Sani: Nigeria's North Will Rise Against Jonathan

• Shehu Sani

• Comrade Shehu Sani

Kaduna-based human rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani gives reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan should not contest in 2015

The North appears displeased with President Goodluck Jonathan over what it regards as his covert interest in contesting the 2015 election. What do you think would happen should he eventually declare interest to contest?

Of course, they should rise against him. There are a number of reasons why the North will stand up against President Goodluck Jonathan. The first has to do with the very fact that he has made a categorical pledge that he is going to quit office after his tenure in 2015 and we expect him to respect his promise. The second reason has to do with the very fact that he has completely failed as a leader. The third point: there is a general belief in the southern part of Nigeria that Jonathan’s presidency has no interest of any region of Nigeria other than the south-south and even in the south-south, his Ijaw nationality. And this is evident in the huge amount of money, which he allocated to that part of the country. The lopsided developmental activities going on in that part of the country is detrimental to other parts of the country.

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• Comrade Shehu Sani

The fourth reason why the North will fight against Jonathan’s ambition to remain in office beyond 2015 is in the area of security. Insecurity under Jonathan’s presidency has claimed more lives. People have died and have been killed in Nigeria more than at any other time after the civil war. We all know that the first and primary responsibility of government is protection of life and property of citizens, but he has also failed to guarantee this constitutional provision. The fifth, is that the pervasive poverty in other parts of Nigeria has clearly aligned the ordinary people to those who are directly opposed to Jonathan. In the North, people see their survival and livelihood dependent on removing that obstacle to their well-being, which is the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Even the support he had in the North was with the northern minority Christians and they too have now joined the chorus calling for him to go. Nowadays in their churches, they don’t have the peace of mind to worship. In those days in the church, the attention would be on the pastor, but now, people go to the church and look through the windows to see who may be driving in. And it is only in Jonathan’s administration that such divided attention is happening. So, he has even lost support among the northern minority Christians.

So what do you think should be done?

The [Peoples Democratic Party convention] delegates should be educated to recognise that politics is not about money, but equitable and fair representation. I expect the northern delegates to take their destiny in their hands by deciding to elect the person who they want to represent the interest of the North and the country at large.

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