The fact that Nigerians (not even those who like him or feel sorry for him) cannot trust this president, and do not believe that he has the capacity to keep us safe, to keep us well, to solve problems, is the urgent reason that this president immediately needs to resign.
Calling on the democratically elected president of a nation to resign is not something to be said in a hurry; flippantly, or to prove a point.
Even in times such as this, when, across the nation, media and analysts have fallen over themselves to make that exact request, restraint is a necessary virtue.
Indeed, when it comes to the cascade of negativity that this president has had to contend with, this board has been willing to be sympathetic, and to take a longer view. For good reason. Every president of Nigeria, before Goodluck Jonathan, has faced identical challenges – insecurity, corruption, a destroyed education system, more.
This president, by virtue of his existence alone, has also challenged many of the debilitating conventions of our country’s politics, making it easy to dream and to believe in a country where anything is possible. And, for whatever it’s worth, the world seems to like the man.
We are also aware that this is, in fact and in effect, a war time president, fighting domestic terrorism on a scale no other president had to deal with, with implacable foes, and in an atmosphere of severe political fragmentation, with venomous bitterness from deposed ruling blocs.
But, it is also a fact that he has shown himself wholly incompetent in leading Nigeria, on almost every level.
We do not know what the problem is. It might be his lack of military experience in a militarised country. It might be his seeming disinterest in the structural complexity upon which post-colonial Nigeria is formed. It might be an inability to grasp the high-minded imperatives of statecraft. It might be his painfully obvious inability to engage the world with anything nearing sophistication. It may just be the fact that the problems are too many for a man with his limited experience in managing large numbers. We do not know.
But it is not our job to wonder about the incompetence of our president, it is our job to demand that our president be competent, and it is our collective job to ensure that if we have made a mistake, we correct it immediately.
Fellow Nigerians, if the bombs going off in Nyanya (twice in a 3-week period) haven’t underlined this mistake, then a few other things surely must.
Perhaps the fact that the president thought it sensible to go party in Kano just after that blast. Perhaps the fact that he could not cancel his shallow engagements out of respect for the almost-100 dead but could do same after the death of his vice president’s brother.
Or the fact that, while all of this is going on, from the ministry of petroleum to his re-election campaign, the president continues to fiddle with politics while Nigeria burns. Or the fact that his Minister of Interior caused the deaths of young job seekers in Abuja and yet retains office, without consequence.
Above all else, we cannot get our heads around the utter silence of solutions from his office ever since over 200 girls were abducted by domestic terrorists and since disappeared for over two weeks.
We have watched with disbelief and alarm as, under the full glare of the international media and a growing army of politicians, corporate leaders, civil society groups and even celebrities, the President has proven himself painfully incapable of making any progress in finding teenage girls kidnapped in the full glare of a heavily policed state.
This, after his government had dubiously understated the number of the girls, tried to deny the seriousness of the matter, and then shamelessly tried to lie that his armed forces had freed the girls.
The scale of the incompetence would be mind-numbing if the tragedy wasn’t continuing.
We’re speaking here of the bombs yesterday in Nyanya, Abuja. Just after protests in Abuja and Lagos about country’s insecurity, the bombs went off again, killing at least seven, in about the same spot as the last time.
As always, the president will strongly condemn the actions and his administration will go through the predictable round of motion without movement. But as before, the dead will almost surely be gone without any hope of punishment for the evil-doers, and Nigerians will be no safer next week than they are today.
Nothing will be done to significantly solve the problem, or at least to inspire confidence in the citizens. And that is the real problem.
The fact that Nigerians (not even those who like him or feel sorry for him) cannot trust this president, and do not believe that he has the capacity to keep us safe, to keep us well, to solve problems, is the urgent reason that this president immediately needs to resign.
If history is any guide, he will not heed this call. His army of dependents will ensure that he hangs on to every thread he can find until the ground gives way under him. But even if he will not do the right thing, we must continue to ask. It is our duty to demand this.
Nigeria can no longer afford him. This president needs to go.
