FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, who caught the attention of all at the public presentation of the book by one of his successors, President Goodluck Jonathan, struck the right cord when he told his protégé, there are different stages to the life of a President.
He told the man who has famously called him the “boss of all bosses” that there are different stages to a President’s life or that of an executive office holder for that matter. According to him, the first stage is when a President decided to run for office and his popularity gets on the bounce. He also gets into the office on that bounce and feels on top of the world.
He stated again that the second stage sets in from six months into office when the popularity begins to wane and some people starts throwing darts at the President. Obasanjo said again that the third stage comes in towards the end of the tenure when the popularity would have seriously waned and the leader is facing stiff opposition here and there.
He stated that the other stage comes in when he loses an election and he suddenly becomes an anathema of some sorts. He said many who had hitherto worshipped the president would pass by without saying good morning.
But the other stage, according to him, crops in when things begin to rise again. That well after leaving office and a number of close friends who had distanced themselves start coming back and the public start accepting the office holder once again. He congratulated Jonathan for wading through the previous stages and arriving at the last stage, which he said affords him to be of service to his community, his country, his continent and the world at large. He asked him to hold on to this stage and do it to the best of his ability.
“If you had held this book launch three years ago, I assure you, you will not get up to half of this crowd,” Obasanjo said.
The message from Obasanjo, which though came late into the event, was not lost on Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, as they radiated in the joy of the moment and revelled in the growing goodwill they have started enjoying again.
The Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, venue of the book presentation was more than filled to the brim. In fact, the hotel, had to throw open three gates to accommodate guests as huge traffic all around its entry points made life difficult for all. It was a well-attended event, as big time politicians, clergies, diplomats and government officials had tough time navigating the traffic into the hotel. Getting a space at the gallery or the main hall was another herculean task.
Despite the fact that there were two books earlier presented on the subject of 2015 election, the urn out of the crowd shows that local and foreign audience were still patiently waiting for Jonathan’s first-hand account of his last days in office.
While providing insights into the prose work, Jonathan said he decided to write the book to clear certain issues about his last months in the Presidency of the country. He took time out to explain some of the topics he dwelt on in the work and issues that culminated in his ouster.
Jonathan said that the book was not his biography, but was aimed at answering to pressure from Nigerians at home and abroad who wanted to know why he conceded defeat.
He said: “I just wanted to make a brief contribution of core things about the election because whenever I travel, even in Nigeria, especially the Diaspora, they start asking me: why did you concede defeat? Why did you make that phone call? Why didn’t you go to court?
“The book centres mainly on the election. But I decided not to mention a few negative things because the life of a government is like the life of an individual – some areas are positive, and there are also some negatives.
“There are certain things in government that were used against me during the election – the issue of Boko Haram and Chibok girls.
“In fact, some people said I brought Boko Haram to reduce the voting population of the North so that I could win the electron.
“So, I commented on the Chibok girls (in the book) and also the fuel subsidy that was really used by politicians from the opposition community. So, I don’t blame them. May be if it was myself, I would have probably done the same thing.”
According to him, the work was also meant to explain certain activities of his government and why he took certain decisions. Speaking on the corruption perception of his administration for instance, Jonathan said that he needed to explain his viewpoint to enable the young people to understand things better and also clear certain mischiefs.
“I also took the issue of corruption so that young Nigerians will understand the issue, where it started if anybody cares to know. I have made some suggestions to encourage future governments to tackle corruption.”
Jonathan further said: “I also use the opportunity to make a little suggestion about our elections.
“The issue of vote buying is becoming scandalous in Nigeria. While inducing candidates is wrong and criminalised in other countries, in Nigeria it is seen as normal and this is wrong.
“While in other countries, distributing T-shirt’s and faze caps will suffice, in Nigeria if you have not given out gifts, it’s like you have not started.
“My suggestion is that we should begin to look at the way we build polling booths, we should copy other countries that use public buildings like schools for elections. So, one school will be one polling unit and it will be easier for the police to police that unit. And it is difficult for someone who is in a classroom to show you his ballot paper. Because, you cannot pay somebody until you have access to see his ballot paper and if you have a polling booth that you cannot see the ballot paper, then the issue of outright vote buying will reduce.”
In the fifteen chapter book, Jonathan touched on the most critical stage of his presidency, the transition hours. He touched on his political odyssey, giving insights into his rise in the political ladder, the fuel subsidy saga of 2012, the Chibok Girls kidnap of 2014, the presidential campaign, the presidential election proper- stating how and why he conceded defeat, the corruption war, the private sector reforms and the global perception of his administration, dwelling on interferences from external factors.
How I fought corruption
While providing insights into the procedures he adopted in fighting corruption during his tenure in office, Jonathan in chapter five of the book said he adopted a systematic approach to fighting corruption rather than the blame and shame strategy. He added that he took into cognisance the fact that corruption was endemic in Nigeria and devised a way by which corruption could be fought through electronic systems.
