My Transition - Jonathan Ebele REMADE (B), page 6
campaigns i was confident that we were going to win, based on
45
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
analysis and polls. We looked at everything and the areas of strength
were evident. In the areas we appeared weak, we intensified efforts
to address issues and bring our numbers up. We were confident that
victory was heading towards us as we were also moving in its
direction. We were sure of the states we would certainly have a clear
lead. We knew the states we shared 50-50 and finally the states we
would have the required 25% to satisfy the provisions of the law.
The political power sharing i spoke of earlier is extremely dangerous
to Nigerian politics. The government must be linked to the area of
origin, one's political ideology and policy program. When an election
appears to be tanking, members of political parties often changed
sides to join the party perceived to be winning. It would serve the
larger interest of our constituents and deepen democratic practice to
find suitable legislation against this embarrassing phenomenon.
There is a slight justification for this no doubt, because a few
politicians have been treated with so much injustice in the past to
warrant their departure, but it is simply not enough.
The people we strive to serve are receiving much more injustice
everyday and would not opt out of their citizenship and become
Ghanaians. Think about that.
There is a tremendous measure of religious pressure on members of
the PDP from the North. This is not a fresh factor, but it is one
46
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
militating against entrenching the ethos of democracy. For as long as
people could be persuaded or harassed into falling in line by
deploying religion as an instrument of politics, our goals for electing
democracy stand unattainable. I know that some would be eager to
point out the American Evangelicals as a perfect example in an
advanced democracy, but this would not validate our version of this
concept.
In the first instance, i do not believe that everything American is
good to cite. Even at that, the American Evangelicals role in that
democracy is different from our Islamic role. No one forces the
Evangelicals. There is no intimidation or threats of not making
heaven if you did not vote this way or that, or even making hell of
earth for you if you failed to flow with the mainstream. When
elections are pre-determined by faith or religion, we no longer
practice democracy. What we then have is some form of adulterated
theocracy. Those religious sentiments stand in the way of
performance, simply because you knew it only took your adherence
to be approved. You therefore worked towards your approval ratings
in the mosque.
During the campaigns, some voters felt Buhari was their best option.
His followership in the North was boosted by campaign promises i
found quite interesting. He promised them jobs in a new
government, without addressing capacity building. Millions of
47
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
youths believed Buhari in government meant automatic jobs which
would enable them get married and live a better life. Those who
could not get jobs would be paid 5000 Naira monthly. These youths
turned out to be the most disruptive during elections because they
saw any contrary position to the source of those promises as one
blocking their paradise on earth. How could they disbelieve a man of
"proven integrity?"
But how could they know that those promises were too far from
economic realities? They were in no position to know because they
lacked the capacity to know. That absence of capacity has been the
problem of the Northern youth for a long time. It has also been the
reason for Nigeria's backwardness. If we deliberately stunt the
academic growth of millions of youth so we could have a ready army
of easily misdirected youth, we kill this country. When you add
religion to illiteracy plus politics, you just created a worse weapon
than hydrogen bomb at a much cheaper cost. We have to fight for the
education of the Northern youth. We tried in our time, but it must
continue. The leadership of the North must embrace attitudinal
change. Not a rhetorical change. Well, as the man said, "dreams die
first". How does an economy like this one share out 5000 Naira to
millions of people monthly? How do you identify those who should
receive the money? We have borders that are more religious than
national all over the North. How do you differentiate between
Nigerians, Chadians, Nigeriens and Cameroonians in one nation of
48
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
Islam which is taken more seriously that the State we all claim?
Where would the money come from? Would you borrow to share?
But most importantly, how does anyone believe that kind of talk?
That kind of campaign? You would either be lying to people you
should be telling the whole truth or you lacked the capacity to figure
out the status of your country's economy ahead of the possibility of
your leadership.
I received information that some PDP leaders were alluding (at this
critical) juncture, to a breach of one spurious agreement to rotate
power between the North and the South. I was supposed to have
entered into the agreement before the 2011 elections. In Nigeria's
political field, you could be in an agreement without knowing and
there usually was no need for documents validating such. When we
received word relating to this, we had an interrogative session with
some governors to find out the source of that allegation.