Lemme just state officially that I didn't make that previous comment. i'm very shocked to see such an insulting statement in my name. I believe everyone has a right to their own opinion and I wouldn't go about insulting someone because of that. So im sorry to the person concerned.
very funny sentimental disgruntled write up… The writer has only shown a quack knowledge of the present day Nigerian politics… I dont blame U and the owners of the site…
U ask a president to resign because a very very few class of people that have held this country by he jugular and turned the country to their personal property are bent on making the country ungovernable, because they are daily loosing their selfish grip on the country….
a few cabal that want the resources of the country to be under their control
Just because a man has stood up to them, they now start throwing bombs, and U say he should resign so the few selfish and greedy and corrupt can continue their ripping of the country
I shake my head fro the childish person(s) that support this minor notion
ok, GEJ resigns, the cabl takes over..then Niger Delta militants resume their activities?
is it not a shame U didnt venture into the economy and social development of the country which the president is doing very well in?
U base all ur minor notions on Boko Haram… shame on U
if thats how U reason, then U are not fit to be a leader….
We will stand and tell them to their face to go and die.. Nigeria is not their personal property.. it belongs to all of us
sooner than U think,, Boko Haram will be a thin of the past
Wake up from your slumber!!
You mean both Joe and Sambo should resign and leave the govt to Mark? that would be worse for us.
Prayer sha! seriously? ok Let us pray … O God can you please minister into the mind of our president quickly what he must do so that this present scourge of killings does not take over the country from under him and that even when bombs goes off as planed by people we don't know only ants and cockroaches goes down not human beings. See i believe in power of prayer and I also know the power with time. This is the time for the president to honestly assess himself, if the is the true man i thought he was when he first came into presidency as acting head of state. For a brief moment there I thought I saw a honest leader that had passion for people and wanted lead. If he you realize you have not performed well as we all can see, do the honorable thing ..resign and write a good his for Nigeria.
Nonsense.
Why did the principal open a school closed for security reasons in a war zone?
With such an effort at sabotage at the anti-Boko Haram war, can’t such saboteurs grant free passage to the abductors?
Did Al Qaeda not give a warning to European countries they were going to strike and still did so successfully in some of the world’s most powerful nations?
Trying to predicate change of government based on the anti- Boko Haram struggle falls into the script of Northern Nigerian Presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar’s threat to overthrow the government by violence because a Northerner was not made PDP Presidential candidate and will not be bought by anyone.
It falls into the script of the claim attributed to Northern Nigerian political figure Lawal Kaitan to make the country ungovernable because a Northerner was not made President and will not be accepted.
The Nigerian government is winning the war against Boko Haram.
He has pushed them from their strongholds in population centres, drastically reducing their attacks.
Anybody who says that bcs we are yet to fully defeat Boko Haram means failure is not responding to the challenges of this war and its similarity to the wars against terrorism worldwide.
Have we forgotten when bombing churches and machine gunning Christians in churches was a central modus operadi of Boko Haram?
Have we forgotten they are described as having one or more population zones where they used to rude around openly with their vehicles?
Have we forgotten their recurrent attacks on military and govt installations in population centres?
Have we forgotten that they were embedded deep within the Northern populace, fighting with the military inside population centres in raids meant to flush them out?
What have been their recent attack locations now?
Since they were pushed back, they have been attacking schools and the 3 Abuja attacks, the one on the SS office being unsuccessful, are their only urban strikes for some time, even though the Nyaya bombings
They are now associated with Sambisa forest, not any populated zone.
All this is possible only bcs the govt was able to push them away from population centres with the state of emergency.
I was in London when Al Qaeda threatened to strike, and was riding in the same underground line where they eventually struck and remember a Jew in the train, telling me from his knowledge of the Israeli/Palestinian struggle, the strike would certainly take place, which it did in multiple locations in London.
Given the global difficulty of defeating terrorism and the peculiar demographic and social challenges of the fight against Boko Haram, the Nigerian effort is a reasonable example of progress in a fight against a terror network that draws part of its strength from divisions in the nation.
Na wa for Nigerians sha! We include sentiments in every thing. I have read cases where Presidents resign for reasons as simple as not being able to explain some personal actions. Our own president has seen scandal upon scandal, strikes unlimited, deaths toll his regime, workers unpaid, bombings every where, insecurity on the rise, power failure, accidents abound, ritual killings on the rise, YET some think a call for his resignation is politically motivated. I am amazed how some educated people think. If President Jonathan cannot perform his duties to the citizens of Nigeria, let someone as try, his ‘no comments’ actions are not enough for us. At least, for me.
Ha! Finally, a human with a brain.
