Leadership (Abuja
6 May 2011
Bayo Oladeji
Abuja And Daharatu Ibrahim — A pall has been cast on the generous presidential proposal of an 'inclusive government,' even before its inauguration. This scenario has been created with the refusal of the three key opposition parties - Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to participate. Bayo Oladeji examines the unfolding political drama.
President Goodluck Jonathan in his acceptance speech following the formal declaration of his victory by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appreciated Nigerians for giving him the mandate to occupy the Aso Rock Presidential Villa for the next four years. He assured Nigerians, irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic affiliations, of his commitment "to fairness, equity and justice for all."
No doubt the president was magnanimous in victory congratulating those who ran the race with him. According to him, "I regard them not as opponents, but as partners. Indeed, some of them have held public office in the past". He particularly paid tribute to the trio of General Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) respectively who gave him a run for his money. To President Goodluck, "They all did well and the nation expects their continued demonstration of leadership and commitment to our efforts at nation building."
Speaking further, the first Nigerian president from the minority gave out an open invitation to his opponents to join him in running the affairs of the country for the next four years. His words, "The progress we seek for our country is in our collective hands. I am confident that with this new spirit of national awakening and our sense of collective ownership of the Nigerian project, a firm foundation has been laid for participatory governance and progress. Together we will build a new economy that is strong and dynamic and underpinned by a patriotic work ethic.
"Now, we must all unite. We must quickly move away from partisan battlegrounds and find the national common ground. We must show the world that this nation of many people will always find the love, the courage and the path to move forward as one. Let us join hands to build a prosperous nation. This is the challenge of our generation. This is our unfinished task. On my part, I promise to run an all-inclusive government."
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