Afterwards, some governors opted out of the PDP. That was the
beginning of the downward spiral.
The enduring negative controversy over North and South had taken
on yet another life and significantly affected our poll numbers. We
assessed the situation, re-strategized and adjusted our campaign.
Within the PDP, some members from the North worked for the
opposition not necessarily because of convictions or principles.
The dissension had the effect of a rapid spread. They told voters to
49
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
vote on free will in all other elections, but to only vote Buhari for
president. Inside the PDP! It should be tough to trust these brood of
politicians going forward, but we must not allow such thoughts to
rubbish highly stable and trustworthy Northerners. It is the political
structure i believe must change in order to cure ourselves of this
distrust.
2015 Elections Postponed.
Saturday February 14, 2015
19:00 Hours
The elections across the country postponed
i distinctly remember calls which i received suggesting a
postponement of the elections. Weeks before, an average of 35% to
50% of the voters had not received their permanent voters cards.
There were several objections raised in the public space concerning
attempts to influence the electoral process. While this went on, the
National Security Adviser, stated that the military could not
guarantee security in parts of the North-East, especially in Borno,
Yobe, Gombe and Adamawa.
The media was awash with governors leading protests in their states.
Almost all the governors of the Southern states were shouting
50
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
themselves hoarse, but we knew they were shouting because of
other elections than the presidential. That is the paradox of this
politics. They were also among the frontliners in the protest against
postponement. Not even assurances of the sanctity of May 29 could
calm them down. They were sleeping with both eyes open. If only
we could keep such vigil in service of democracy and our people. But
we are only that agitated in pursuit of power.
A short while back, Boko Haram militants had taken hold of a wide
cache of military grade weaponry, including Armored Personnel
Carriers from retreating Nigerian troops.I requested an update from
officials, who confirmed my fears. The group had almost five
thousand fighters behind its growing effort to carve out and control
territory in the North-East of Nigeria, around Cameroon, Chad,
Niger.
Tension was further inflamed. Many Nigerian opposition figures at
home and some Nigerians in the diaspora pressed for the elections
to go on as planned. They had a different but ineffectual reality.
Theirs was about an exclusive focus on elections, but you had to have
a country after elections, i think. It was my duty to present the
country intact after my service and i was not going to let a tiny patch
of Nigeria go under my watch. It would be reckless and irresponsible
to cede portions of one's country through any form of loss.
It was worse for them because they saw shadows in every move our
51
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
government made. Indeed there was no cogent basis for the
sightings of these constant apparitions, because my government was
one pointedly devoid of trickery. However, i suppose the elections
were more important than the lives we could have lost in the North-
East if we had not taken charge and made the correct decision,
which was why we were in office anyhow.
There was the ludicrous statement that the NSA should not have
spoken about the postponement overseas. I still wonder what
difference the announcement location would have made in a global
village, but such were the spirit of those times. They even alleged
that i was about a tenure elongation ploy. It was really very silly.
Nothing in my whole profile accused me of any tendency for
tenacity of office. My party lost quite a number of important
elections and my posture did not switch from one of adherence to
democracy. In any case, tenure elongation was meaningless since i
still had a term left under the Constitution.
Truly, it happens around Africa and there was an attempt here which
held the country down until it was defeated inside the Senate, but
that was being done by people used to forceful and manipulative
modes of doing the business of governance. It was not a direction
which i was ever attracted to. I think the opposition was reacting to
its own imagination without necessarily thinking those imaginations
through. There were very concrete reasons to postpone the
52
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
elections, even for a longer period, but it was not good for our
democracy. It could have had a terrible effect and conclusion which
could have shocked us all. But we tailored the time we needed and
did not postpone for a second longer.
The decision and announcement to postpone the elections was
eventually made by the only body which could do so under the
Constitution. I should talk briefly about the INEC here, because of
the insinuations that government muscled INEC to make the
pronouncement. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth
as people came to realize. Yes, the posture of INEC could appear
edgy, but it knew it was not ready and that the election was too
important to mess up and then throw a few lame apologies in the
media, with the usual promise to do better later.
