UK-based influential publication, Africa Confidential, has tipped Nigeria’s Senate President David Mark to head a “transitional national government”.
In an analysis posted on its website on June 13, 2014, the publication said: “Should (President Goodluck) Jonathan stumble, jump or be pushed, a groundswell is building for some form of transitional government to tackle both the security crisis and the flagging morale of the military.”
It did not say where the “groundswell” was building ─ in the military or political class ─ but made references to “ominous rumblings in the military”.
An Aso Rock insider has dismissed the report as “absolute nonsense”.
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The publication described the “David Mark scenario” as one of the “messier options” before Nigeria, saying unnamed politicians “in Abuja think that Jonathan won’t win the PDP presidential nomination for next year’s elections, while others say he won’t even manage to hold on to power until the vote”.
It said political confidence in Jonathan’s government is declining in the face of the Boko Haram insurgency, describing the senate president as taking a harder line against the militants “than his counterparts at the top of government”.
“He is also, we hear, outraged by the current state of the armed forces, whose soldiers say they lack basic supplies and weaponry,” Africa Confidential wrote.
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The publication was ambiguous on many issues ─ especially how a transitional government will legitimately emerge given the constitutional processes involved in democratic transfer of power in Nigeria.
However, it hinted at a possible deadlock ahead of the 2015 presidential election, quoting “political insiders” as saying that “Jonathan won’t get the votes, state by state, to win the party’s presidential primaries but they don’t yet have a clear idea of who could”.
A senior presidency official, who declined to be named, described the report as “kite flying” and an attempt to sell “a warped agenda” to the international community.
“The premises are faulty and the conclusion is absolute nonsense,” he told TheCable.
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“There is no space for transitional government in our constitution. Even if the president decides not to run, there are other members of the PDP who can run. The conclusion that David Mark will end a transitional government is ridiculous.”
Africa Confidential prides itself as a specialist publication with “continent-wide, on-the-ground coverage” which enables it to identify and monitor upcoming issues “long before they are picked up by the general media and analyse their real significance for our readers”.
It was established in 1960.
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16 comments
This is original perfidious Albion. The meaningless analysis is just meant to put a wedge between Jonathan and Mark who they perceive as a strong supporter of the President. But like every Western ploy to destabilise and destroy Nigeria this will fail. And should the Nigerian media help in amplifying and giving vent to these plots ploys?
Based on the situation on the ground, the speculation is enough to ginger up local efforts to self-defense. Right now America has warned of massive arms build up in the north. Boko Haram, just like the Taliban, is capable of staging a succeesful military coup detat and set up a ‘transitional government’ to organize an early election. Ironsi was warned, remember! Please don’t diwn-play that information. The best we can hope for is to divide this country its too late.
Has the ‘Nigeria Project 2015’as predicted by the CIA Report reach a stage where the Military are been instigated openly to take over government and make David Mark Head of Interim Government?
I love this game!
May or may not happen. Nigeria is becoming a failed state under president jonathan and the situation is overwhelmed.We are all expecting millitary strategy. may God save our darling country.
Both military coup and collapse of this insensitive and incompetent government of ethno-religious fanatics are possible and timely. In fact only a hypocrite and ignorant will doubt it. Jonathan is total monumental and unprecedented failure all round! Never again!
Everything about this Government, apart from looting and killings, is a total failure. This plan will definately be a failure too.
This administration has shown too much ineptitude to be trusted with Governance beyond 2014, any alternative will give hope to the Nigerian project.
Nigeria is in save hands.
And will survive all this storms
no matter the strength of the storm.
be it as it may God is fully with us.
long live Nigeria
long live peace loving Nigerians
long live all who pray’s for Nigeria
What is africaconfidential and what is africaconfidential’s agenda but an agenda destroy Nigeria by articulating and promoting a negative perception of Nigeria as well as executing a barely veiled anti-southern Nigeria and anti-Christian Nigeria Agenda!
It can only get better.
It is unfortunate that a news organization would air this kind of insensitive comments about Nigeria.
If we have the crisis that the West is advocating for Nigeria, there would be no peace in Britain and America because Nigerians would march on these countries like a locust.
Africa Confidential must be the one setting the transitional government. They should be charged for treason.
The hand writing is on the wall. It shouldn’t take a genius to read. Our current bread of politicians are greedy n selfish. So the leadership is unwilling to admit to and fight corruption, which is the genesis of all our problems. They are all the same. It wil only take evolution or revolution to change things. Whichever is sooner. Change is inevitable.
GEJ, please sit up, fight these terrorists with every weapon at your disposal, kill them all, kill their sponsors and supporters, destroy their whole existence. Remember what happened to Aguiyi Ironsi. The destiny of Nigeria is now in your hands
We have had rulers in this country that were worse than Jonathan and yet Nigerian have forgotten easily. Some elements are bent on destabilizing this country but they will fail. GEJ is trying his best and if Nigerians are saying otherwise then we are soon going to the polls. The big question is who is better that Jonathan in this country of today? Let us bring up their name are the pedigree they have.
This is baseless