Let me give you again an example using a negative factor. By 1966 the whole economic, political and administrative systems in Nigeria were controlled by the Igbos on merit, because they were very hard working. The North was nowhere to be found; it was an empty hunting ground. The South-West was competing only at a secondary level, but after the Civil War when the Igbos were removed from that pedestal, the Yorubas virtually replaced the Igbos in everything. In other words, where the Igbos dominated in Nigeria, the Yorubas took those places and this is the root of the grievances even today between the Igbos and the Yorubas. I can give you the secret of it because I’ve been involved in all sections of Nigeria.

So if this continues, what is more likely is to force the northerners to be as aggressive and enterprising as other sections of Nigeria. I will give you a typical example also. There was a time when Ghanaians dominated certain aspects of Nigeria’s economy; maybe the lower aspect like carpentry, building and others. But when Ghana had a new government they had confidence in, they all left Nigeria.

There was a time you’d find them everywhere in the North and South, but where are they now? They have all gone back to Ghana because Ghana is better. Now, when they left, the positions they left in the North were not filled by Igbos or Yorubas, but were filled by northerners because circumstances taught the North to be more enterprising than they were. In Kaduna here, car dealership is made up of core northerners. You go to sale of motor spare parts, it is now almost 60 per cent northerners; so circumstances forced them.

So, if we don’t want to create hostility, if we don’t contribute to unnecessary antagonism, we should look at Nigeria as one people, one nation, and bring about even and progressive developments throughout the country, so that these notions of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba will disappear. When you take into account Nigeria’s ruling class – the rich and powerful – do they talk about the Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa? No.

It appears Jonathan is bent on contesting 2015 election against the wish of the North; for the reason that he breached a “gentleman’s agreement”

Let me tell you the reality. Jonathan has no concrete support for election in 2015 outside the Ijaws and some parts of the South-South. Maybe some parts of the South-East but as far as the North and West are concerned, he doesn’t have support. How can Jonathan win a free, fair and transparent election leading to a legitimate government without the North and the South-West? You can talk about the differences between the North and the South-West with regards to him but fundamentally, they are opposed to at least his style of governorship, to such an extent that he’s not likely to get even 25 per cent votes in all of those states in North and South-West. Of course, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible for him; he can make a revolutionary change that will endear him to the whole country within a short time, particularly because he is the President of the country. As oga patapata (the big boss) he can inspire confidence that he can do wonders.

I will give you an example with history also. Look at how Shehu Yar’Adua almost won the whole country. Look at how MKO Abiola won the whole country in spite of his history of always having close relationship with the ruling class. Because he demonstrated his concern for Nigerians and for the unity of the country maybe in a different way. Jonathan who is the President of Nigeria, the so-called elected President of Nigeria, has greater capacity to do wonders than Shehu Yar’adua and MKO Abiola did.

Don’t you think Jonathan could use power of incumbency and possibly state apparatus such as the army, police and others within reach to rig or manipulate the election process and then emerge as the president?

Let me tell you, if Jonathan tries to rig the elections he would go to prison. That was the consequence Shagari suffered in the end; he went to prison. If you recall, in the end the army came and Shagari went to prison and he was humiliated. He was alleged to be part and parcel of bringing about of the military takeover in 1983. Jonathan seems to be doing the same thing. He’s depending on the military and the police for his security arrangement for the country and gradually, giving much power to the military to encourage them to say, ‘Look, instead of we sacrificing our lives for these bloody civilians, let us take power and do what we think should be done’.
There is that possibility. But there is a greater possibility of Jonathan being accepted as a national leader worthy of election in 2015 if he takes the correct actions.