IT is great men of outstanding vision that shape the destiny of nations the world over. Such great men are not hard to find and pick from the crowded pages of world political history.

Men like Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, Josef Stalin of Russia [who transformed his country from a struggling agrarian economy to a super power], Mahatma Ghandi of India, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson of the United States, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Henrique Fernando of Brazil, Benjamin Disraeli of Britain, Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, to mention just a few.

In the contemporary Nigerian political context, a man who has demonstrated the makings of a great statesman who could be classed among the few greats mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article is Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, the incumbent Nigerian President.

This realisation made millions of Nigerians to root for his continuation in office through a fresh mandate in 2011. They believe in the ability of Dr. Jonathan to put Nigeria on the path of true greatness as a richly endowed nation.

Prior to his official and open declaration of intention on Saturday last week to run for the Presidency on the platform of the PDP along with his able Vice, Namadi Sambo, Goodluck had told his friends on Facebook that he will promise LITTLE and deliver MORE. His message read in part:

“If I am elected President in 2011, I will make a covenant with you the Nigerian people to always do right by you, to tell you the truth at all times, to carry you along and most importantly to listen to you, fellow citizens in our communities and also those of you on this page. I do not want to win your affections by giving you promises of things I would do in the future which others before me have given and which have largely been unfulfilled. Rather, I would want you to judge me by my records.

“My team and I made no promises on adequate fuel supply in Nigeria. We simply did what was expected of those who govern, we delivered it, and you are living witnesses to that. We made no promise to revamp the textile industry. We delivered a bailout package worth N150 billion that is being dispensed as I write. We made no promises of securing the highest U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation clearance, the Category 1 Certificate which enables Nigerian registered airlines to fly to ANY U.S city.

We delivered…I know you are tired of empty promises, so I will make only one promise to you today. The only promise I make to you my friends, fellow citizens and Nigeria, is to promise LESS and deliver MORE if I am elected”.

The Jonathan Presidency is set to revolutionise political leadership in Nigeria in a manner no leader had done in the entire history of the country. It has already taken this often not-taken path. Nigerians can’t afford to miss this golden opportunity to make Goodluck Jonathan President through the ballot for the following reasons:

They now have a President who treats them with respect; who believes they count and are important, and who listens when they speak, irrespective of their age, tribe, creed, tongue, leaning, or social and/or political status.

They now have as President a leader who promises less and delivers more, and has done significantly well in five months of being in the saddle of governance in Aso Rock.

They now have as President a man who is completely detribalized and who believes in the future of a happy, prosperous, united, progressive and peaceful Nigeria where none is discriminated against on the basis of sex, religion, creed, ethnicity, political affiliations or nationality.

They now have as President a leader who is committed to his promises and the social contract he entered with the people of Nigeria when he took the oath of office.

They now have as President a leader who is radically different from all others who had had the opportunity before to rule Nigeria; being reinforced by the fact he is the first PhD holder to hold the highest political office in the land.

They now have as President a man who exudes the leadership aura and charisma of great leaders in other lands Nigerians had always envied.

They now have as President a leader who is humble, kind and sincere to a fault.

And above all, they now have a President who has so many good, workable plans for the good people of Nigeria, including a Sovereign Social Fund to create jobs for the unemployed, more refineries, to mention a few.

What is more, Jonathan had told Nigerians in very unambiguous terms that the Presidency is such a powerful office that can be used to solve most of the protracted challenges Nigerians have been grappling with all their existence. Nigerians, let us give this young man a chance. Let the North make this sacrifice for the Niger Delta which had also sacrificed so much for the unity, progress and economic survival of Nigeria.

Let us give the mandate to Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for a more organized, stable, goal-driven Nigeria in next year’s presidential election, beginning with the party primaries this year. Thank you and God bless.

Mr. DENNIS ALEMU, a commentator on national issues,Lagos.