According to him, since 1966, the plan to fight corruption has been the propelling force that led to enthronement or overthrow of governments in the country adding that on assumption of office in 2011, his administration was accused of being corrupt, something he said propelled him to finding solutions.
He stated: “Despite the blackmail, I remained committed to combating corruption in a systemic way, knowing it was endemic. We vigorously devised and implemented a thorough and strategic plan to fight corruption using technology, albeit within the context of the rule of law and due process.”
He enumerated some steps he took while in office to tackle corruption to include spearheading the implementation of the Treasury single Account (TSA), introduction of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN).
Jonathan wrote: “No administration can either be entirely bad or perfect. Good governance is a process. Rather than media hype or arresting and parading suspected offenders on television, my strategy was to strengthen our public institutions and law enforcement agencies to prevent people from defrauding the system ab initio.”
He stated that while he served as Deputy Governor and Governor of Baylesa state as well as the Vice President, he had discovered that less than 11 per cent of fertiliser subsidised by the Federal Government benefitted the end users.
He added his insights made him to mandate the incumbent President of African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose Ph.D. research work was in the area of fertiliser distribution in West Africa, to devise ways by which corruption could be stamped out in the sector.
According to him, the Electronic Wallet system development under his administration had saved the Federal Government of $192 million as of 2012, while the IPPIS equally saved the government of N15 billion(about $100m) monthly and eliminated more than 50,000 ghost workers.
He stated that the effective implementation of the anti-corruption policies by his administration brought Nigeria positive results and that by 12014 Nigeria made its best leap on the Transparency International’s (TI) global corruption perception index raking 136th out of 175 nations.
He further stated that the 2014 feat was a great leap from the country’s earlier positions of 144th in 2013, 139th in 2012, and 143rd in 2011.
Comparatively, Jonathan said that Nigeria’s rating by TI in 2017, which was released in 2018 indicated that the country was rated 148th on the perception index, moving 12 places backwards.
He also explained the quote that has been famously ascribed to him which indicated that ‘stealing is not corruption.’ The former President said he never said that stealing is not corruption, adding that a group of Nigerians had decided to blackmail him with the quote.
He wrote: “Before I go deeper into this, let me address a false narrative my detractors have use to besmirch my name. They claim that I once said that stealing is not corruption. This is not true. Following the constant stigmatisation of Nigerians as corrupt, I invited the leadership of the legislature and Judiciary to a meeting.”
He said that those in attendance at the meeting were the Senate President and his Deputy, Speaker of the House of Representatives and his Deputy; the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and six State’s Chief Judges from each of the six geopolitical zones as well as the heads of the two heads of the two anti-corruption agencies adding that they were all called to brainstorm on the best ways the administration can tackle corruption.
He further submitted: “The then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, in his contributions acknowledged that he was of the same opinion. He added that because of the perception of corruption in Nigeria, he had to isolate all the case files before the Supreme Court having to do with corruption charges. He said that after reading through those files, he discovered that more than 70 per cent were not corruption cases, per se, but crimes of stealing. The individuals involved were however not charged to court for stealing but rather in preparing the case files, the prosecutors used the term corruption.
“It was on the strength of this submission that I expounded to say that we should stop calling a spade an agricultural implement. Corruption does not fully capture the act of stealing. A person can indeed be corrupt without stealing a dime.
“Those who are incapable of comprehending this elevated thought and the mischievous crowd, go about claiming till date that I said stealing is not corruption.
“Let me categorically state that I have never said stealing is good and that people should steal, neither did the CJN. Stealing is stealing and instead of calling it corruption, let us call the thief by his proper name and not use a blanket word like corruption.”
The role Obama, external forces played in 2015 elections
The former President also touched on the role played by former President Barack Obama of the United States of America in the 2015 election. He accused Obama of pushing for his defeat and interference in the Nigerian electoral process, while according to him, “prodding the electorate to vote for the opposition.”
Jonathan had submitted: “On March 23, 2015, President Obama himself took the unusual step of releasing a video message directly to Nigerians all but telling them how to vote.
“In that video, Obama urged Nigerians to open the “next chapter” by their votes. Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was prodding the electorate to vote for the opposition to form a new government.”
He added: “The message was so condescending, it was as if Nigerians did not know what to do and needed an Obama to direct them.”
He also narrated how the former American Secretary of State, John Kerry visited Nigeria following the postponement of the general election of 2015 and displayed apparent conduct aimed at humiliating him as sitting Nigerian President.
He wrote: “In fact, John Kerry did not accept our reasons for the rescheduling. How can the U.S. Secretary of State know what is more important for Nigeria than Nigeria’s own government?
