By Muyiwa Adetiba
I was gobsmacked when I learnt that the PDP governors together with the party’s NEC had unanimously endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the second term. Some two short years ago, several Northern governors were grandstanding as they raised several—mainly self-serving reasons—Jonathan should not re-contest.

Some talked about the legal implications of a President being sworn in three times. Some talked about the moral implication of a President who can’t be trusted, whose freely given word that he would not go beyond 2015 was about to be lightly discarded. Some talked about the security situation in their area.

President Jonathan

Last week, they all gave in without a whimper, including the one who, a couple of weeks before, hinted that he was going for the Presidency. The ‘letter’ of surrender, of capitulation, was presented by none other than the grandiloquent Governor of Niger State who, a couple of years ago, was a vociferous anti Jonathan campaigner. Not one reference, even if tangentially, to the several reasons brought forward two years ago.

Most political watchers who are familiar with the ways of the PDP—as long as Mr no vacancy Anennih is alive—and the power of incumbency, expected Jonathan to win at the end of the day. But unanimous? That the whole of PDP leadership can acquiesce without a whimper given the glaring limitations of Jonathan shows how self–serving PDP and its leaders are. On what ground does the President deserve a unanimous endorsement?

Is it in the handling of Boko Haram which is exemplified by the inability to bring the Chibok girls home? (I really don’t know which galls more; the inability to rescue the girls or the insensitivity to the plight of young girls whose innocent lives have been inexorably altered).

Is it in the handling of corruption which has been exemplified by the way the petroleum subsidy scam and two visible female ministers have been handled?

Is it the culture of impunity which is being exemplified even as we speak, by the thugs in Ekiti? Is it the failure to fulfil even his main electoral campaign issues of energy, employment and security? Is it the doublespeak on issues that require forthrightness and candour?

The only ground that has been canvassed so far is that American Presidents are usually endorsed by their parties for second terms. They forget that America is a structured society and no American President has the kind of latitude to do just about anything that ours has. He cannot change rules or pick umpires at his convenience.

They forget that no American President can renege on promises or terms of negotiation without the people led by the press and his own party hounding him.

That unanimous endorsement has robbed us of the opportunity to hear alternative viewpoints from within no matter how untenable. It has robbed us of the emergence of uncut diamonds that might exist in the PDP system.

It has foreclosed, rudely, unceremoniously, any chance to re-invigorate the thinking and hope of all those who are completely fed up with the present state of things in the country. It has promised more of the same for those who are hoping for a change. And it has sent a clear, unmistakable message to the international community that we are not prepared to change the way the country is being run.

A lot of inducements—political and financial—must have taken place. A certain Mr Fix It and his many clones, must have used carrot and stick to whip the ‘wayward dissidents’ into place. Many of the inducements would be personal and would have nothing to do with the interests of their communities. Some might even be to the detriment of those communities. So you wonder why those communities, those States that are supposed to be represented by these governors and NEC leaders are not fighting back. You see, these leaders who swim in obscene wealth while their followers wallow in poverty get away with the unbridled promotion of self- interests because there is no backlash.

They will think twice if they know that they can be recalled or removed at the next election. Or for that matter, if they are made aware that the repercussion for packaging a bad products is too dire to contemplate. Everywhere you look there is impunity, there is chaos, there is a gradual descent into anarchy. The least we can do is talk about these things.

The least they can do is to enlighten us and tell us things will be different come 2015, and beyond. That they take us for granted as they do, is our fault. It is our duty as followers and fellow stake holders to hold them accountable. We must ignore this notion, this subtle suggestion that there is no alternative to Jonathan. He cannot be the best material to come out of South-South. He cannot even be the best material from Bayelsa State. So why is he the only material in the whole country?

We have all watched the adverts of TAN, the group purporting to act in our collective interests but which is actually acting out its own script. We have seen the exaggerations and outright lies in the Mandela and Luther-King comparisons. We have seen the adverts on delivered promises of modern airports, smooth, eight lane expressways and energy installations. All products of imagination and lies.

Why are we the consumers not taking it up and bringing the dreamers to the reality on the ground? Why are we, in any case, allowing a campaign of any sort at this time in a blatant abuse of electoral laws?

We can take the initiative and back credible opinion polls that will not only tell us how we feel about contending issues, but also who we want to address those issues. Let us begin to canvass the wide usage of opinion polls to test the true popularity of our leaders. And any electoral result that is contrary to the polls will be regarded as fake. These jokers can continue to live in their corrupt world. We don’t have to live there with them. Unanimous endorsement? Please.