We all love Goodluck Jonathan, and yours sincerely has arguably done more pro-GEJ articles (published home and abroad) than anybody since Atiku emptied his political campaigns of sanity. But honestly the issue of Jonathan’s sudden silence about Ibori and equally sudden romance with Uduaghan, who hitherto has fought against him because of Ibori his cousin and mentor, a man sane community of humanity and mankind want prosecuted without any successful buy off as in other cases before now, is a matter of hurting concern. Therefore, I beg to write differently today!
Jonathan seemed solid when, under his watch, this case of Ibori resumed. But after pursuing the worst corruption case that has brought the worst disgrace and humiliation to Nigeria and Nigerians across the globe to some appreciable level, why is he soft-peddling! Why trying to let Ibori cool off when Deltans are suffering beyond expression for their looted treasury then and now! Why should Ibori, the principal, get a breather when his wife, family members, associates, and lawyers are paying heavily for the structure Ibori built! Why will Ibori be treated as egg! Must the rule of law always shrivel when it affects Ibori! Except for London we should not even be saying and writing all this because the gamut of our laws has been thoroughly rubbished and the hallow chambers in this clime thoroughly messed up. Shall we now join league with Ibori to muddle up the British legal system as well! What is really happening! We demand a full-length answer.
Really, our minds have been ached by this one silly thing all along. The ache started when grapevine told us of a deal between Jonathan and Ibori-Uduaghan to make nonsense the victory we thought we had in the British-Dubai extradition case of Ibori. Even though we first took it as drivel when we first heard it, it became bothersome when it began to spread everywhere. If there is any sweeping gist on the streets of Delta today this is it. In the midst of our ache we still took consolation since, who knows, this could still be mere street talk. Then it became a serious news item. Sahara Reports first took the file off the papers. Up till now we are not aware of any serious rebuttal from either Aso Rock or EFCC. And we are now very worried. If grapevine is wrong, is the press wrong too? If the press is wrong, where are the information personnel at EFCC and Aso Rock to clarify issues, to tell us why Ibori is still in Dubai when he should be in London long, long ago!
I once punched Tony Uranta with this matter; but he assured that there is no deal between both men else he will stop routing for Jonathan. But Uranta is not the horse’s mouth. No one from Aso Rock or their official representatives has told us anything worth hearing. Nothing can be more nonsensical, meaningless and laughable than any talk between Nigeria and Britain to bring Ibori home; Ibori that used militias to fight our national security agents, avoided arrest and ran away from our legal system when he sensed it will no longer be business as usual, having severely dealt with Jonathan who now is the one to oversee his long overdue travail. Shall we now say that was then? For, things appear to have changed, and sadly so! Who is thinking of bringing Ibori to Nigeria? To come and do what! Is it now going to be business as usual! Is that the assurance he has been given? Is Ibori coming for plea bargain? Please, we want more seriousness in legal matters, especially those that concern our treasuries. Or, is Ibori coming to be Jonathan’s finance minister (to be the national exchequer) or EFCC helmsman (the chief economic and financial crime-buster) if he (Jonathan) wins the coming presidential contest? Why is Ibori coming to Nigeria now?
We know that the duo of Ibori and Uduaghan never wanted Jonathan to contest the coming presidential election, and they fought hard against him. IBB, apparently their first choice, fell easily; and Atiku, an old pal of Ibori, got the support. But Jonathan was waxing stronger and stronger, and it was obvious he will get the PDP ticket! And that, of course, was mind-shattering to them. But since Mohammadu Buhari and Nuhu Ribadu are clearly no go areas for obvious reasons, a talk with Jonathan inevitably began. And not too long Atiku also fell off the race, but his disgracefully. With the fall of Atiku, Uduaghan representing Ibori and himself lays the cards on the table for Jonathan.
Grapevine puts it this way, and the press has also represented something similar: Mr. Uduaghan betted securing the votes of Delta PDP’s candidates to the last PDP presidential primaries for Jonathan in quid pro quo deal that should see him (Uduaghan) awarded the last governorship rerun election contest in Delta and seeing the noose on Ibori, his cousin, loosened. Uduaghan kept his part of the deal in the primaries and has since also proven to Jonathan that Ibori-Uduaghan allegiance is no longer to IBB or Atiku. And Jonathan’s conscience collapsed! Since then Jonathan and Uduaghan have become like Siamese twins.
We have also noticed the way Madam Uduaghan has been weaving her way into the heart of Madam Jonathan. And the first lady may have since broken all the defenses of Mr. President (or is it altered his conscience?). Madam Uduaghan knows if she succeeds there then all is sure. And the mastery she puts into it is nonesuch, and typical of the best you see in the side of the globe she hales from.
Because of our monies that politicians ditch out at will, Uduaghan may have secured the votes of those PDP candidates at the last PDP presidential primaries for Jonathan. But at the broader level called Delta, it is a different ball game. One hundred Uduaghans cannot give Jonathan more votes than he would ordinarily get from Delta on the account of his (Jonathan’s) own merit. Except there is a hidden game plan to use Uduaghan’s usurped office to rig the election, Uduaghan cannot give Jonathan Delta. So let not Jonathan be deceived ……without any undemocratic and silly plan to rig the elections in Delta. Jonathan will get more votes in Delta minus Uduaghan, and minus Ibori! Ibori and Uduaghan are a huge minus for him. With them, as far as Delta votes are concern, Jonathan has the cards stacked against him.
In fact, at the national level if Jonathan looses the presidential election this is one chief reason; another chief reason is his refusal to probe OBJ-Atiku. These two issues with great imprints on the minds of Nigerians seriously endanger Jonathan’s corruption war, and his 2011-2015 presidential ambition. Those two issues are a damaging dent to his score sheet which is appreciatively alright without them; and which is why I’ve done many of the pro-GEJ articles. This is more than a piece or opinion: It is a strong counsel lest I’ve been writing in vain. Therefore, Jonathan must take this issue seriously. Is it really any wonder that Mohammadu Buhari has promised to probe the handling of the power sector under OBJ. Jonathan must feel the pulse of the people and refuse to believe lies. Corruption is the main issue in the coming election. Let Deltans and Nigerians not perceive Jonathan as compromising. Rather than that compromise making him realize his present dream, it will shatter it. I read him recently saying that he loves criticism more than sycophancy. So, let him take and work with a great advice that could secure him his ambition. Enough from this flank; after all, a word is enough for the wise.
Back to the main flank of the matter: This perceived maneuvering of Ibori-Uduaghan is not only rubbishing whatever credentials Jonathan had but also jeopardizing the hope and aspirations of Deltans who want their stolen wealth restored and this present mandate, unlike others, they have given to Great Ogboru restored this time around. Should the treasury, wellbeing and blood of Deltans be sacrificed on the altar of Jonathan and Uduaghan’s political ambitions, and Ibori’s freedom! Should
a people’s mandate and the one with the mandate be rubbished because Jonathan is asking for a mandate himself and, or because Uduaghan wants to continue to undermine the wish and mandate of the people to continue to cover Ibori’s track and extend his mess? This deal is a zero in what looks like a good performance in Jonathan’s presidency so far.
Yesterday, their huge lie was that Ogboru had no structure on ground. Yet, Uduaghan almost emptied Aso Rock for his flag-off in the governorship rerun election campaign in Delta. Despite all that Ogboru still won overwhelmingly. Social media reports also said so. But overnight some results came from the creeks and recess of Niger Delta and produced votes that even Lagos or Kano state (the two most populated states in the country) may not give. Overnight: And all the upland votes (votes from an area consisting about 80 percent of Delta’s population) were rubbished! And Ovie Omo-Agege and Uduaghan caused problems in Ughelli, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, the most populated local government area in Delta and where Great Ogboru had most of his childhood friends including yours sincerely and is indescribably popular, perhaps more popular there than any place in the globe (and Attahiru Jega saw this life and full-length when he visited Ughelli Metropolis). INEC stopped elections from taking place there! Yet, Ogboru won.
Today, having known that they are of a truth no match for Ogboru, they now have a new campaign slogan with the April elections at the corner: “A vote for Jonathan without Uduaghan will not bring democracy (sic) dividends to Delta State”. He now wants to ride on Jonathan. That is the psychological result of the last governorship rerun in Delta on Uduaghan. Meanwhile, Jonathan has been made to believe he can ride on the shoulders of Uduaghan in Delta. How politicians lie! And how they are easily deceived! Ogboru thoroughly and completely knocked Uduaghan down, and will repeat it any day with or without a dozen Jonathans. That is the truth, and nothing but the truth of the matter. That Uduaghan and PDP’s slogan in Delta State says it clearly that it is Uduaghan that needs Jonathan in Delta and not the reverse. But as has just been said, a dozen Jonathan will make no difference with Deltans if Ogboru is in the race.
But when shall we stop murdering democracy; when shall the people who know nothing about how government works begin to leave it for those who understand it? Are the states controlled by the Republicans in United States of America not enjoying democratic or democracy’s dividends because Obama, a Democrat, is in the White House? And talking about dividends of democracy what are the dividends of democracy that Ibori and Uduaghan gave Deltans in 12years despite both the state and federal governments being PDP that Babatunde Fashola has not given to Lagos State five times over in four years despite Lagos being controlled by a party different from the one ‘controlling’ the centre today; and that is also despite this crude and deceptive interpretation of politics that the centre use against Lagos, and which Uduaghan is trying to use to sell himself besides the Jonathan’s factor. Anyway a dozen Jonathans cannot stop Ogboru from winning Delta any day. The last rerun with the actual results there are, and the fake and imported results that were announced explains that.
It has been well said everywhere on the street of Delta that it is this deal between Jonathan and Ibori and Uduaghan that recently cost Deltans the mandate they gave Great Ogboru, and cost Ogboru his mandate, which is why he has resulted to go to the tribunal on his and Deltans’ behalf. Except Jonathan or any of his government agencies or agents come to tell us that there is no deal anywhere and that Ibori will get to London before the April elections, we can only hope that this deal will not extend its ugly head into the tribunal handling the rerun election case. Truly, we have had more than enough of rubbishing the rule of law in this country.