“How could they have expected us to conduct elections when Boko Haram controlled part of the North-East and was killing and maiming Nigerians? Not even the assurance of the sanctity of May 29, 2015 handover date could calm them down. In Nigeria, the constitution is very clear. No president can extend his tenure by one day.”
He said: “Anyhow, the six weeks served us well. We received the military equipment we were expecting within that period and our Armed Forces commendably dealt a deserving blow on the terrorists and repossessed all territorial areas of Nigeria previously occupied by the terrorists. Boko Haram was deflated up to the point I handed over to my successor on May 29, 2015.”
The former President further wrote: “We conducted the elections peacefully, even if there were issues raised about its fairness. At least, the nation was relieved that the election held peacefully and that there was no post-election violence.
“The decision and announcement to postpone the elections were eventually made by the only body which could do so under the constitution. I should talk briefly about the INEC here because of the insinuations that my administration muscled INEC to make the pronouncement. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth as people came to realise .
“Yes, the posture of INEC could appear edgy, but it knew it was not ready and that the election was too important to mess up.
“The PVC shortage was everywhere. The lopsided collection of PVC caused an uproar that grew into a national din. The suspected housing of PVCs in the custody of non-INEC personnel was an issue.
“There were also issues with card readers. All of these happenings, despite years of preparation and substantial funds made available. It was all building up to a perfect storm, but those were INEC’s problems which we were willing to help resolve.
“At the end of deliberations, it was agreed that the elections should be postponed for six weeks in order to create a safer environment for voters and officials on Election Day.
“The INEC was then directed to hold meetings with political parties while the NSA was to brief them on the security angle to the rescheduling.
“The vote in favour of the rescheduling was overwhelming. INEC thereafter announced the rescheduling of the election to the nation.
“I must add that beyond security concerns, one finds it difficult to understand how INEC or the political parties would want elections held at a time when more than 30% of the Nigerian electorate where yet to get their PVCs. This would have disenfranchised a significant portion of the electorate.
“The foreign pressure on the issue of election rescheduling was intense. They maintained the curious posture of one who had been deceived before and therefore had every reason to cede no credence to our position. But there was no reason to have such a posture.
“The United States and the United Kingdom were especially agitated. David Cameron, then the U.K. Prime Minister, called to express his concern about the election rescheduling, just as John Kerry came from the United States to express further worry. It was at best unusual and sobering. In fact, John Kerry did not accept our reasons for the rescheduling.
“It was unbelievable because at the back of our minds we knew why the agitation was beyond what meets the eye. There were deeper political interests.
“In attendance at the meeting of the Council of State where the decision to reschedule the election was taken were almost all the living former Heads of State of this country.
“That should have convinced John Kerry of the good intentions of the government. He cannot claim to love and defend Nigeria more than all our former heads of state present at the meeting. I have stated earlier how Kerry’s visit was designed to humiliate a sitting Nigerian President and clearly take sides in the country’s election.”
On why he conceded defeat
While giving insights into why he conceded defeat in 2015, Jonathan said that though he had good grounds to challenge the election, he opted to concede to starve off a looming “rivers of blood” threatening to flow across the country. He stated that internal and external forces were threatening to plunge the country into war and destroy the economy and infrastructure which he said had spent years building.
He said: “As is customary, I flew into my community, Otuoke in my state, Bayelsa state to cast my ballot. Some hours into the election, I received some disturbing signals. INEC officials in Southern Nigeria were insisting on the use of card readers, while in the Northern part of the country, the decision to use the card reader had been de-emphasised . It was clear that something was wrong somewhere. Tension was brewing in the country because the card readers were malfunctioning.
“The Intelligence report I had received also carried the spectre of fabled American intelligence community prediction about the collapse of the Nigerian state. The disintegration of Nigeria was a possibility if I contested the result of the election, no matter how justified. There were justifiable grounds, but I was determined that Nigeria will not disintegrate during my tenure.”
The former President further stated: “The fate of thousands of Christians and Southerners in the North and my other Northern supporters, who were at risk of being slaughtered if I took a selfish decision, lay heavily on my mind. Reprisals were certain to follow in the South. What rang persistently on my mind was the futility of vanity. What would it profit me if I clung on to power and let my country slide into an avoidable crisis? Who would stop the impending crisis? Too many things were bound to go wrong.”
He stated that he was also worried about the possibility of a repeat of the massacres in the aftermath of 2011 elections adding that he was neither willing to have to explain to grieving children and parents who would have lost loved ones.
He said: “Already, some Nigerian citizens and external forces had plans that were not good for our country.”
Jonathan further submitted: “I had every reason to contest the results, starting from educational qualification for elections and electoral malpractices. These were the facts in my hands, but there was also the question or worth. Was it worth it? I reflected on some details. My country had been under colonial rule and our fathers mounted a struggle for freedom from colonial masters. Without shedding blood, we gained our independence.
“How could I now be the party to a decision that would result in the rivers of blood which would flow across the land?
