JONATHAN'S 99 PROBLEMS, INCLUDES OBASANJO?

Icheoku says President Goodluck Jonathan largely created all the problems bedeviling him, which  increasingly is now also threatening to take down his government and/or  make his second term ambition a mere wishful dream or a nightmare, at worst? Any Nigerian, including the president's inner circle, his political hacks, lackeys, other hired guns or hands, as well as the broader retinue of his town criers, who is denying the fact that the president has serious problems going into 2015 election must either be delusional or too intoxicated on presidential patronage-opiates not to appreciate the gravity of the clues on the ground. Jonathan's challenging problems are indeed legion and are militating heavily against his 2015 ambition. It will take a divine intervention for him to successfully navigate through the many hurdles placed in front of his second term ambition and the fight would be both very serious and very costly. 

The worst of it all is that these problems as well as his detractors are simply too many; and are as diverse, multi-faceted and hydra-headed as there are divergent opinions in Nigeria. Icheoku laments that the president's problems are so complexed and so convoluted that even attempting to solve them or fully placate their sources, would constitute a problem unto itself. The saddest part of this complexity is that majority of these problems were self-inflicted by a president who is either too timid or lacks the courage and strength of character to do what is needed to stop the bleeding. This incapacity goes to show that having a PhD alone, is not what is needed or required to be a good successful leader. It takes more, including a heart and a hand that could serve both hot and cold dishes, depending on who the guest is. Icheoku agrees that President Jonathan has taken more than any other past president ever took or would have taken and from everybody and everywhere in Nigeria; and most Nigerians have a consensus of opinion on this conclusion. But as to the why, only the president can answer.

Icheoku says but unlike rapper Jay-Z, whose 99 problems does not include Mitt Romney although it includes Solange Knowles, Jonathan's 99 problems, unfortunately, includes Olusegun Obasanjo, the man who made him? Icheoku bemoans that President Jonathan could afford to fall out with his mentor and still left him standing? Any good student of 'The Godfather' or someone who dutifully watched 'Al Pacino/Keeanu Reeves' 'The Devil's Advocate', would agree that accepting anything from the devil requires a premium, sacrifice and payback in return? It is a general knowledge that the devil does not and never gives somebody anything for free; and that anyone accepting something or a favor from the devil must be prepared to do the devil's bidding and equally pay a price in return. Such a beneficiary must be prepared to let the devil occupy his duly entitled prime place of honor in his life. Such a beneficiary must also, eminently acknowledge the devil for his endowment; but in no event must he attempt or try to disparage the devil or scornfully treat him. If he does, he will have himself to blame when the devil takes back his bequeath and as often happens, equally takes that person alongside his gift for being an ingrate. 

Such a recipient of the devil's largess only option is a slavish obedience and total devotion to the will of the devil or in the alternative, to kill the devil if he can in order to secure his release from ransom. This is the only route to freedom and in order to keep the bequeath and as in the case under advisement, to then reign freely and undisturbed. But failure to do either, would make the devil become rabidly so incensed that the devil would ask for and most times take the recipients life in a retributive vengeance. Icheoku says President Jonathan failed to observe this imperative, a cardinal requirement necessary in accepting any conferred benefit from the devil.  President Jonathan took something which Olusegun Obasanjo dangled before him and then reneged on the bargain. He neither allowed Baba Iyabo his preeminence position in his life and government and also failed woefully in not doing the needful alternative of completely decimating or eliminating his benefactor  By failing to take a proactive measures to whittle down Baba Iyabo's influence or force him into self-exile or  send him away to rot in prison or even kill him as some leaders would do, Jonathan made a fatal mistake which he might live to regret in 2015. 

Icheoku asks why did Jonathan accept the gift of Nigeria's presidency from Olusgeun Obasanjo when he knew he would not keep his part of the bargain? Where is indeed the opportunity cost of the presidency of Nigeria when the bargained for inducement that made Olusegun Obasanjo to part with it and confer it on Jonathan was not fulfilled? If it was a valid contract, won't the Ota Deity have a valid action for breach of contract against Jonathan? Why did Jonathan not perform his condition subsequent which is to allow Obasanjo be the defacto president of Nigeria? Who will not be horn-mad to see the man you made president rubbish both you and your record and even completely shut you out of power, influence and relevance in his government? A government which, without your machinations and manipulations, would not have become a reality in the first place? Who will not be livid as hell at such a betrayal? So without mincing words, Icheoku makes bold to say that it  makes sense as it is also understandable that a man who lost out of a bargain like the Ota Deity did, should be not happy with President Jonathan.  Icheoku refuses to believe that any other person, who finds himself in the circumstance which Olusegun Obasanjo found himself, being locked out of a government he facilitated and foist on Nigeria, would. So let Jonathan's people, who are currently reaping where they did not sow, realize that Olusegun Obsanjo deserves better and in any event reserves the right to be mad for being so sidelined. 

A tactician-president who wants to sideline his godfather and go it alone, would as his first order of business, destroy the source from which he got his power. This is rule number one of surviving the ever shifting chairs that is third world African politics; and it is very necessary in order to rule supremely, undisturbed and uninterrupted. Alternatively  the emergent leader must totally submit himself to the yoke of his proverbial godfather and run to him each time and any time he is in a bind or fix or needs direction or in any other event, whenever he is so otherwise summoned by him. But to just discard the godfather that put you up where you are and still naively think you can go it alone while the godfather is still freely running around in the land, is akin to playing Russian roulette with your life? It is  as good as having a suicide rope around your head and praying for the noose to be put in your neck and pulled tight. There cannot be two leaders or presidents in a country at the same time, whether it is putative or otherwise, since the controlling psychology is the mindset of the defacto president. But Jonathan has allowed this anomaly to persist and for so long that Obasanjo feels he is an untouchable and no one can do him anything, hence his utterances and machinations against the presidency. 

The wrath of a godfather, especially one so disrespected, is as furious as the clapping thunder and bolts of lighting combined; and no astute political player or thinking leader or president ever willingly provokes. So Jonathan provoked the Obasanjo situation and only he can checkmate it or watch helplessly as the man who created him would have him uncreated.  Icheoku says Obasanjo knows how he made Jonathan president and still have the secret formula just incase he wishes to reverse engineer him. But for permitting this situation  of seemingly two presidents - one the official and the other a defacto, Icheoku says Jonathan is probably dumb, clueless and cowardly. This lack of political  sagacity by President Jonathan, which has incapacitated  him from doing what is needed to clear the minefields, especially taking out his now arch detractor and ruefully benefactor, will possibly  prove his greatest political undoing in 2015. 

Icheoku  reiterates that if President Jonathan did not or fails to survive the tsunami of opposition being brewed against him by the APC, other parties and groups with interest, both foreign and domestic, and clandestinely aided and abetted by Baba Iyabo, he will have no one else to blame but himself.  If at the final collation of results on February 14, 2015 or any time soon thereafter, Nigeria has a new president not named Goodluck Jonathan, President Jonathan should look in the mirror to see the man who brought his downfall starring back at him. Otherwise how on earth could a person with such a sac load of indictable transgressions as Olusegun Obasanjo, publicly and severally call the president the weakest leader Nigeria ever had and accused him equally of lacking the capacity to be vicious and still be allowed to run freely wild in the land. But hey, it is Jonathan's battle and only his to fight and win; as Icheoku and millions of Nigerians and other interested parties world over are waiting in trepidation for Valentine's day 2015 when Nigerians will decide who to fall in love with - whether Jonathan/Namadi or Buhari/Osibanjo. Until then, Nigerians should get ready to vote to make a point, to vote to make their votes count and to vote to prove that they too do matter. Salute.