When An Executive President is Stripped of Security Powers

WHEN AN EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT IS STRIPPED OF SECURITY POWERS

The primary purpose of government is security and welfare of the people. The formation of democratic government world over entails citizens’ participation in the electoral processes. These processes though defined, the race to winning election brings up several challenges and problems especially, how to meet law enforcement responsibility of establishing and maintaining a peaceful and orderly environment that ensures the protection of life and property vis-à-vis government’s obligation and responsibility of managing law enforcement agencies in a way that achieves this objective through prevention, deterrence and prosecution of criminal activity.

Events, situations, and happenstance that culminated in the ouster of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s led PDP government are eye-opener to many Nigerians. Through well crafted deflationary propaganda, intimidation, and manipulation the opposition erased the President’s rights and freedom to “give lawful directions…with respect to the maintenance and security of public safety and public order in the country….” Stories were cooked-up, events were manipulated, systems were crippled, characters were assassinated, situations were abused, and fears were injected into the whole processes in a show of supremacy to wrestle power from the minority who happened to become President by divine providence. 

Several odds were invited against GEJ. His minority status and interpersonal relations were played to the fore as almost all the retired wealthy generals and political cum religious bigots from the majority ethnic groups conspired to abandoned him for one of their own. The judiciary was turned against him while he was being applauded and clapped to. Truly, his lack of security background; absence of “manly liver”, coupled with a wife that creates enemies easily made him vulnerable to every attacks from the opposition. Besides, he was afflicted with chronic sycophancy and surrounded by traitors who betrayed him with smiles. The soldiers who were expected to protect him infected him with acute fear while his numerous foreign diplomat friends advised him to “save his neck” wisely. These odds combined to make President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s last days in Aso Rock very dull and clueless; and gradually he drifted into an executive President without security powers.

Careful observers attest to the fact that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was seriously caged, threatened and forced into conceding defeat long before the final results were announced by Professor Attahiru Jega. The security implications of these actions and reactions are worth careful study and analysis. The beauty of democracy is a government faced by a strong opposition.