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Ruling party gives Nigerian President Go-ahead
Friday, 14 January 2011 22:53
JollofNews - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has circumvented one major hurdle in his attempt
to run for President in Africa’s most populous nation.President Jonathan emerged winner in Thursday’s presidential primary that pitted him against former vice president Atiku Abubakar for the candidacy of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in
April’s general election. "I want to welcome Mrs. Jibril and his excellency Alhaji Abubakar on board so that together we can build a Nigeria of our collective interest, a Nigeria where ideas guide our dreams for a greater nation," Jonathan said of his defeated opponents as part of his acceptance speech of the nomination, whose results were unveiled early Friday.
"This is a time for the party to move forward in unity to bring this country under the PDP banner," he added.
Presidential candidate Jonathan, as popular as he is, presently has two more worries ahead. Apart from the Atiku camp’s vehement contestation of the results of the primary, on the grounds that Jonathan’s candidacy ditched an informal PDP agreement that rotated the party's presidential nominee between north and south, the president is also set to face off against another highly popular candidate from what is described as Nigeria’s strongest opposition party in the coming April elections - the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Two presidential aspirants of the CAN withdrew their candidacy in the party’s primary early on Friday, to allow Nuhu Ribadu the ticket.
Mr Ribadu came to fame when he served as the pioneering head of the famous Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that hunted down high profile Nigerian political figures on corruption allegations. But experts say despite its popularity, the Action Congress does not have the money or political muscle of the ruling PDP, which has led the country since the emergence of democracy there in 1999.
There have also been some speculations about the motive behind Ribadu’s candidacy. The thought of the former anti-corruption tzar challenging President Jonathan points to a serious irony in Nigerian politics ; both candidates are seen as Proteges of Nigeria’s most influential political godfather today, former President Olu Segun Obasanjo. Critics say Obasanjo used Ribadu to undo his political opponents by targeting them through the EFCC. And through the endorsement of the Yar’adua presidency, Obasanjo is also seen as responsible for Jonathan’s present position.Additionally, shortly before Goodluck Jonathan assumed the presidency in Nigeria, Nuhu Ribadu was in exile between London and Washington. He had criminal charges hanging over his head, something many Nigerians viewed as acts of reprisal for his stance against influential people who felt offended by him during his days at the EFCC. All those charges and threats disappeared as soon as Jonathan became president, paving the way for Ribadu’s return. Further, at the death of President Yar’adua, it was speculated that Jonathan was been eyed for the vacant vice presidential position, which would have placed him on a favorable position to take over from Jonathan. All these have helped propelled present rumor that in fact Ribadu’s ACN candidacy was a decoy by Jonathan to infiltrate the support base of the other heavyweight parties.
His vice presidential running mate, Nnmadi Sambo, is a Northern Muslim, and his candidature may prove conciliatory to the highly aggrieved Northern Nigerians who feel betrayed by the president.
"We have a chance to transform ourselves to be a great nation in the years ahead," President Jonathan told delegates at the Abuja convention.
In his appeal to delegates before their vote, Atuku Abubakar said Mr. Jonathan's disregard for party agreements shows he cannot be trusted.
"That is not the kind of person with whom you would entrust the fate of this country. Our word must be our bond. But my main opponent believes in doing things simply because it is convenient," Abubakar said. "He does not seem to care if the country is thrown into chaos and anarchy as long as he remains in power. This is dangerous."
Given the unpredictability of Nigeria’s politics, it is also possible that Jonathan may still face Atiku in the elections if the latter is endorsed by a different political party.
Written by Kemo Cham
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