IS THERE A SPACE FOR JONATHAN’S FOOTPRINTS?

PHOTO: NIGERIAN ACTING PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN MEETING US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IN WASHINGTON DC.

Trust media organizations to make the most of exclusive interviews. One TV personality sat Nigeria ’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan down the other day. “Nigeria 's acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, is in Washington for the nuclear security summit, and he gave us his first interview since assuming power,” Christine Amanpour announced with relish. Her questions soon became mandibles. “How did "Goodluck" come to be your name?” was one. “Have you seen him (ailing President Umar Yar’adua) since he has come back from his medical absence in Saudi Arabia?” was another. And, “So if he can receive religious leaders, why can he not receive at least the Acting President who's acting in his name?”

The Acting President dealt with those questions rather nicely. But his pursuer didn’t give up. Asked what he thought was the most pressing issue he faces as Nigeria’s leader, Jonathan said in terms of basic infrastructure, it is power, meaning electricity. But outside that? “What is central to the minds of Nigerians now,” he added, “is an election (in which) their votes will count, free and fair elections, because we've been accused (as) a country…And I promise Nigerians that they will surely get that…(credible election)” The Acting President’s reference to electricity is not far off the mark. Nigerians want electricity, sure. The multiplier effect is profound, yes. For now however, many would not want to put out their neck and vouch for their leadership to deliver on electricity. Definitely, not within the one year that is left of this administration. Effectively, it is about six months. Election fever will be in their air by the last quarter of the year, not to mention that the battle may be vicious.

One, President Umaru Yar’Adua is still in the Presidential Villa for all the value that may have for some power mongers. And didn’t the ailing president stake out his all when he spoke of giving Nigerians electricity by December 2009? The date came and passed. Excuses were given. Logical minds hardly expected much from the present set up. As it stands, making uninterrupted electricity supply available will be a miracle. There is no illusion; the entrenched system in that sector, as well as in every other sector of national life, is Mount Everest. In 2008, some House of Reps members looked into how billions was expended to make electricity available in the first eight years of the current democratic experiment. Nothing came of it. The chasers have since become the chased. The problem is not the promise Jonathan made about giving Nigerians electricity, it is the system that led to his making it.

And this is where the arrow points back to the matter of elections which the Acting President mentioned in his interview. He acknowledged how central it is in the mind of Nigerians. It has been argued that when the process of selecting leaders is right, some other things will fall into place. The process for emergence of office holders is flawed as it stands. Core to changing this is making people’s vote count. There are various aspects to achieving this. Stakeholders have spoken about it severally. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organized its conferences. Media organizations have stepped in, organizing symposia, making concerned citizens offer recommendations. A presidential committee also said things on it. The matter doesn’t end in the talk shops, of course. The Acting President needs to step in. He will do well to give Nigerians electricity. But he will do better by empowering them, making their votes count. Sending the full Justice Uwais report on electoral reform to the lawmakers is nice.

There are arguments that several hurdles are there to cross. The Acting President referred to them in his interview. But he further stated that, "(in) a few months, we should be able to set up a system that can conduct free and fair elections." Then he mentioned taking on a few issues that "can leave some footprints." Good. This is where he may create space for his own footprints considering the fact that there are several rivers yet to cross in order to have a credible election next year. What the Acting President should do is make the days of the coming elections like twelfth of June 1993. Recent examples of that day were the elections in Anambra State and the one in the Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.  Conducting violence-free elections, which enable the people to truly decide, takes care of most of the obstacles political juggernauts have identified so far. Perfection of the electoral process can continue after May 2011.

Ajibade, a Consultant Writer, writes from Abuja. tunjioa@yahoo.com