the eyes of the world, to a far greater degree than would have been possible in the context of just about any other scenario that could have unfolded subsequent to Nigeria's 2015 presidential election.

Jonathan Goodluck - A modern African hero of TRUE democracy, and one of Africa's future Ambassadors of Peace. I salute and hail the man.

May Mother Africa be blessed with more iconic champions of justice, peace and TRUE democracy, in the caliber of Jonathan Goodluck.

hadura29:
Super.... Gut zu wissen!!!

Vielen dank. Wo bist du jetzt? Nigeria oder anderer lande??

citizenY:
Vielen dank. Wo bist du jetzt? Nigeria oder anderer lande??

.


Ich bin in Nigeria... Und du?

hadura29:
.


Ich bin in Nigeria... Und du?

Spekken zie broken ?

hadura29:
.

Ich bin in Nigeria... Und du?

Ich auch.

PapiWata:
Spekken zie broken ?

Humor me sir!

citizenY:
Ich auch.

Super! Nacht mein freund, bis morgen.