Will Obasanjo's exit from PDP affect Jonathan's re-election?
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Posted by Felix Okoli on Tuesday February 24, 2015 at 10:18:55:
It's a thing almost unheard of in any democracy in the world that a former president will quit the political party through which he became the President and number one citizen of the country. It is even worrying that he did it at a time when his party needed him the most - The 2015 Presidential elections. In Obasanjo's case, he was the first elected president of Nigeria after the military handed power to a civilian administration in the 4th republic. He is meant to be the most respected and powerful person in his political party, the People's Democratic Party and he is also expected to be the most loyal person in that party.One would have thought that his previous public show of disagreement with the current PDP led government under President Jonathan Goodluck would be settled amicably as gentlemen do but things have turned out differently as the former President brought disgrace to his party by aggressively tearing his party's identity card in public and at a widely televised event in his home town, Sango Otta.Although the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo was not quitting his party for another party, some people have reported that he has actually been engaged in anti-party activities by giving tactical support for the fast growing opposition party that is given the current president and his campaign team many sleepless nights.In a widely publicized video, the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared that he was no longer a member of the ruling PDP. However, the incumbent president has claimed that it's as a result of the fact that he didn't allow the former president have an influence on running the current government he handed power over to.Obasanjo has said that he wants to be now referred to as an elder statesman that is no-partisan although there are suggestions that he would later join the APC.Obasanojo's latest antics has been condemned by both the military and his former PDP allies as a dishonourable action by a former leader and elder of Nigeria while the opposition have tried using it to their advantage.Will his exit from the ruling PDP affect their chances of retaining the president's seat in 2015? Well, based on my opinion, it won't be sufficient enough to help the opposition given that not many Nigerians are really proud of Obasanjo's administration and so may care little about his recent move. Never in the history of Nigeria has a ruling party lost power to an opposition party in a presidential election. Also, majority of voters in Nigeria belong to a much younger generation that supports younger politicians like Jonathan more than they will do for those in Obasanjo or Buhari's age range.Jonathan however has a bigger problem in Northern Nigeria which may not help him win enough votes and that's the issue of Boko haram. A lot of northerners are not happy about the many lives that has been lost to the battle against the insurgents. Many innocent lives have been lost and many northerners blame Jonathan for it either directly or indirectly and so the best way Jonathan may be able to win elections in the north is to stop Boko haram before the elections probably with the capture of their leader named Abubakar Shekau.So, Jonathan has bigger problems to solve rather than the issue of Obasanjo's exit from the PDP. I don't even think it's to Obasanjo's discredit the he left because it will put him in the bad books of PDP, a ruling party which is likely to remain a strong force in Nigeria's politics for a long time.
Comments:
It's a thing almost unheard of in any democracy in the world that a former president will quit the political party through which he became the President and number one citizen of the country. It is even worrying that he did it at a time when his party needed him the most - The 2015 Presidential elections. In Obasanjo's case, he was the first elected president of Nigeria after the military handed power to a civilian administration in the 4th republic. He is meant to be the most respected and powerful person in his political party, the People's Democratic Party and he is also expected to be the most loyal person in that party.One would have thought that his previous public show of disagreement with the current PDP led government under President Jonathan Goodluck would be settled amicably as gentlemen do but things have turned out differently as the former President brought disgrace to his party by aggressively tearing his party's identity card in public and at a widely televised event in his home town, Sango Otta.Although the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo was not quitting his party for another party, some people have reported that he has actually been engaged in anti-party activities by giving tactical support for the fast growing opposition party that is given the current president and his campaign team many sleepless nights.In a widely publicized video, the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared that he was no longer a member of the ruling PDP. However, the incumbent president has claimed that it's as a result of the fact that he didn't allow the former president have an influence on running the current government he handed power over to.Obasanjo has said that he wants to be now referred to as an elder statesman that is no-partisan although there are suggestions that he would later join the APC.Obasanojo's latest antics has been condemned by both the military and his former PDP allies as a dishonourable action by a former leader and elder of Nigeria while the opposition have tried using it to their advantage.Will his exit from the ruling PDP affect their chances of retaining the president's seat in 2015? Well, based on my opinion, it won't be sufficient enough to help the opposition given that not many Nigerians are really proud of Obasanjo's administration and so may care little about his recent move. Never in the history of Nigeria has a ruling party lost power to an opposition party in a presidential election. Also, majority of voters in Nigeria belong to a much younger generation that supports younger politicians like Jonathan more than they will do for those in Obasanjo or Buhari's age range.Jonathan however has a bigger problem in Northern Nigeria which may not help him win enough votes and that's the issue of Boko haram. A lot of northerners are not happy about the many lives that has been lost to the battle against the insurgents. Many innocent lives have been lost and many northerners blame Jonathan for it either directly or indirectly and so the best way Jonathan may be able to win elections in the north is to stop Boko haram before the elections probably with the capture of their leader named Abubakar Shekau.So, Jonathan has bigger problems to solve rather than the issue of Obasanjo's exit from the PDP. I don't even think it's to Obasanjo's discredit the he left because it will put him in the bad books of PDP, a ruling party which is likely to remain a strong force in Nigeria's politics for a long time.
Comments: