There are growing fears that as indications point to the possible participation of President Goodluck Jonathan in next year’s presidential election, that the process is unlikely to be free and fair as he has tried to make the world to believe. The question on the lips of many is “How could he be a candidate in the election and not possibly skew the process to favour himself?” That is the question on the lips of many observers which tend to create doubts over his avowed commitment to give the nation a credible general election.

Apart from probably the 1999 elections, in the 12 years of the existence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party is thought to have muscled out opposition in its desperation to hang on to power, purportedly sucking in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security apparatuses, the civil service and other supposedly non-partisan organs that had something to do with the conduct of the elections. This is not talking about the undesirable attitudes of those in position of authority at the various levels includgovernors, local council chairmen, traditional and even religious leaders who were suspected of owing allegiance to the PDP and therefore strived to prove their loyalty. Save for the honesty of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who admitted that the process that brought him to power in 2007 was flawed, who really cared in the PDP hierarchy as long as the party was pronounced the winner of the election? Even after his open confession on the day of his swearing, the outcome of subsequent elections and by-elections conducted during President Yar’Adua’s time did not exactly deviate from the position he detested and apparently sought to distance himself from. PDP’s candidates were still returned in many areas where they did not win elections.

This does not however exonerate the other political parties from indolence. In fact, they tend to exist more in names than in reality because they have woefully neglected to position themselves as viable alternative to the seemingly all conquering PDP.  The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which had control of nine states of the federation in 1999 is today in tatters from self-inflicted leadership crises even as it tenuously holds on to two states.  Beyond a change of name, it is doubtful whether the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has considered itself serious enough to mount a challenge to the dominance of the PDP.  The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) appears content with Anambra State even with the extinction of its former rival in the South East, the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA).  At the moment, the Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led Congress for Progressive (CPC) is huffing and puffing around states in the North and looks unsure of what to do with the other parts of the country.

Take it or leave it, the PDP is the only party that can boast of structures in all parts of the country, the party whose National Working Committee (NWC) meets on a weekly basis to strategise as the need arises and hardly fails to convey regular meetings of its other key organs be it Board of Trustees (BoT), national caucus or the National Executive Committee (NEC). The party has been set for the general election all along and as the elections are now scheduled, while others are certain to be caught napping in view of the very little time available, the PDP is smiling.

If President Jonathan were to be fielded by the PDP, he may not necessarily need to exploit his control of the state apparatuses to nick victory. Among other things, he is likely to win because of the unpreparedness of the opposition parties to be truly competitive in the election.

President Jonathan has harped on the shame that the outcome of previous election brings on officials in government.  Most of the past elections have been regarded by the international community as flawed and their products not seen as legitimate representatives of the Nigerian people.   The President’s public mien indicates that he is uncomfortable with being labelled an election cheat and has therefore vowed to make sure that the looming elections are conducted in a way that will be seen to be manifestly transparent.  So far, he has not given any reason to doubt that he will maintain that commitment whether he is a candidate or not.

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Jonathan's candidacy and 2011 election
written by kobis v, September 11, 2010

He can make it if given the opportunity

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