Olanrewaju Oguntoyibo: A presidency and its stack of lies

Posted By Olanrewaju Oguntoyinbo on March 5, 2013

by Olanrewaju Oguntoyibo

Nigeria is a business that must thrive, no matter what anybody or group of people try to do in the contrary.

I’m of the opinion that the antecedents of anybody aspiring for public office should be made known to the electorate. Just as I belong to the school of thought which believes that liars are thieves. If you lie, you will steal.

Today, President Jonathan and the presidency are so used to lies that they even pay money to lie to foreign media. President Jonathan had lied to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about electricity in Nigeria, but the wise CNN lady sent correspondent to Nigeria to ask people on the street and they said the opposite of what President Jonathan had claimed in an interview for which he was reported to have paid $40,000. Such delusion!

Prior to 2011 election, President Jonathan was accused of signing the zoning arrangement of the PDP while he was the deputy Governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa state. But he denied it and went ahead to contest the PDP primaries which he won in a landslide.

In the build-up to the PDP primary, the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubaker who was President Jonathan’s main rival had informed Nigerians and PDP delegates not to vote for President Jonathan because he was unqualified, inexperienced and doesn’t keep to agreements.

Many of the PDP people and Nigerians failed to yield the advice, instead they voted for this man whom they assumed was the messiah. 3 years after he became President (including the one year after Yaradua’s death), Nigeria’s infrastructural development is deteriorating, economy is derailing, insecurity is on the increase, and corruption is the order of the day. Intra-party crises is PDP’s daily agenda under President Jonathan. The PDP has turned to his political action group that its officials utter statements that are not just ridiculous but undemocratic.

Recently, an Abuja court ruled that President Goodluck Jonathan is fit to contest for presidency in 2015. Of course it’s his right. I said when that suit was filed last year, that it was a stupid case that lacked credibility. I also said on Twitter that the case was instituted by aides of President Jonathan for political reasons.

Today, the PDP National Chairman and the newly elected chairman of PDP’s Governors forum are telling who cares to know that President Jonathan will not just contest the 2015 Presidential election but will win the election. I laughed when I heard that.

Anyway, inasmuch as I know President Jonathan is a known liar, I trust him not to contest 2015 presidential election. Not because he doesn’t have the right to it, but because he told us he won’t contest. I remembered vividly on January 31, 2011 while President Jonathan was addressing Nigerians in Diaspora in Addis-Ababa, he said he has no ambition to stay in office beyond 2015 assuring Nigerians that he’ll not contest the 2015.

Also he promised he would ensure significant improvement in key sectors of the economy – security, power, education, road, health among others he mentioned that day. In fact, he said if he can’t make anything work in his 4 years that means he can’t do anything if he spent more than that. Jonathan said this while interacting with Nigerians (mainly diplomats) working in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Africa Union (AU). He also promised to make all Nigerians in Diaspora vote in 2015 and promised to get all embassy workers diplomatic passport. Hear him:

“I would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora vote this year (2011) but to be frank with you, this is difficult now. Presently, the law does not allow the voting outside Nigeria and so this year, Nigeria in Diaspora will not vote but I will work towards it by 2015 even though I will not be running for PRESIDENT”.

Now we see that the president was just being devious. President Jonathan had said that to deceive people into voting for him in 2011. I can’t remember hearing in the news or reading in the newspaper and online that President Jonathan has sent a bill to national assembly that will allow Nigerians in Diaspora to vote (he could do that prior to 2015 election when it’ll be clear that he can’t win his re-election bid and that could be used as an avenue to rig elections).

I wouldn’t know if Nigerians working in International Organisations and institutions have been offered diplomatic passports as promised by President Jonathan in 2011.

Also do we now have those new federal universities in each states of the federation promised by President Jonathan in that interactive session with those Nigerians?

Have we seen the airports promised in all state that does not have airports by President Jonathan on 17^th of March 2011, while campaigning in Dutse, Jigawa state. Where are the blueprints for the airports? Has any foundation been laid? Instead, billions of Naira was budgeted to build first ladies mission house, centenary celebration and Abuja gate.

I’m of the opinion that Nigeria’s development movement is on recess and so it’ll continue as far as the man Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is in power. None of his campaign promises has been actualized, instead Mr. President had turned himself to a political liability and a champion of underdevelopment.

Fellow Nigerians, this is the time for us to come together and decide our future, I won’t fail to educate my immediate constituency, what you should do is to educate yours. I love my country and I’ll work hard to see it work.

Follow: @lanreneville

About Olanrewaju Oguntoyinbo

Most people who know Olanrewaju Oguntoyinbo know him as lanreneville. He analyses and comments on politics, critiques social issues and believes in #ProjectNewNigeria. Twitter: @lanreneville