TAN and opponents of Jonathan October 15, 2014 / Barely five months to the 2015 general elections, and as most political parties and likely contestants are still ‘consulting’, a new unique phenomenon called the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, has taken over the polity. What actually started as a mere rabble-rousing bunch of wanna-bes have now clearly amazed the nation. The group has now proved that they meant business. They have bestrode the nation’s hitherto confused political landscape like a colossus, uniting, unifying, galvanizing and educating citizens through realistic showcasing of achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan. Through a well-publicized scheduled national rallies systematically planned for each of the six geo-political zones of the nation, TAN has taken the Jonathan-message to every village and hamlet of Nigeria. This has seen the President’s positive perception and social rating among citizens of all class, gender and ages, to soar high to an unprecedented level. It has constantly and regularly continued to bridge all social and political gaps that could have existed. And this has evidently made the opposition-both the internal and external opponents and enemies of the President- livid with anger. Because, from the deluge of open and secret attacks and brickbats so far thrown at TAN, it was almost giving, albeit the ‘political’ impression that there were more house enemies of Mr President within than without. From every conceivable angle they have in the recent weeks pounced on the revolution called TAN with so much vigour that if the group had not been imbued with the grace to stave the attacks, it would have been messy. Totally messy. Without holding forth for Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali or Alh Lai Mohammed or others acting behind the scene, it has been funny how those who would have been defending Mr President and his administration have been busy openly attacking those who took it upon themselves to showcase the number one citizen to the world. This people have been clearly so incensed of TAN that they now tell anyone who cared to listen that they would soon “push TAN aside so as to get at Mr President direct”. An insider told this writer that the fight was over nothing but money and politics. That while TAN is becoming an unwanted eclipse that has hugely threatened their carrot and stick brand of politics, they cannot sit by and watch it go on. And that they must do something real fast. That was exactly what they are doing right now. So one wonders whether this same people were actually behind the very poor packaging and reporting of Jonathan in the very many above/below the line media tools in the country. That TAN would forever be recorded in the nation’s history books as the pioneer of realistic political showcasing of a President’s achievements. That the group’s work was perceived by the nation’s men of goodwill as coming from an amalgam of men/women simply driven by zeal to highlight the numerous epic achievements of Jonathan that were seemingly under-reported, unappreciated and consciously or subconsciously unnoticed by the public and those whose duty it is to do so. However, what they appear not to know was that the man they had wanted to witch-hunt and undermine-Jonathan, is now the greatest beneficiary. His name, his long list of achievements, and his rallies have suddenly taken over the entire television airwaves all over the country today. Yes, the political hawks are collecting their usual and somewhat ‘statutory’ meal ticket, but have now been unwittingly been forced to do something with it. They have now been forced by the present realities to do something tangible with it. At least it is no more business as usual. Chief Victor Umeh’s All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, took the first bait, followed by Chief Bode George’s South West Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, despite the fact that everyone knows that most of them were merely blowing hot air in public. That a large chunk normally change gear after dusk to nocturnal meetings that negate all what they did in the day time. Umeh’s long cap which many loved to hate has come out very clearly to show a man who has taken political loud-mouthing business to a new height in this dispensation. He was said to have reasoned that besides making huge benefit from Jonathan’s presidential campaigns and the state government’s anticipated gracious support, he would also ride and latch on the PDP campaign to push his senatorial ambition project to fruition. It was obvious he underrated the ability and commitment of those behind TAN when he allegedly subtly planned for its Awka rally of August 16 to fail but failed woefully. It was so bad he chose to embark on an unscheduled tour of his Agulu-uzoigbo community with all the key journalists in Awka. It took only the dutiful commitment of the TAN organizers to get the media buzzing once again. Whereas crowd control nearly failed due to the surging enthusiastic crowd that had continued to stream into the expansive Dr Alex Ekwueme Square till after the event ended, some of the governors in the zone had wished it never happened. Little wonder they have quickly been putting together some hurried patch-patch rallies to ‘promote’ Jonathan. As the TAN zonal national rallies get to a climax, more and more of these competing rallies have continued. Though the effort at cloning TAN has been painstaking, but TAN remains the original, hence miles ahead in content, commitment, prosecution and execution. There has been a yawning gap between struggling to join the crowd and being the pacesetter. TAN has remained the pacesetter, a new phenomenon in political campaign advocacy. The organisation has evidently re-written the old syllabus and curriculum in political advocacy for a fast-paced digital manual for only the strong at heart. Today, the initial, somewhat conspiratorial, silence against the numerous achievements of President Jonathan which Lai Mohammed, his All Progressive Congress, APC and other such individuals and organisations had enjoyed, has given way to a new brand name. Today, many have now known, seen and believed with hard facts that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has long before now already written his name in solid gold in the sands of time as the greatest performing president Nigeria ever had so far. This means that his second term of another four years would usher in an unrivalled transformation that would naturally obliterate any form of political opposition in the polity permanently. But it is clear that people like Lai Mohammed do not want such to happen without a tough struggle. Even within the PDP family, some top brass there have been waging their own war against TAN for helping them do their work. For helping them shore up the image and rating of Mr President who was hitherto being bashed from every conceivable angle for every little reason, unchallenged. Though many suspect they wanted things to get to the rock-bottom so that they get the fattest budget in the guise of having so much to do. Else, what was Prof Alkali doing long before now, even as Jonathan’s Adviser on Political Matters. Because among the putrid stench passing round in the Wadata Plaza was how he struggled to be accommodated within TAN but could not succeed and he then started planning on its downfall. Again, the massively reported posters of the national chairman of PDP, Alh Ahmed Muazu that have taken over virtually all major streets and roads within the FCT speak volume. More disturbing and loud, especially when he has chosen to turn blind eye to the mess. For it to cause deep rooted disaffection between Jonathan and his incumbent Vice? Or do those behind these festering confusion have other aims and motives? It is therefore advisable for the party to put its house in order because, interviews with almost everyone who has been linked to TAN-Dr Udenta Udenta, Benchuks Nwosu, Kunle Fagbemi, Alh Isa Mohammed or Dr Ifeanyi Ubah show that most of them were mere professional friends, not even politicians. More so, they all belong to different and opposing political parties and blocks, but are united in TAN in the interest of the progress of the country. Nwosu noted, “… TAN is a non-governmental organization designed to promote good governance. It consists of individuals of impeccable character fostering the continuation of transformation by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ). The group is comprised of professional men and women, youths, businessmen and women, artists, artisans, sportsmen and women, physically challenged persons, widows associations, Christian, Muslim and native religious groups, community, traditional and market leaders, opinion moulders and analysts, farmers, school teachers, trade unions and all masses of Nigeria committed to the ideals of good and quality leadership, order, unity, peace and progress of our nation under the Constitution”. Mr Sola Adedipe, a political analyst, wrote from Lagos - See more at: vanguardngr/2014/10/tan-opponents-jonathan/#sthash.dslyrLgF.dpuf
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 16:31:48 +0000
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