By Bisi Lawrence
There was hardly any newspaper that you could open recently, without reading about yet another group of politicians, civil society, ethnic group or plain opportunists endorsing the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan. The gentleman is yet to announce it, but no matter; several people have done that for him already.

And from all appearances, he is not very likely to reject their efforts. It is never so easy to stop licking a sweet soup, even after you are full, and our President has hardly began to taste the sweets of office.

Ironically, the issue of “zoning” seems to have created the eruption of the widespread support his putative candidacy enjoys. This is an aspect that one might have expected to keep the endorsement at bay, at least to some extent. But it is as though some interests had been waiting silently for the emergence of this issue to expose its soft underbelly for an open attack.

The onslaught against “zoning” as it would affect Jonathan’s candidacy started off usually with such rich juicy statement as, “President Jonathan has the right to contest any elective position as a free Nigerian protected by the provisions of the Constitution blah, blah, blah…”

That is of course, a point which nobody can deny. In fact, none of his potential rivals who touched on that aspect has been slow to acknowledge the fact. But the remark sounds so well in support of whatever follows that it has been elevated to the status of a mantra of democratic declaration. And then follows another glimpse of  the obvious that makes a big deal out of the fact that the “zoning” system is a device of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I mean, didn’t everyone know that?

What is apparent is that if the PDP, as a party, stands by its system, President Goodluck would be ruled out of contesting, that is, on the platform of the party. He would then have to adopt the candidature of another party, if  he is determined to contest, and that would be messy.

That would also incur an inordinate risk since most of us cannot see beyond a PDP victory, as the electorate stands, in the coming election. In fact, that is what has added so much passion to the debate of “zoning-or-no-zoning”. One could mention no more than one or two other parties – in fact, maybe no other party at all – whose preferences with regard to “zoning” would raise the dust even from a mild breeze. But we are concerned here with the Leviathan.

The appeal of Jonathan springs partially from a resentment of  that overbearing size and posture of the PDP. The party seems to be able to carry off everything before it. It even boasted at one time, that it would still be in power for another sixty (or was it six hundred) years. That naturally didn’t sit well with the other parties which went as far as openly attempting to form a mega-party specifically for wrenching the ruling position from the PDP.

The effort went with the wind. It was conceived by a group of strange bedfellows who couldn’t otherwise stand each other’s smell even at a distance. They were merely brought together by the attractive but vain promises, of empty opportunism, shorn of any real ideal of progress or patriotism. That might now indeed, also form another source for the shimmering lure of the Jonathan charm itself.

Veering away from the course of the democratic right of every Nigerian, other supporters of Jonathan have also latched on to the “minorities” card, and it seems they would play that for all their life is worth. the President is from a minorities’ area of a distinctive hue. To put it mildly, it is a distressed zone whose circumstances impinge on the peace and progress of the entire country. Jonathan’s candidacy may, in fact should, offer a ready rallying-point for those who are pressing for redress, as well as a reference point for the aspirations of others.

But the threat of the PDP to the other parties, is in the eventuality of the party holding together. Its aspiring members for the presidency needed to consider that as a matter of concern. With the outcome of the meeting in Kaduna, held two days ago, if  the maxim of “one-man-one vote” could become a reality, the fear would become less worrisome. But that is Professor Jega’s headache.

The candidates’ headache would then be the securing of the party’s nomination. However, if the voting pattern in the last election is critically analyzed, the much-touted monolithic structure of the North may have been more of a mirage, as far as the support for the PDP goes, than any concrete or reliable factor. Therefore if the united front of the party could be split, those who lost its nomination might still have some hope, no matter how slim from this distance.

But then, President Jonathan himself is not without an appreciable measure of charisma. His endorsement gained effortlessly beyond those who supported him for himself, to those who went up against his rivals. Having been neatly denied of  his party’s ticket by the “zoning” poly, he may find his candidacy somewhat depleted of support. The power of incumbency, unfortunately, is a game that at least two of  his rivals have learnt how to play  very  well.

