The many Lucks of Goodluck Jonathan ; Nigerian Acting President.
Congratulation to the luckiest chap
THRICE LUCKY GOODLUCK JONATHAN
When Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was born some years ago, apart from being christened Goodluck by his biological parents, his paternal grand mother called him Azikiwe in the hope that the name would influence the growth of the young Goodluck to take after the exploits of the great Zik of Africa and he grew up with the name in the family circle.
Eventually, it has turned out to be that the old woman was not a false prophetess, as her prophecy has since been having some good effects in his life.
The genesis
Not much was known of him until in 1998 when he joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and was picked as a running mate to the party’s gubernatorial standard bearer in Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and fortunately, they both got the mandate of the people. A close associate of his was once quoted to have said that “his ardent desire of going into politics was to actualise communal liberalism, growth, development, and general welfare of his people.”
Goodluck was so loyal to his boss Alamieyeseigha that the governor referred to him as his brother. The good relationship between the duo deepened to the extent that Bayelsa State was then used as an example of a peaceful state. As a result of his uncompromising loyalty, Jonathan was referred to as a weakling in some quarters.
His Emergence as governor
On September 15, 2005, Alamieyeseigha was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police for an alleged money laundering and was made to stand trials. He jumped bail and returned to Nigeria on November 21, 2005, hoping that his immunity as a governor would cover him from being arrested, but it turned out to be an incorrect calculation. Alamieyeseigha on his return was received by a riotous crowd, amid singing, drumming and dancing. Some people also took to the streets protesting for and against his escape. This caused no fewer than 1,000 riot police men and soldiers to be deployed to the state to avoid breakdown of law and order.
Alamieyeseigha was deceived by his over zealous aides who fed him with all sorts of unpleasant news about his deputy’s alleged gang up with the federal government to get him removed from office. This caused a lot of rift between the two, and on this ground, Goodluck on November 23, fled for his dear life to Abuja, while his aides and staff deserted their offices.
A notice of impeachment was then served on him by lawmakers led by the then Bayelsa House Speaker, Peremobowei Ebebi. After the investigations by a seven member committee headed by Port Harcourt based lawyer, Mr. David Serena- Dokubo, Alamieyeseigha was removed and lucky Goodluck inaugurated as the substantive governor of Bayelsa State.
Goodluck finished his first term and wanted a second, but some more connected politicians would not let him. They also wanted the seat. While all these were on, Goodluck maintained his calm, following the crisis gradually, and at last as fate had it, his opponents were flushed out and he got the party’s ticket to contest for the governorship post in Bayelsa in 2007.
How he became Yar’Adua’s running mate
In early 2007, when all PDP faithfuls were gathered in Abuja and the party’s presidential candidate, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was saddled with the responsibility of nominating a vice, and was limited to just the South-south, and within the south-south, he needed to go to the heart of the Niger Delta where the heat is, regarding the agitation for resource control. And there again Goodluck who was not among the aspirants from the zone and was not expecting to be picked, being contented with the governorship ticket of the party in his state, was picked.
“Luck, or best could this be described? This luck has smiled at him again. He never campaigned to be the governor of Bayelsa State but it came. He never dreamed to be the Vice President but he is. Really Goodluck is a man who waits for destiny, and this has shaped his life. He operates as if there are no politics going on around him at the Presidential Villa, or any where else in the country.
Now
The Acting president
Next
Who can predict........
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