History As Jonathan Is Sworn-In

[TGD]

 HISTORY is being made today, as President Goodluck Jonathan, the first elected Nigerian of Niger Delta extraction will take the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office, at a colourful ceremony at the Eagle Square, Abuja. Today, the tension that had built since independence, over access of minority ethnic tribes to political leadership of the country is being diffused gradually.

As President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is sworn in, the historic ceremony will also close an intellectual chapter that General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida attempted to deal with in 1987, when he established the Professor Joseph Inikori Presidential Committee on the 'National Question'.

At that time, the 13-man Committee postulated on the issue of rotational presidency, which would guarantee access to power by all peoples and groups.

A follow-up to that attempt was the adoption of six geopolitical zones as the basis for rotating the presidency.

The 'National Question' may have been partially resolved today, as a well educated son of the Niger Delta (Bayelsa), who was popularly elected on April 16, will be sworn in, with the Vice President from the North West, where agitation for power to remain till 2015 has been most fierce.

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (South East) as President and C-in–C, began the journey of Nigeria's leadership from 1st October 1960, till January 15, 1966 under a parliamentary system with Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (North East) as Prime Minister until they were swept away through a military coup in 1966.

Then entered Major General J.T Aguiyi-Ironsi (South East) who was Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces from 15 January 1966 to 29 July 1966 when a counter-coup too swept him off.

The end of the Aguiyi Ironsi's era on July 29 1966, marked the beginning of another regime of General Yakubu Gowon (North Central) as Head of State, whose regime ended on July 27 1975 in another military coup, which ushered in General Murtala Ramat Muhammed (North West), who had a very short tenure as Head of State from July 27 to February 13 1976, in a bloody coup that took the life of the leader.

That paved the way for General Olusegun Obasanjo (South West) who led Nigeria from February 13 1976 to October 1, 1979, as military Head of State.

Significantly, General Obasanjo handed over to an elected Alhaji Shehu Shagari (North West), who ruled from October 1, 1979 to December 31 1983, when another military coup swept him off bloodlessly.

That mutiny ushered in Major General Muhammadu Buhari (North West), who ruled from December 31 1983 to August 27 1985, when another military coup overthrew his government.

That coup brought in General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (North Central), who reigned from August 27 1985 to August 26 1993. And then there was an interim government, which ushered in a business mogul, Chief Ernest Shonekan (South West) who ruled Nigeria from August 26 to November 17 1993.

The interim government of Chief Shonekan was toppled in yet another military coup on 17 November 1993, which ushered in General Sani Abacha (North West), who died in office on June 8 1998. Then entered General Abdulsalami Abubakar who ruled from June 8 1998 to May 29 1999, when he handed over to an elected Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (South West).

After eight years, power again returned democratically to the North West, when Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua took over from Chief Obasanjo on May 29 2007. He died in office on May 5 2010. On that day, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan took over until today, when he will be sworn in as the 15th Nigerian leader. But he will come in as the first elected political leader from the South South Zone.

The journey Jonathan began today will end on 29 May 2015. Whether he will continue thereafter, the answer to that will be blowing in the wind till 2014, when another campaign for 2015 would produce the actors.



Source: History As Jonathan Is Sworn-In