Until last Wednesday when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan summarily dissolved the Federal Executive Council, many had harboured the impression that he was too laid back to give any bite and the required flush to his new administration. But those who knew his roots and his method of careful planning and painstaking calculation knew that the acting president was just bidding his time. They have also been assessing his political life, tracing how destiny has positioned him for greatness.
It is not clear whether Jonathan was imposed on his principal then as a deputy governor or DSP Alamieyeseigha personally picked him to go into the race in 1999. What is known, however, is that some prominent leaders in Jonathan's Ogbia town including the late Melford Okilo kicked against the choice, having argued that the area had produced governors (Okilo, Walter Feghabo) and other leaders. But as soon as the duo won the 1999 gubernatorial election in the state, great cordiality seemed to underline the relationship between the principal and the subordinate, such that when states such as Abia, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and others were changing deputies like handkerchiefs or having open wars, peace rather reigned in Yenagoa.
Many however say, in politics, even a eunuch will one day pull a sword, or be drawn to one. The peace did not last forever. Timi Alaibe, the then director of finance and administration and later managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had made moves to replace Alamieyeseigha as governor. This quest shook the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to its foundations as each group battled to gain control of the party's machinery in the state to eventually get the nomination for 2003. Abuja intervened. DSP got his re-nomination, and Alaibe became NDDC managing director, and the battle was shifted to another day.
As soon as DSP got second-term ticket, Jonathan began to make moves to succeed his master, believing he had been loyal enough. He looked in the direction of his master but did not get the expected nod. Instead, insiders say the loyal deputy saw that his master was propping up one Matthew Karimo for governor.
The deputy even began to hear that he was not a proper Ijaw son (in multi-ethnic states, deputies usually come from minority ethnic groups). But is Bayelsa multi-ethnic in make-up, and is Jonathan a minority in a minority state? Sunny Soroh, Jonathan's senior special assistant on youth matters when the acting president was governor in Bayelsa State, told BusinessDay in Yenagoa that most well-meaning indigenes of the state hate to hear that someone was not "core-Ijaw". To such persons, "Bayelsa was created as a core-Ijaw state and no one can be more Ijaw than the other".
Insiders now admit that Jonathan brushed all that behind him and went ahead to quietly build his structure to attempt the slot. In doing this, he was not only running against his master's mob but against a formidable force in Alaibe.
Then things began to happen in his favour. Olusegun Obasanjo, then president, apparently found that he needed to cut his deputy, Abubakar Atiku, to size, and to do this, he had to get DSP out of the way. So, when the battle to remove DSP got hot, Alaibe found that he needed to support and strengthen Jonathan (then deputy governor) to actualise it.
This must be the period when Jonathan reached to his innermost reserves on humility, loyalty, and subtlety, attributes that have been called to service again in Aso Rock. Showing ambition would pitch him against Alaibe and many others, but exhibiting signs of a 'eunuch' would also rob him of a huge opportunity. He decided to play in the middle and won on all sides, as he is doing in his present circumstances. All the same, Alaibe was believed by every Ijaw man to have put all his weight behind the removal of the man he believed to represent the biggest obstacle to his climb to the Creek Haven as the Bayelsa State seat of power is called. But as soon as the victory came, all the pieces (aces) fell into Jonathan's palms.
Just as it is today, Jonathan's principal then, DSP, did not transmit acting powers to him before travelling to London for "medical attention". When the governor was allegedly detained for carrying huge sums into London, and when his absence was becoming a legitimate tool for impeachment, DSP's camp had no option than to transmit a letter authorising Jonathan to act. But as many believe to this day in Bayelsa, when the real governor saw that his finances were running thin, that enemies in Abuja were getting enough signatures to impeach him with the charges in the London court, and also that too much power in Jonathan's hand may turn a lamb into a lion, he broke free and appeared in Yenagoa.
Who signs for money, acting governor or substantive? Something happened, which remains significant to political analysts, and a lesson to those who desire to fight this 'coward'. As soon as DSP emerged in the state capital, many of his supporters seemed to have over-reacted and deployed what observers described as humiliating language on the acting governor, even in the glare of the teeming indigenes while both DSP and Jonathan stood atop the platform. Jonathan quietly came down and drove to his Otueke country home located on left side of the river that marks the end of Ebele Street.
Insiders said soon after, DSP needed some money to run his administration, but alas, it was found that a vacating governor (and president?) had no authority anymore to withdraw state funds without first getting the legislature to revert power to him. So, DSP drove to Otueke to have a talk with his deputy/acting governor so as to sign the money out. News reports then said youths at the gate blocked the way and did to DSP almost what others did to Jonathan, until the host stepped in and changed things.
Inside, it was reported then that DSP made a case and Jonathan promised to come over to Creek Haven to sign the appropriate papers. The governor allegedly went back and soon Jonathan drove out. Few hours later, news flashed around that the acting governor of Bayelsa State had arrived Abuja. Some said it was for security reasons, but reporters covering the deteriorating crisis knew that something grave (involving not releasing money) had happened. From that moment on, the real governor whose accounts and assets were being impounded hourly began to live on quiet lifelines. All these enhanced Jonathan's good luck and soon he became governor.
His style Many believe it is easy to collect power out of Jonathan's hands, since he looks simple. This was also the impression in Yenagoa then. Alamieyeseigha's men tried, and Alaibe seemed to try harder. The romance between Jonathan and Alaibe's camps when DSP was in trouble seemed to burst as both men simply wanted the same pie. DSP's injured camp was easily brushed aside, leaving the battle to Jonathan and Alaibe, until the last moment when Aso Rock gave the signs again and Alaibe accepted future promises while Jonathan accepted present apple, the ticket. How did this happen?
The first factor was that oil prices chose to fly higher in the sky, busting the coffers of the state, through the federation allocation and 13 percent. Secondly, while the crisis lasted, Jonathan husbanded the monthly allocations that had hit the roof as high as, according to popular belief, N13 billion in some months. By the time the dust settled for governance to resume, Jonathan was said to have saved about N35 billion. He exploded and began to award contracts on projects that had been down as the real needs of the people, during the crisis.
On assumption of office as the executive governor on December 12, 2005, Jonathan re-established broken down administrative structures and reconstituted the state executive council (and the 24 state-created LGAs each of which was given N10 million). Also, each civil servant was given N90, 000 as 'medical allowance' for three years. Embargo was lifted on employment and 3,000 persons were employed by the Post Primary School Board alone. The state exploded in jubilation and Jonathan became a song in the streets of Yenagoa.
Yet, Jonathan was not done, as he embarked on several other ambitious projects. On December 6, 2006, just one year on as governor, Jonathan was once again visited by good luck as he was picked ahead of those pencilled down for the slot of running mate to Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who had emerged as presidential candidate of PDP for the 2007 election.
Understanding Jonathan and his politics (http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9439:understanding-jonathan-and-his-politics-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340)
latest news, breaking news, business, finance analysis, comments and views from Nigeria :: Businessday