Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
NIGERIA’S FORMER MILITARY leader Muhammadu Buhari claimed a historic election victory in Africa’s most populous country today, sending thousands of jubilant supporters into the streets chanting “change, change”.
Buhari’s campaign spokesman said incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan had called the retired general to concede defeat in the most closely fought election in Nigeria’s history.
This marks the first ever democratic change of power in Nigeria and caps a remarkable comeback for the 72-year-old, who headed a short-lived military regime in the 1980s.
The “accidental” president
Goodluck Jonathan’s rise to the top of the pile in Nigeria’s ruthless political world has been described as accidental – a matter of good luck.
But the amazing run of coincidence and chance that brought the son of a canoe-maker to the presidential villa in the capital Abuja, seems to have come to an end.
The 57-year-old southern Christian — the first head of state from the oil-producing Niger Delta — was thrust into the presidency in 2010 following the death of his predecessor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a Muslim from the north.
The mild-mannered Jonathan, often seen with his trademark fedora traditionally worn by Niger Delta natives, is from a family of boat makers. He became a zoology lecturer and worked on environmental issues before entering politics in 1998.
“I personally call him the accidental president. It was chance, good luck,” said Adewale Maja-Pearce, a Lagos-based writer and contributing columnist for the New York Times.
“He was plucked from obscurity because he was considered pliable.”
Right place, right time
As for his distinctive name, his late father was quoted as saying in a biography of the president that he “called him Goodluck because although life was hard for me when he was born, I had this feeling that this boy would bring me good luck.”
His mother, Eunice, said although she had a history of lengthy labour in childbirth stretching for several days, Goodluck was born in record time.
Fortune certainly seems to have favoured Jonathan as he grew older.
An unconfirmed report has long circulated in local media that Jonathan, elected assistant senior prefect at his secondary school, grabbed the top post when the head prefect was expelled.
His rise to the top was similarly fortuitous, becoming governor of his native Bayelsa state in 2005 after his predecessor was impeached over money-laundering charges in Britain.
The night he was nominated by his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as Yar’Adua’s running mate before 2007 polls, many Nigerians had never heard of Jonathan.
In one of the US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks, Jonathan purportedly acknowledged his inexperience in a meeting with the US ambassador while he served as acting president during Yar’Adua’s illness.
“I was not chosen to be vice-president because I had good political experience,” Jonathan said. “There were a lot more qualified people around to be vice-president.”
A magazine once described the Nigerian leader as “hardly a man to set the pulse racing”.
Lack of clarity
Though always calm in public, Jonathan headed a nation plagued by a range of crises.
Nigeria is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt nations and the north is wracked by the brutal Boko Haram Islamist insurgency.
The main opposition All Progressives Congress had made Jonathan’s perceived failure to tackle both problems a central plank of its campaign.
Jonathan earned praise however for staffing his cabinet with internationally-regarded technocrats, notably ex-World Bank managing director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was his finance minister.
But despite living in Africa’s top oil producer, most of the country’s 173 million people live on less than $2 a day and only receive a paltry supply of electricity.
Jonathan was accused of failing to take on such endemic problems.
“He has always said ‘Oh yes, we will take care of that,’” said Pat Utomi, a professor at Lagos Business School and prominent political commentator.
“I think he meant to do well… but it seems there was never clarity in his head of where he wanted Nigeria to be.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Whereever you are in the Country do your best to support your local traders
I don’t think people realise how many Irish jobs can be saved or created by buying Irish produce.
I don’t think the tweeting alone will help but the serious amount of publicity from the TV show and articles such as this will most definitely.
NO
@Chelsea . Council permitted over development in lieu of short term gains ( levys ) .
totally agree Gerard :) lack of long term vision in favour of fees and then they expect traders to pay excessive levies.
At present Drogheda town centre is controlled by Drogheda Borough Corporation. The Northern environs are controlled by Louth CoCo and south and west of the town controlled by Meath CoCo. Each local authority granted retail and residential developments to maximise levies and rates, leading to mass, unco-ordinated development. Drogheda needs joined up thinking to maximise its potential A single Drogheda City Authority should be established immediately to manage it’s development going forward. The first new Irish city for 2016!!
100% gerard ….that was motivating factor in the spread of drogheda over last ten years…
@SIlent P Everything you said makes sense to me. Drogheda is a medievil town, its main streets were designed for horsedrawn carts so are not going to get any wider, there is no doubt decisions made in recent years have had a detrimental affect on the town, its main street has been described as a ghost town. We really need to see significant employment in the town and not have Drogheda turn into a dormitory town for employers in other areas, this is begining to happen.
All I know is that I have no interest in anything that anyone on my twitter feed has to say about anything, ever!
If you no interest in what people in your Twitter feed say, why did you choose follow them in the first place?
Who pissed in your cornflakes
its unfortunately the councils fault the center of town is suffering with reckless planning for big stores on the outskirts of the town. That said these stores provide huge employment boost to drogheda.
@Derek yeah goodman blame the council as always!! Not there fault its where the land lies that’s where development begins!
The cruel fact is no amount of marketing is going to win cheaper price. If there is choice between Irish product and other product and if we assume they represent the same level of quality and price (or at least very similar), of course I will pick up Irish. But who in health of mind will pay more for the same or even in worse case, for inferior product, just because it’s Irish or locally sold or produced? Economy is brutal and unfortunately there is no great place for sentiments.
I would personally pay a small premium for Irish goods.
makes little difference if you dont live near the area or pass through it. Advertising won’t change that much at all
I watched the programme on TV during last week and was very impressed by the community spirit. There is always a danger that people in that area would go shopping to Northern Ireland because of it’s proximity to the border so I think awareness was raised and it was put up to the people what they could do to keep jobs in the area and help business. I think it will be somewhat successful.
“A DANGER OF OF GOING SHOPPING IN THE NORTH”, it’s people making an economic choice sheelagh, not crossing a minefield with infested swamps. next thing we’ll hera of comely maidens frollicing at the crossroads
YES IT CAN . It is great to see a community coming together to help each other out . You can’t win if your not in so sign up now € 3000 is nothing to ignore in a recession . Well done to all involved .
Am I missing something? How is posting a picture on Twitter going to help them out of recession?
well i guess if some one posts a picture of a clothes shop for example then for anyone that sees that picture will have an increased a awareness of that shop. Just like large company have advertising campaigns the more you see their advert the more likely you will remember them when you are in the market for a particular product.
Great idea. All for supporting local business. Strange one today. I was looking to get an 8ft 4 x 2 Batton for my new back gate. 25 euro in Atlantic and the same thing over in TJ O Mahony builders providers was… Get this… €3.85 cent. How the hell do these big companies stay in business with crazy prices like this??
Can the world tweet its way out of recession?
Obama: sup y’all, word is everbodys buyin gold, culd’ya quit cause my buddies at Goldman Sachs are screaming down the telephone. Peace
Merkel: only true Germans dont buy gold and let the banks rule. Word
Berlu: Bung Bunga Bye Bye!!!!!!!!!
have your say