The PVC shortage was everywhere. The lopsided allocations grew
into a national din. The housing of PVCs in emirs' palaces was a
topic. The card readers were not even in view. All of these happening
despite years of preparation and huge votes made available! It was all
building up to a perfect storm, but those were INEC's problems
which we were willing to help solve, but the security of the country
was our job and the military advised as they deemed fit.
Before the election was eventually rescheduled by INEC, i
summoned all the service chiefs to get further information. Then i
53
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
called a Council of State meeting and requested the heads of security
services and INEC chairman to attend. These were not apolitical,
but at least they could rise up above the political din and represent
the entire country. They did. At the end of deliberations, it was
agreed that the elections be postponed for six weeks in order to
create a safer environment for voters and officials on election day.
The INEC was then directed to hold a meeting with political parties,
while the NSA was to also brief them on the security angle to the
postponement. At the end of the session, participants voted for or
against postponement. The votes in favor of postponement was
overwhelming. INEC, thereafter announced the postponement and
rescheduling to the nation.
FOREIGN INTERESTS
The other front in the heat of Nigeria's election moment in 2015 was
the foreign interest. They mounted serious pressure on us in their
apparent disbelief the postponement was without ulterior motive.
They maintained the curious posture of one who had been deceived
severally before and therefore, had every reason to cede no credence
to our position. But there was no such instance.
The United States and United Kingdom were especially agitated.
David Cameron called to express his concern about the
54
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
postponement. John Kerry came from the United States to express
further worry. It was at once comic and sobering. In fact, John Kerry
showed great reluctance in accepting our explanation giving reasons
for the postponement. It was funny, because, right inside our eyes,
we knew why the agitation was so much, but beyond the dialogue of
eyes, the game of care took the throne.
In attendance where the decision to postpone the election was taken
were almost all the living former Heads of State of this country.
How else does a foreigner become convinced that he was hearing the
truth? How does a foreigner love one's country more than the
indigene? I have stated earlier how the Kerry visit was designed to
humiliate a sitting Nigerian president and clearly take sides in that
election. We watch today how the Republicans and Democrats are
building up to the next tenant in the White House. Do you see
anyone going from Nigeria to sit between Obama and Romney four
years ago? It would be considered creative, even in Hollywood.
This is one reason extremist projections go in the direction of
Americans. There must be a point to bridle the subjective thoughts
of the global orderly. It is in the interest of Americans to restrain its
self-constructed superiority complex, because no one thinks by
bombs and frigates in the final analysis. Right and wrong must not be
subjects of nuclear power, otherwise, Pakistan and Kim jung un
must be given pride of place. The leadership of the free world must
55
M Y T R A N S I T I O N H O U R S
not be by royal or colonial tendencies. It must, by a long shot depend
on persuasion. Which African country stands out because it is
America's friend? Which? A friend who would rather hold on to his
Leahy Act, when my nation loses thousands of lives must be a great
friend. No?
Anyhow, the six weeks served us well. Our forces brilliantly dealt a
weakening blow to the terrorists. In case they did not notice, Boko
Haram has not been able to do much since, except throw IEDs here
and there. If government concentrates on consolidating and pay less
attention on pulling Jonathan administration down as a duty, Boko
Haram would vanish. The same soldiers who did it for us are still
there to do it for the new administration. Sometimes, i think people
forget that Heads of State, ex-soldiers or civilians do not go
shooting, all by themselves. We all rely on our courageous soldiers.
A few weeks after launching the operations in the North, people
realized that our military was successful. Nations who tied their
weapons to ransom also realized the futility of that position.
America and UK have been "friends" for a long time, but it is not all
the time it truly looked like friendship. We conducted the elections
peacefully, even if the fairness part was not high on priority. At least
everyone was happy and they said that much in a swarm of
congratulatory calls. Everyone was happy. All appreciated the
wisdom, just a short moment after the fact.
56
D E C I S I O N P O I N T S
57
58
C H A P T E R
4
“In 1967, Nigeria fought a very bitter civil war
