Thought to be weak because of his innocent face and quiet disposition, President Goodluck Jonathan finally steps out of the mask to take on the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and its leadership in a desperate strategy to safeguard his 2015 re-election bid
For long, Presidency hawks have been impatient with President Goodluck Jonathan for his seeming tender approach to governance and issues of politics, which they feel borders on weakness. They felt he was too meek and compassionate in his exercise of power and should toughen up to keep political gladiators at bay. But those closer to him winked and whispered that he was only biding his time and would show his strength at the right time. They compared him to a cat which is very flexible, patient, cunning and deadly. They explained that Jonathan continued with former President Umaru Yar’Adua’s formlessness because it was the most suitable strategy then but that for him to be re-elected in 2015 he has to heed the Shakespearean view that “ambition should be made of sterner stuff.”
The President applied this principle on PDP governors and members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, last week and it left them gasping for a breath of fresh air. The governors thought they were all powerful and untouchable until last week when Jonathan bared his fangs in a rare deployment of extra democratic means to achieve his aim of neutralising the all pervading influence of the governors ahead of the 2015 general election, which he wants to contest amidst protests from many stakeholders, especially the North.
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