At exactly 5:15pm this (Tuesday) evening President (Goodluck) Jonathan called to congratulate me on my victory. For this I want all Nigerians to join me in congratulating and appreciating Mr president for his statesmanship.
President Jonathan engaged in a spirited campaign and was a worthy opponent. I extend my hand of fellowship to him. I look forward to meeting him soon as we plan the transition from one administration to another.
He will receive nothing but understanding, cooperation and respect from me and my team.
This is an excerpt from a statement issued by President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, shortly after Jonathan conceded defeat to him in the presidential election held on Saturday, March 28.
In the announcement of Buhari’s victory by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, March 31, Nigerians demonstrated that the power to democratically govern them (not to rule them) resides with them and that no one talks about democracy without taking them into consideration.
They spoke with one voice, electing Buhari, former military Head of State, as their new President and sending Jonathan packing after 16 years of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in power.
Jonathan has been receiving encomia from world leaders since he did the “unusual” thing of conceding defeat to Buhari and congratulating him before the official declaration of the result.
From President Barack Obama of the United States to former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, goodwill messages have been pouring in for Jonathan.
“President Jonathan has placed his country’s interests first by conceding the election and congratulating President-elect (Muhammadu) Buhari on his victory,” said Obama.
At home, the number of individuals and groups that have praised Jonathan is legion. It includes former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar; former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku; the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Jonathan has consistently said his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.
There is indeed a nexus between Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy that “Non violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man,” and Jonathan’s “my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.”
Juxtapose Jonathan’s comment with his rare show of statesmanship even in defeat and you will appreciate why Albert Einstein said: “Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding,” and Harry Truman’s “Our goal must be – not peace in our time – but peace for all time.”
Unfortunately, on the same March 31, the profile of former Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godsday Orubebe, was updated on Wikipedia almost immediately he exhibited crude behaviour where the INEC was announcing results in Abuja.
Orubebe, a chieftain of the PDP and its polling agent, had grabbed the microphone after drawing the attention of INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, to an observation which he later turned into a big comical show that shocked the global audience watching on television.
Shouting on top of his voice, Orubebe alleged that Jega had taken sides with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and asked him to stop the announcement of the results.
“You sent a committee to Rivers to probe what happened there. We submitted petitions to you about Kano, Jigawa, Katsina but you have not done anything about our complaints. You cannot continue with these results; we will not take it,” he thundered.
The more Jega tried to calm him down, asking to be given a chance to respond, the more Orubebe shouted: “Mr. Jega, You cannot continue, go to your office. You are partial. We don’t have any confidence in you. We will not allow this. You cannot continue. You must stop the results.”
Hours later, Orubebe apologised over his action.
His words: “I apologise generally to Nigerians especially to the younger generation. I want to say if my action hurt them, I deeply regret it ….
“I strongly believe in fairness, equity and justice which I felt we were deprived of. I sincerely apologise and request national pardon. I love peace, I preach peace and hold national unity in high esteem ….
“I earnestly beg to be forgiven, in spite of the embarrassment caused to our dear people. I am indeed sorry, I was only pushed to the wall.”
Many believed Orubebe was acting a script, given earlier comments from some quarters that a Buhari Presidency would be resisted if he won.
It was not until the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metu, distanced the party from Orubebe’s unbecoming demeanour, and when Jonathan called Buhari to congratulate him and concede defeat that it was obvious Orubebe was on his own.
Throughout March 31, most radio stations aired pejorative reports and made uncomplimentary remarks that suggested that anyone who desires public attention easily (cheap publicity) should behave like Orubebe.
Some concluded that characters like Orubebe constituted themselves into the nuisance that hurt and hunted Jonathan and eventually cost him the Villa.
Who does not know that Jonathan is a gentleman? Regrettably, he surrounded himself with arrogant men and women who took advantage of his humane and peaceful disposition to pursue selfish agenda that robbed off negatively on him and his vision.
Orubebe’s apology was late in coming. The international community had already tagged him and the implication is that anywhere his name is mentioned what comes to mind will be Caveat Emptor (buyer beware).
What if his attitude had degenerated into fighting or something worse? If something untoward had taken place leading, perhaps, to someone’s death, would the election not have been declared inconclusive?
If the poll’s result was stopped as Orubebe canvassed and election declared inconclusive, was the possibility of the military intervening and truncating our democracy not there? So, would Orubebe be apologising today after military intervention?
The import of the change which the coming of Buhari has brought should not be seen from the perspective of winning election only.
The whole gamut of our socio-political ethics should experience enduring change. There are still too many Orubebes who should be removed from our leadership radar for the sake of Nigeria, its image, and our democracy.
Buhari has recognised the huge positive potential in Jonathan and he is not the only one bearing witness to those good qualities.
By conceding defeat, Jonathan has not left any one in doubt that what he has been preaching in the past six years that “my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” comes from the heart.
And as Ellen Barfield, author of Why Was I a Soldier? Why Am I Now a Peace Activist? who served in the United States Army from 1977 to 1981 said: “In a uni-power world, only the powerful clutches unto its breast the ‘right’ to use force – and in doing so makes its own citizens targets of the fury and frustration of others, those who disagree with its policies but have no legitimate and effective way to object.”
If what it really takes to enter the world record of heroes of peace consists in words uttered by leaders, Jonathan may have joined the group. His words and action are worthy of emulation by leaders coming after him, especially in Nigeria.
“I thank all Nigerians once again for the great opportunity I was given to lead this country and assure you that I will continue to do my best at the helm of national affairs until the end of my tenure,” Jonathan pledged.
Those saying that Jonathan has a place in our Democracy Hall of Fame and comparing him with Leo Tolstoy and Gandhi are not far from the truth, considering that he provided the environment that nurtured the change seed planted a few months ago.
He deserves to be celebrated by all men of goodwill for being the change agent.