Most good men can become great men, and most great men can become legends. The distinguishing factor is often fear. It was the fear of what the Igbos would become if their wealth were legitimately returned to them after the Nigerian Civil War that probably made Obafemi Awolowo to be relegated to a regional champion who is vilified in Southeastern Nigeria. It is the fear-inspired small-mindedness of Prof. Wole Soyinka that arguably made him serve a coup plotter like Ibrahim Babangida and work towards the enthronement of another coup plotter who has emerged as the worst leader in the six decades of the existence of Nigeria. It is this same small-mindedness that made Olusegun Obasanjo tear the card of a party that made him a President for eight years. It is this same fear-inspired small-mindedness that has made Nasir El Rufai who was a hero in the transformation of Abuja to a zero today as governor of Kaduna State. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is on the cusp of joining this inglorious list of men who had the opportunity of metamorphosing into national butterflies but instead became fireflies who glowed only during their larvae stage.
The pressure on Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2023 presidential race is heating to boiling point and I am beginning to feel the former President is getting to his melting point where reason is consumed by fear-inspired small-mindedness. Not long ago, Goodluck overcame the overture of the Aso Rock cabal, but the proposal to draft him into the presidential race via APC is thickening again. Goodluck Jonathan like Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka are men whose early and middle life can be said to be a blessing to Nigeria and indeed Africa. But the outcome of Soyinka’s ill-advised support for Buhari has been disastrous. If Goodluck jumped ship like what is a commonality among the various prostituting Nigerian politicians because he desperately what to become president again, I am almost sure it will not end well. The reason for this is simple. Evil and unreasonable men like Muhammadu Buhari and his lieutenants cannot midwife an era of peace, prosperity, and progress that Nigeria desperately needs. At best they would produce a jaundiced Jonathan who cannot fight corruption which is Nigeria’s greatest drawback. At worst they would humiliate him by making him join APC without giving him the ticket to contest as the party’s candidate for the 2023 elections.
The temptation to join APC is real and deep. Goodluck is the most popular candidate that can easily win a sizable percentage in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria if a free and fair election is held. He can also be said to be the only living Nigerian politician who can be declared incorruptible after the onslaught of the ruling party to criminalize him by many unsuccessful probes. So please, if you know Goodluck Jonathan, kindly tell him not to fall into the trap in front of him. Tell him not to allow the deplorable state of Nigeria to make him dine with the devil and sell his soul. Tell him not to allow the fear of losing the next election if he contests under PDP to make him lose his credibility, name, and soul. Tell him that though PDP is as bad as APC in many respects, he should remain with PDP and fearlessly contest under her platform if he finally decides to join the race. If he wins, he can then groom Peter Obi, one of the most qualified men that can lead Nigeria as his successor. Tell him that fear is the opposite of faith, and he should have faith in the good luck that has followed him all his life.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers