BY ABDULLAHI SANUSI
As far as popularity among the masses goes in the North and most streets in the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan is the winning card in the 2023 presidential election. Of course, there is more than enough evidence to justify this assertion.
There is no debating the fact that the intrigues towards the 2023 presidency is getting more intense among political bigwigs in the country by the day. As we inch closer, more revelations are unfolding.
A piece of privileged information from those who are close to the Northern Governors Forum indicates that no less than 10 governors of Northern extraction have resolved to mobilise the region in support of Jonathan to join the race for the 2023 presidency.
They have equally vowed to extend their campaign to their colleagues in the South in order to make sure that Jonathan receives a resounding acceptance and support from the region.
This news was leaked to newsmen through a source, who was reportedly privy to the deft plan by the governors.
The latest development in the country’s political firmament has confirmed the position I have been sharing with many of my brothers and contemporaries in the North about the silent aggressive movements currently going on in the North for ex-President Jonathan.
At a recent gathering in the palace of a powerful monarch in the North, a reliable source quoted an influential North-East state governor and another from the North-Central as saying, “we have taken a position. This decision and efforts have become necessary in the spirit of fairness and justice.”
Fairness in this context means that power should not only shift to the South but it necessarily has to go to the South-South because the nation needs the former president at this critical time.
Besides, the country is standing on the precipice in terms of peace and security. Definitely, we cannot pretend about that and what we need to do now, as statesmen, is to work towards restoring peace, security and unity of the country through conscious efforts.
Furthermore, there is also a belief that Jonathan’s project has been factored into the ruling party, All Progressives Congress’s National Convention that has witnessed a series of postponements as the party searches for a national chairman who will make it easier to make the candidacy of Jonathan hitch-free.
“The North finds in Jonathan a natural ally who can be trusted with power. It is very dangerous to entrust power in the hands of a desperate man”
A strategy has also been perfected to ensure that the presidential aspirations of other prominent aspirants are set aside or truncated.
In the next couple of weeks, the plans will begin to unfold step by step until they are able to get everybody on board, especially political, traditional, religious leaders of thought nationwide.
But why are the governors gunning for Jonathan when there are other equal contenders? What informed such a decisive position?
The position is hinged on the theory of power and how the former president fit into the North’s plan. The North finds in Jonathan a natural ally who can be trusted with power. It is very dangerous to entrust power in the hands of a desperate man.
This is one of the qualities the Northern power brokers have pegged the inordinate ambition of those who have been going round in circles to grab power at all cost.
The second point is close to the first in terms of attribute: Trust. Who is an ally? Simply put, an ally is someone who can be trusted because he is loyal to previous mutual agreement or understanding. In this context, and in the estimation of those backing the former president, it is evident that Jonathan is the only one who can be trusted with power. He has been tested, proven and certified.
This is where the North has anchored its position and it will not readily back down on it.
The North is aware that there are interpretations insinuating that the North is pursuing an agenda. I agree and my position is very simple. We need a stable and peaceful Nigeria first before we can talk about any other motives.
In this case, the motive or agenda is to keep the country as one first and foremost. In other words, we all need to make sacrifices for the national interest. We cannot continue to make the mistake of thinking that we will be better off if we go our separate ways. It is a fool’s paradise to so hallucinate. But with Jonathan as the next president, we can come together as a country and have a constructive engagement under a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Indeed, Jonathan is the next direction for our country.
Abdullahi Sanusi writes from Maiduguri, Borno State.
CAVEAT: Views and opinions expressed here are those of the writers and are not in any way those of The Point Newspaper – Editor
