THE NEXT JOB FOR PRESIDENT GOODLUCK 

The bleeding will continue for the most of this year. However, it is the prayer of every true patriot that the PDP does not bleed to death and survives to establish a formidable opposition to the incoming government.

President Goodluck Jonathan will perhaps be as busy as he is in Aso Rock to lead the rebirth of the PDP as a credible and strong opposition party. He must not make the mistake of retiring from partisan politics when he hands over power on May 29. The PDP will need a leader if it stands any hope of surviving as an opposition party and Mr Jonathan is the best candidate for this role. Working with influential governors that remain with the party after May 29, he will need to roll up his sleeves and rebuild a party that has been brought to its knees after 16 years of rule.

Much has been said about Mr Jonathan’s inability to inspire; and critics will doubt his ability to lead an opposition that will be very unruly in the coming years. However, the very nature of Nigerian politics puts presidents and former presidents as very influential party leaders who command the loyalty and finance needed to power a political party. Seeing that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has exited the PDP, the next candidate that meets these qualifications is Mr Jonathan.

The president would understandably lose some of his influence over PDP governors in the incoming administration, but would still retain some loyalty from especially hugely influential governors such as Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti. He would need to work with these loyalists to attract more technocrats and influential youths to the party. The next two years should be spent on an aggressive recruitment drive to fill the void that will be left in the party. As democracy deepens in Nigeria, more professionals are flirting with partisan politics. They need to be wooed.

Mr Jonathan would also need to focus on securing more parliamentary seats and states for the PDP in 2019 rather than gun for the Presidency. Barring any major gaffe by the APC in the next four years, Nigerians would most likely give the party a second term in 2019; especially if the party delivers on 50 percent of its promises. The PDP will be too weak to contest the centre in 2019. A strategy that focuses on recovering states it has lost in traditional strongholds needs to be a matter of top priority. A key part of this strategy would be in fielding very attractive candidates.

Widely seen as a gentleman even by his critics, President Jonathan would need to lead an opposition that would not be seen as rabid and unduly antagonistic. Having been on the hot seat, he would need to bring his experience to bear on the vital task of leading constructive criticism on the APC government. Finding a more vibrant and intelligent party spokesman than the dour Olisa Metuh is a critical step in this direction. Issues should be on the front burner of the attacks on the APC. Policies should be fought with alternative policies. Actions should be compared with results noticed during the Jonathan administration. Indeed, a strategic response team should be an integral part of the PDP as an opposition party.

Perhaps his most important job would be to play peacemaker and heal wounded egos in the coming months and years. Arrogance has no place in politics; and so President Jonathan would need to work hard to repair damaged relationships and bring some influential members back to the party. Inevitably, not every bigwig will be satisfied with the way things turn out in the APC as soon as it takes over government. Mr Jonathan needs to be prepared and waiting in the wings to move in for the kill when this happens. For him to be able to do this effectively, he would need to swallow his pride and go a begging.

On May 29, Mr Jonathan will leave office as president of Nigeria; but remains the leader of the PDP. He must not relinquish that other job as well. Indeed, when/if he writes his memoirs, for him to be able to add another more positive chapter to the embarrassing one of being the first incumbent president to lose an election; he would need to power an opposition party into office.