African Leaders Join The World In Honoring GEJ

At Abuja, Ivorian President Quattara Called GEJ "Role Model"

-Attorney Patryk Utulu*

The "PRESIDENT JONATHAN EFFECT," as the U.N. has called it continues to reverberate around the world. Even African leaders are now angling to bask in the respectability that Dr. Jonathan's exemplary electoral concession brought to the continent. Senegalese President Macky Sall called President Jonathan to thank him for "true leadership and for showing us the way."

President Macky Sall said that President Jonathan's example has strengthened his presonal resolve to hold a referendum next year to reduce his own presidential term of office from 7 years to 5 years. President Sall may not even run for reelection

Also, on April 20, 2015, President Alassane Quattara of Cote d'Ivoire arrived in Abuja, Nigeria "to commend President Jonathan for accepting the outcome to the March 28 election." Noting that President Jonathan "saved Nigeria from a civil war" President Quattara called President Jonathan "a role model."

As Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley famously said, "who feels it knows it, Lord."

President Quattara FELT appreciative of the selfless way that President Jonathan has saved Nigeria. Why? Because Dr. Quattara KNEW the raw power of a sitting president to hold on to power, regardless of the consequences for the nation. From 1990 to 1993 Dr. Quattara was Prime Minister of his nation under one president. But when he tried to contest for President in 1995 and 2000 his citizenship was invalidated by ANOTHER president of the same nation using presidential power of incumbency. Even when Dr. Quattara was allowed to run for the Presidency and won the 2010 election the sitting President REFUSED to hand over power thereby plunging the nation into civil war. It was only after the loss of thousands of lives, vast destruction of national infrastructure, forever irreconcilable ethnic animus and the reluctant French Military intervention that Dr. Quattara was able to be sworn into office. Yes, who feels it knows it. President Quattara knows African leaders' lust for power as well as as the loss and damage that can result from a civil war.

For those Nigerians who prefer to live in the fantasy world of ingratitude it is for these reasons that African leaders, the U.N. and the realistic world that knows the meaning of cost-benefit analysis (cost of power grab/war vs. great benefit of peaceful transition of power) APPRECIATE WHAT PRESIDENT JONATHAN DID FOR NIGERIA. Hence the world declared him a global icon of democracy.

One last note: No person can BUY global respect. It can only be EARNED and Dr. Jonathan has earned it for himself, for Nigeria, for Africa and for posterity. Yes, even the painful darkness of a broken light can illuminate the way to other lights.

Thus, in the "darkness" of giving up power Dr. Jonathan rose above and beyond Nigerian politics!!!

*****

Attorney Patryk A. Utulu*

U.S.-based Attorney & Strategic Communications Specialist 

Global Defense Analyst and Global Events Commentator

Executive Vice President, Nigerian Diaspora-North America

Executive Director, The Center 4 Community Empowerment & Lifeskills, Inc