Since gaining independence in October 1960, Nigeria has suffered so many challenges which have gravely threatened her united existence. But like the proverbial cat with nine lives, the nation has surmounted these challenges and continued to exist as one indissoluble country.
Many Nigerians, both dead and alive, have made great sacrifices to keep the country united and are consequently being celebrated for their contributions.
Interestingly one of such Nigerians that have doubtlessly done the unusual in order to keep Nigeria undivided is former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jonathan, who is from the oil-rich Niger Delta, did the inconceivable on Tuesday, March 31st, 2015, when he called the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, (now incumbent president) Muhammadu Buhari on the phone to congratulate him before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the final results.
“By making that call the president saved Nigeria a great deal of pain. If the PDP had insisted that they had won the election, and the APC had said the same, the country would have been in chaos,” asserted Mansur Liman, Editor of the BBC Hausa Service.
Jonathan put Nigeria first and consequently averted the country from being plunged into a bedlam; putting paid to the prediction of the international community about a possible breakup of Nigeria in the aftermath of the election.
As President and Commander of the Armed Forces, Jonathan could have just brushed off the result and used force to subdue his opponent, Buhari.
He also had the full backing of the Niger Delta ex-agitators that were battle-ready should he agree to stay put in office (or even declare the secession of the region from Nigeria), say, on grounds of irregularities and what not. Still, he picked up the phone to congratulate his political rival.
Of course, not too many Nigerians would take such a bold step – I honestly don’t think I can – but Jonathan did. Little wonder Ogala Emmanuel of PremiumTimes notes that “the concession phone call has thrown up Dr. Jonathan as a democracy hero.”
As of 2015 a great number of Nigerians, including me, thought Jonathan’s concession of defeat was inexpedient and smacked of weakness and extreme meekness. Little did we know that the “shoeless” one was only dancing to the drums of patriotism. Oh, how wrong we were!
Jonathan buried pride, tribal sentiments, blinded his eyes from the overwhelming tears of his kith and kin, disregarded “what people will say” and told himself “If I don’t do this, then the Nigeria that Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ikoli and other nationalists gallantly fought for would be disintegrated like the defunct Soviet Union.”
The good-natured Jonathan never wanted Nigeria to end like that, so he did the unimaginable to keep the green white green flag waving in the nooks and crannies of the country.
Blogger Adams Odunayo could not state it better when she expressed that “President Jonathan not only lost to Buhari but made history because it is almost unheard of in African politics for the incumbent to accept defeat in a political contest.”
It’s been years now, but that noble act of the “clueless” Jonathan has kept Nigeria going, and his name has gone down the annals of history as the man who sacrificed a lot for the continuity of Nigeria.
Remarkably, today marks the 64th birthday of this patriot from the heart of the Niger Delta; and as expected, the media is agog with myriads of felicitations from family, friends, associates, world leaders, organisations as well as his political rivals.
This only points to the fact that Jonathan is loved by the bulk of Nigerians and his contributions to national development as well as the unimaginable sacrifice he made years ago to keep Nigeria united are still fresh in the mind of every well-meaning Nigerian.
