As the 2011 Nigerian Presidential elections draw closer, a vast majority of Nigerian citizens are abandoning incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan and pitching tent with the opposition presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu. This comes on the heels of Goodluck Jonathan’s recent remark in which he called the leadership of the opposition party, ‘Rascals.’ A recent poll survey conducted by Hodderway Books, in which 10,000 Nigerians in 36 states were sampled, shows that almost 9,400 people, an overwhelming 94% of the population surveyed will rather vote for the opposition candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, over President Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerians have been reacting angrily to President’s uncouth manners. “A President is supposed to conduct himself with dignity. His every word should be well thought of. He should always say less than necessary, just like a King would. But not Goodluck Jonathan. As the 2011 General elections are fast approaching, he is getting increasingly desperate as he realised that the opposition party is showing great promise. Deep down, Goodluck Jonathan knows that the CAN Presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu is more qualified, more intelligent, and more popular than him. And in an unintelligent bid to score cheap political points, he resorted to name calling. It is unfortunate. Goodluck Jonathan has proven that he is certainly not presidential material. Can you imagine a Barack Obama calling John McCain a rascal, in public?” Commented Anthony Fatai-Williams, a public affairs analyst. Many Nigerians are of the opinion that Goodluck Jonathan’s government has been a colossal failure. Citing examples of the deplorable state of the Nation’s electricity and education, a vast majority are of the opinion that the incumbent president is incapable of steering the affairs of the country. Furthermore, many Nigerians are of the opinion that his stance against corruption has been minimal, and like his godfather, the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he has used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as a tool to intimidate and coerce political rivals into submission. Goodluck Jonathan is widely believed to be squandering Nigeria’s resources to fund his presidential campaign. He has spent millions of dollars from the country’s coffers in hiring celebrated musicians, actors and athletes to endorse his presidential ambition. “Goodluck Jonathan is a waster of resources,” says Ikedi Nwosu, a third-year student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. “The most flagrant of his corruption was that of the Independence Day celebrations. Of all the billions of Naira wasted in the so-called celebrations, nothing tangible was accounted for- except for a lavish state banquet where only billionaire cronies of the president and top government functionaries were honored. Nigerians will be making a huge mistake if they elect him to become president. He has been at the helm of affairs for several months- yet he has nothing to show for it. Unemployment is at an all time high, University lecturers have been striking, and electricity supply has reached an all-time low. This is not the man we want to be president.” The majority of Nigerians seem to be more sympathetic of the opposition party, Action Congress and its Presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu. “Nuhu Ribadu is blameless. He has demonstrated capacity in the past, and unlike President Goodluck Jonathan, we know that Ribadu is incorruptible. It is only unfortunate that from all indications, the People Democratic Party and Goodluck Jonathan have already made up their minds to rig the forthcoming General elections. If the elections are free and fair, Nuhu Ribadu will certainly become president,” said Mustapha Alabi, a grassroot campaigner for Nuhu Ribadu in Lagos. Hodderway Books is the author of ‘Crazy Billionaires Speak.’ Buy the book on Amazon.com.
Leave Your Comments