May 27, 2015/huhuonline.com

The choice of the caption of this article is deliberate as it catches the moment, particularly the totality of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the public glare. Going by the annals of his emergence in the public view nay politics, GEJ’s unique case smacks of a ‘convergence of luck’. Ironically, ‘Luck’ piloted him too far that seemingly he could barely connect the need to rise to the occasion and demand for self-development required to place him in the charismatic podium of national and global leadership in the 21st century. Jonathan is a man hooked to unparalleled destiny, that a little push on his part would have complemented God’s divine destiny for him on the platform of greatness in the world’s leadership hall-of-fame. Unfortunately, he could not go beyond where his mediocre intellect could afford. Divine destiny took him from the rare, obscure background (grass) and hooked him to the peak of the political limelight in Nigeria nay Africa’s leadership (grace). However, despite the extraordinary divine hands of God relentlessly pushing him, he seemingly contradicted divine will.

On the trail of destiny, from high school, GEJ rose from assistant senior prefect to Senior Prefect by default, and from deputy governor to Governor of Bayelsa state, also by default. From the vice president to the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, again by default. In all these, GEJ oddly banked on luck rather than skills and competencies as the driving impetus needed, not only in placing him in positions but sustenance. Aptly, his likes must know henceforth that chance could take you to the limelight, but cannot sustain you. He took grace for granted, unfortunately, his case is that of one not rising more than his intellect could propel him. He peaked on the platform of luck and mediocrity; however, executive leadership demands more than luck to serve the leadership needs of the savvy Nigerian electorate. Luck came under strict test from his 2011-2015 tenure, and Nigerians soon realized that bad economy, insecurity, poverty, infrastructural decay climaxing in worse energy supplies despite huge billion-dollars budgets, and worse, the unrivaled regime of corruption dotted by impunity, were more than Nigerians needed in a party and a leader. Luck at executive and leadership positions, often is complemented and sustained by a conscious resolve to develop oneself continuously. The case of GEJ was that of getting involved in politics where group overriding will of god-fathers, mafias, gangs, and cartels often supersede personal will and clout. It becomes more uncanny particularly where the structure that brought him to power was built and sustained by fraud; a lesson for many! Disastrously, GEJ’s conscience could not connect him with corruption and its symbolisms as with each passing day Nigeria was being bugged down by the ills of the unrestrained sweeping culture of corruption and incompetence.

Be that as it may, one could see that God was not done with GEJ even at the height of trials and travails, particularly in politics and leadership. Hence, all calculations and scheming from pundits especially his party stalwarts caved in at the most trying period in Nigeria’s history. In a rare moment of deliverance, GEJ’s God stepped in again to save him from extraneous overriding party interest. In the dire moment, when his party bigwigs whose personal interests GEJ was programmed abi initio to serve needed him to do the odd wishful, all circumstances worked for him. Then, his wife was hundreds of kilometers away from Aso Rock hence he did not consult anyone before picking the phone to call GMB to conceded defeat. Again, realizing that his loyalists who collected huge sums of dollars earmarked for the presidential campaign did not commit them to elections and had screwed PDP’s chances of returning victory, he did the most needful, however, most divinely.

Moreover, as a man of ‘conscience’ though goaded into the ills of party politics in Nigeria’s murky political terrain, he fell back on his mother’s moral dictum, as captured in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Divinely, GEJ remembered God’s grace as encapsulated in his mother’s teething guidance. At this point, he did the most needful, which to his party pundits, including the DAME, smacked of weakness, betrayal, and failure. Nevertheless, his luck and divine connection with God sailed him to a safe and celebrated landing, thus justifying the caption, “In weakness, I am Strong”. Today, GEJ goes down history as the second Nelson Mandela in Africa and more, for achieving an extraordinary feat that very few politicians in today’s Africa could. He left the stage when the ovation though unceremoniously was loudest. Despite sheer display of lack of leadership as demanded by the office of the president in five years, GEJ remains to be celebrated in Africa and indeed the world, as doing the needful, intended for all purposes to save Africa’s most populous nation from the brink of another disaster, after 40 years of a civil war. His famous quote remains to be celebrated, “Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian”.

Although, I remain one of your greatest critics particularly for the display of leadership incompetence through your five years tenure, I applaud you for your uncommon bravery, courage, sagacity and selflessness in conceding defeat at the polls, thus paving the way for Nigeria’s recovery from the precipice. History will judge you for Nigeria’s wasted five years, however, will graciously forgive you for doing the needful when the chips were down. GEJ, to your political friends particularly in PDP you are a disappointment, but assuredly to Nigerians, home and abroad, you are indeed a Hero. We will continue to celebrate you, not for your success in leadership, but for your magnanimity in defeat, and the humility to save a nation especially when it mattered most. I as a result of this recommend you for the Nobel Laureate Peace Award. Thank you for making a great history in our times possible.

Peter Opone, Ph.D

USA.