“I thought deeply about the hand it had pleased God to deal me. My rise to the pinnacle of power in a country of 180 million people (in 2010), most of whom would give anything to be where I had been, was already cause for eternal gratitude.”
On Chibok Girls
The former President also explained certain circumstances surrounding the kidnap of 276 secondary school girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno state.
He said that the reports came to him at 1.00am on the said day and that he wondered how that would happen in view of the heavy presence of military men in the North East, the theatre of Boko Haram war.
He said: As the president and a parent, I could and can empathise with emotional trauma the parents of these girls have been put through by the experience. My wife and I were devastated on receiving the intelligence reports even before the rest of the nation knew about it. We were in shock. I had to jolt myself out of my state of shock to take stock of what happened and why it occurred but it was not so easy for my wife who was very emotional about the whole incident.
“I was briefed that the security personnel on ground had taken immediate action to rescue the girls. In the morning, I sent for the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff for a preliminary evaluation of the incident. On 17th April, three days after the abduction, there was still no positive news on the whereabouts or rescue of the girls.”
He stated that the development was a lot more disturbing because there was a strong military presence in the North-East at the time adding however that though secondary education lies within the responsibility of State Governments, the government under his watch took responsibility for the missing girls.
The former President wrote: “My mind was ravaged by torrents of questions; where were the school matrons, security guards, teachers and the principal? I made enquiries as to where the Principal of the School at the time of the incident was and I was informed that she had a scheduled medical appointment at Maiduguri, the state capital on the same day the girls were abducted.
“Why would adults leave such vulnerable young girls all on their own particularly in Borno state, the base of the Boko Haram sect, well known for its rabid anti-western education posture, especially towards girls.”
He stated further: “The Chibok girls incident happened under my watch. As President, the buck stopped at my table and I must take responsibility. However, for the Federal Government to succeed, the cooperation from the state is paramount but we did not get that from Borno state. How could the state have rejected the request from the Federal Government to relocate the students?
He took a swipe at the Governor of Borno state for his conduct in the whole affair thus: “In the meantime, the disappearance of these teenagers raised more questions as time went on, but we were focused on how best to rescue them. The governor of the state( a member of the opposition party), rather than join the Federal Government in the efforts to rescue the girls opted to stage a cross-continent road show in Europe and America, addressing foreign media when the issue that was burning was in his home state and the attention of the world was locked on Nigeria.”
Why I feared Buhari will persecute my people
President Jonathan also gave insights into why he believed that his successor would persecute his supporters if he assumes office. He said that he was sure that even if Buhari doesn’t intend to persecute anyone, those around him would pressurise him to do so.
Writing in chapter ten titled “The Change Game Begins,” Jonathan said: “My concern was whether the incoming administration would go on a persecution spree of those who supported me or focus on nation building.
“Initially, the concern was not necessarily on the incoming president because having been a governor and a president, I was very much aware that many unfortunate tendencies and measures come from different camps, especially those with strong connections to the corridors of power.
“Sometimes, the intentions of people around you are unclear and they take advantage of certain situations. I tried to have several discussions on this very subject directly with President-elect Buhari in our various meetings.”
He spoke of the tension that pervaded the handing over process and declared that he insisted the right thing must be done.
He submitted: “Though we were from different political parties, the major undertaking for me after the election was to demonstrate that our country was far more important than partisan considerations and to ensure there was a smooth transition from my administration to the in. coming Buhari administration.
“My top priority was a peaceful Nigeria. We needed to relate in the interest of the country to have a peaceful handover in 2015.
“Former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar, was most supportive. He encouraged both of us to meet on different occasions with the sole intention of putting Nigeria first.
“By having these meetings, we created a concerted platform before the formal handover.
“Unfortunately, what followed after the new government took charge was different.
“The handover was just a formal ceremony. Our initial meetings centred on moving the country forward. We managed to have some friendly productive talks.
“As part of the handover programme, the incoming and outgoing governments set up transition teams designed to work together.
“Initially, there was a misunderstanding. The incoming team wanted to bring in consultants to work with them. I declined the request, assuring them that when the handover takes place, Permanent Secretaries and Directors would not leave with me since they are civil servants and will be available to brief the staff of the incoming President on all details.
“I passionately opposed the idea knowing that it would send the wrong message and appear like they were investigating my government while I was still the President.
“Incidentally, I found out days later that the request did not come from President-elect Buhari, but rather from overzealous party members.
“Subsequently, both teams worked together effectively. It took weeks to gather all the data and statistics from the numerous Agencies and Departments of Government.
“One may wonder if the transition was difficult for me having been President for five years. It was a mixed bag. I had no ill feelings because I meant well and wanted to do the best for my country.
“Yes, there were some human errors along the way as is the case with all humans. I was glad that I handed over peacefully.”
and then