The declaration of  his election stand would be appropriate at this time.

From the outset, this column had distanced itself from the idea of President Jonathan contesting the forthcoming election. The position of “zoning” on our political landscape loomed too large to be ignored. We saw its background as offering it a high moral ground which demanded respect from all who had acquiesced in its establishment and earlier application.

We envisaged the furore to which its abrupt prohibition would give rise, and which we felt our “fetal” democracy might be too stressed to bear. We saw its untimely abrogation as a drawback to our nation-building efforts, and a cause of discontent that was quite avoidable.

If the untimely demise of   President Umar Yar’Adua had not left a vacancy in Aso Rock, the idea of eradicating the system of “zoning” within the PDP would have been no issue. The system had a reason for acquiring life. It was to correct the imbalance which had become a blight to the presidential aspirations of other areas beside the North. It was arrangement – a gentleman’s agreement – within the operational procedure of  the  PDP to foster a sense of  belonging among the citizens of the country at that time. Even if the perception that brought it to life has now been altered, it is not only fair, but also necessary that the system should run its course. And nothing has indeed changed. The Northern Governors made that clear…

The delicate strands that bind us together as a nation are no stronger than a pragmatic approach to the situation of our existence. One of those strands is the phenomenon of “zoning”. It existed already under various names and in various forms before the PDP officially adopted it as a method of dispensing equity among the various units of its membership. It is contracted in the Constitution in the form of the Federal Character provisions.

It has permeated through the fabric of our elective organs right through to the grassroots in Local Government areas. It may not be the fairest way of arriving at a choice for a position of civic responsibility, but it is a procedure which suits our present political advancement.

It calls for little courage or boldness, but only an input of wayside wisdom to uphold such an institution which is eminently relevant to our circumstances. The Northern Governors could have done no better. We share the same view on this matter with the Arewa Youth  Development Foundation and congratulate its members for the restraint in their reaction to what could be regarded as a rather vexatious issue. But they kept their cool.

One would also commend President Jonathan for saving his breath through these trying times. He could still emerge as one of the true and great statesmen of  this country  if  he  would continue  to stay clear of  the controversy and contumely of an election that his party has denied him this time. But at his age, a period of eight years cannot too long a time to wait.

He can gainfully spend that period to develop more clout for a useful and outstanding political future, both for himself and his area of origin which may gain a lot from a cool and purposeful leadership, traits that have already been evinced by his presidency so far. It is not likely that any obstacle can effectively bar his way next time.

through a cloud, darkly

Now that we are in sight of the next national elections, so to say, the fog should be lifting to some extent for us to see where we are going, and how to get there. Me, I’m still somewhat confused.

In the first place, I do not believe that the amendment that is supposed to have been made to the Constitution still confers on it the right to be prefaced by, “We The People”. How many of us, the people, were afforded the opportunity of  making a worthwhile input into that document that was rushed through the consideration of legislative houses at breakneck speed? Many people didn’t even know whether a new voters’ list will come to life or not, though it is patent that nothing less than a fraud would be compounded, if anything short of that is adopted.

It is said that, in the new dispensation, the order of  voting would be reversed. I missed the “big deal” in that as it relates to a clean election which is whole point of our yearnings..

Now, are we going to use any particular electoral system? It would be nice to know ahead, even if one’s views would be left behind.
We understand that independent candidates will not be permitted to contest – to strengthen the fibre of our democracy, no doubt.

Manifestos – I don’t like that snigger – manifestos, I repeat, should now be flying around, even it would only serve as a cover-up for the perennial doctrine of “chop-I-chop”. We are aware of all that, but works of fiction are now highly priced in the market and we would not mind reading some free ones.

Okay, now let’s see who will snatch the PDP presidential nomination from… er… whom. I still believe that’s where the real election is at.
Time out.