By John Dania
Email: john.dania2@gmail.com
In 2005, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was impeached on corruption charges and Goodluck Jonathan became Governor of Bayelsa State. In 2006, he was selected to run as the vice presidential candidate on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket in the 2007 general elections.
He was Vice President of Nigeria from May 2007 until February 9, 2010 when Nigeria’s Senate invoked the doctrine of necessity to empower him to serve as Acting President, with all the accompanying powers, due to President Umaru Yar’Adua’s prolonged absence from Nigeria. On January 13, 2010, a Federal High Court in Nigeria had handed him the power to run the affairs of the Presidency while Yar’Adua was receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. President Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010 and Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President of Nigeria on May 6, 2010, becoming Nigeria’s fourteenth Head of State, as mandated by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chapter 6, Section 146, Subsection 1 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states: “The Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of this Constitution.”
On September 15, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan announced his decision to contest presidential election of the following year. On January 14, 2011, President Jonathan was elected as the presidential candidate of the ruling PDP for the 2011 Presidential elections, and on April 18, 2011, Goodluck Jonathan was declared the winner of the 2011 Nigerian presidential elections.
Many say the violent sect, Boko Haram, is politically sponsored to discredit the Jonathan regime. Some also say he’s corrupt and also have corrupt officials placed in positions of power and influence in the oil sector and their likes.
There have been debates and arguments that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is not qualified to seek re-election in 2015.
But can President Jonathan contest the 2015 presidential election?
Many have argued and have tried to give reasons why Jonathan cannot and should not run in 2015 but can that stop him?
A year to the presidential elections, the ruling party PDP is yet to announce its candidate. Recently there have been speculations that the national leadership of the party is contemplating fielding President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential primaries.
The new trend in the country has been civil organisations and NGOs pushing for the return of President Goodluck Jonathan. We hear of Door-to-Door, Neighbour to Neighbour, Goodluck Support Group, Friends of Goodluck Jonathan and a whole lot of them. Recently, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria has taken over the country with a nationwide rally.
My question, where do they get their funds from?
Ask for my perspective? Jonathan is smart and he sure knows how to play politics.
This man has come from being a lowly background to become the President today.
Is curbing Boko Haram and coming to run for the last time too difficult?
Jonathan is not weak!
