Nigerian politicians always want to eat their cake and still have it otherwise how could one justify that Jonathan’s 2011 ambition is tied to late Yar’Adua’s continuation? If indeed that is the case why the attempt to dump zoning by his party in the first instance? Now that he was defeated after putting all his energy into trying to expunge zoning and going as far as removing the chairman of the party, Jonathan and his supporters are changing the tune. That clearly shows that those behind him are worthless since they could not even influence their party to have it their own way in spite of using various arm twisting methods and holding such political  party meetings at the state house which is against the law.

Also the attempt to create an impression of generational change is misleading since electorates in the US and UK are now full of regrets for voting Obama and the Con-Dem coalition and were they to face their voters in their respective countries today they would fail woefully!. The US would hold congressional elections soon and Obama’s party would receive a sound defeat because of the failure of his government while the ratings of both Cameron and Clegg has significantly slumped and Nigerian voters must understand that there was nothing celebrated as generational change in these countries which do not condone age discrimination and had even cancelled retirement age recently thereby allowing people to continue to work as long as they think fit to do so.

The Jonathan supporters and their media devised several strategies to hoodwink northerners and all their intrigues and evil machinations are crumbling before their very eyes. They used the minority card and found that the stance by northern politicians to adhere to zoning principle serves minority interest best, then they used the religious toga and again they succeeded in exposing themselves as the real masterminds of the ethno-religious skirmishes for political purpose. Now that they have no more reason to advance they found a way round in the use of the name of the late president who they all castigated for refusing to transfer instrument of power to Jonathan when he was ill and want to hang on to power riding on his name again, what a shame!

All these have helped in exposing the calibre of politicians rallying round behind Jonathan who have never won election on their own without leaning on someone else. Time has come for Nigeria to change from the mentality of worshipping executive office holders and make them realise that they are there to serve and not to be served.

The crowd of politicians trying to be relevant by following office holders to all places and organising functions to endear themselves to political leaders is a manifestation of corruption and the EFCC must identify the sources of funding of these activities and bring perpetrators to book.

(c) The Optimist Voice. Al rights reserved

 

NIGERIA NEWS JONATHAN, ROGUE POLITICIANS AND THE NIGERIAN STATE Abba B Shuwa, Leeds UK ...August 14, 2010 The character of the Nigerian politician is akin to those traders that are referred to as rogue traders in the UK. These are a kind of fraudsters who trick gullible customers into paying for goods and services that would not be provided and these types of people are called Yan Wala Wala in Hausa. Even though these rogues were exposed and punished in the UK but to the dismay of many they get rewarded in Nigeria since most Nigerian politicians fit into this category of fraudsters. The art of deception has become the main feature that characterises the attitude of the Nigerian politician today. They shamelessly want Nigerians to believe the lie they say as truth and try to undermine those who are honest and speak the truth by labelling them as trouble makers or uncompromising people. Even the so-called law enforcement agents are set against decent citizens by witch hunting them just because they benefit in kind and or in cash from the activities of corrupt politicians. That Nigerian politicians are lacking in morals and decorum is not questionable since they can easily betray those who elected them and attempt to lord themselves over the people they are claiming to represent. They invent all manner of deceits to mislead the people and because the people are mostly not active participants in their governance, they were forced to accept everything as ordained by God. It is therefore not surprising that our praise singing musicians (maroka) are taken to the back stage by these political jobbers as they were now being taken over by those high class jobbers who have learnt the habit of white washing executive office holders with flowering accolades and phrases with the aim of attracting attention to themselves and sharing the loot provided by their office through appointments, patronage and contracts. These political jobbers attempt to sell animal dung to the Nigerian people as puddings and want them to believe that it is edible and good to eat. Unfortunately even if the people refused to take it the politicians would resort to plan B which is to use force to make them swallow whatever they provided. That is one reason to suspect the timing of massive police recruitment when election is in the corner and knowing well the antecedents of the Nigeria Police during elections.