I am disappointed with YNaija for this simplistic and naive editorial. So now the President is the problem with Nigeria and once he leaves our problems will be solved, abi? Editorials like this only emboldens these terrorist and drives us closer to the brink. Now is the time for us to unite as a nation behind our president, speak with one voice and defeat terrorism. These cowards should not be allowed to dictate the future of this country. Let’s think through the consequences of our premature pronouncements, actions and inaction and allow 2015 take care of itself. Then YNaija can cast their vote as seen fit!
Perfect case study: When Moyes departed ManU, United’s troubles departed.
Really? Much too early to say.
Very wise, Robo
God bless you… They know they can’t beat Jonathan in 2015 so they hang around now using APC blogs to call for Jonathan’s resignation.
When the Niger Delta was up in flames why didn’t Chude call for YarÁdua’s resignation? Because Yar’Adua is a northerner… Jonathan is a Southerner so he anyone with a quarter of a brain can wake up and tell him to resign.
Did Jonathan kidnap the girls? Did he throw the bomb in Nyanya? Now that the story of the school girl’s kidnap is coming to light and the blame is going to the Borno governor … the APC activists are trying to downplay the incident.
Dim wits.
APC will vanish not Jonathan
This is senseless logic. Calling for a presidents resignation because of terrorist attacks smacks of a defeatist mentality. The criminal minded terrorist have us cornered right now because they can predict our knee jerk response to substantial mayhem they are unleashing. They have calculated that the politicians will make a capital out of this, later day activists like Chude will enhance their popularity and cereblal idiots like oby and falana will jump on the band wagon for the photo opportunity. That Abuja and Lagos protest was a miscalculation. We got a response from the terrorists yesterday. This is the time to band together as a nation and confront those murderers as a united people, Not the time to fart or defeacate from the mouth. Right now lets support the president instead of pulling him down. Wether we will do so again in 2015 is a another matter.
But for now lets stop sending wrong signals.
Superb, Elenugboro
I wish one could like comments on this platform. This is it.
What kind of ridiculous APC populist editorial is this? What is the sense in this? Why is the anger towards Boko Haram and their sponsors who belong to YNaija’s political party – APC?
This is straight out of the APC drawing board. When they stage terrorist attacks against ordinary Nigerians, they’ll send their foot soldiers to call the Jonathan’s resignation. Every missive from an APC or Buharist calls for Jonathan’s resignation this week.
Chude this is too low… but I can expect it once you endorsed APC by placing their advert on the your top banner – FREE Of charge because campaigning at not started… you did it show solidarity after taking to Twitter to praise Tinubu to the high heavens.
The hypocrisy of this is that you are presenting this opinion as if it is neutral… it is not. It is written and first submitted to Gbenga to show Oga Tinubu. Abeg, go and sit down.
Why cant you call for the resignation of the APC governors in the Boko Haram states? Why can’t you call for Fashola’s resignation over the crime that bedevil’s Lagos state every single day somebody is killed in Lagos – EVERY DAY someone dies because of crime, why can’t you call for APC Fashola’s resignation? Chude, answer!!
Thanks, Benjamin.
Can the man with the solution to this country’s myriad challenges step forward please.
It is weakness that led to that Amnesty Programme. Illegality can and must never be rewarded. Even with the supposed ‘hold’ on the militants, bunkering under GEJ’s watch is unprecedented. Enough is enough of excuses. There are no saints but definitely, a majority of others can do better- much, much better.
if the president decides to resign what will be the implication to the country, how will it compound our existing problems. Mr Editor your opinions are very shallow and without attention to details
Mr editor what do you think will happen to the militia group in the creek of Niger Delta should in case Mr President resigns?
All those that are talking in favour of Jonathan. It seems u r also insensitive as Mr president and u lack the qualities of a good human being cos ol religion said to love for ur neighbour wat u love for ur self. If ur brothers n sisters have been affected, we will hear different stories from u guys. Mr president is d greatest problem Nigeria have ever seen till date.
at Sh,Mr president is never our problem. our problem is the northerners elders and politicians that think the presidency set belong to them and them alone. when the Mr president won the election, the northerner promise to make the countary ungovernable for him and that is what is happening now.if a northerner come into power now, you will see this boko haram of a thing will come to an end. and at Glad Chic, all those things u mention have been happening before Mr president came into power. here are some peopel are talking about Mr president but we are worst than the government.