New York Times Slams President Jonathan

“It appears more likely Mr. Jonathan grew alarmed by the
surging appeal of Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler
who has vowed to crack down on Boko Haram,” the article
said. “By dragging out the race, Mr. Jonathan stands to
deplete his rival’s campaign coffers, while he continues to use
state funds and institutions to bankroll his own.”

In an editorial on Monday, the New York Times slammed the
postponement of the Nigerian elections. It pointed out that the
action might have been more credible if President Goodluck
Jonathan’s government had not spent much of the past year
playing down the threat posed by Boko Haram and if there were
a reasonable expectation that Nigeria’s weak army has the
ability to improve security over the next few weeks.
“It appears more likely Mr. Jonathan grew alarmed by the
surging appeal of Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler
who has vowed to crack down on Boko Haram,” the article said.
“By dragging out the race, Mr. Jonathan stands to deplete his
rival’s campaign coffers, while he continues to use state funds
and institutions to bankroll his own.”
Recalling that Buhari led a coup against a democratically
elected government in 1983, it argued that his emergence as
potential winner of the forthcoming election is more of an
indictment of Jonathan’s dismal rule than a recognition of the
former military chief’s appeal.
It criticized Jonathan’s performance over the abduction of the
Chibok girls and the attacks by Boko Haram, saying they have
exposed the weaknesses of Nigeria’s armed forces and the
dysfunction of the government.
“Beyond security matters, entrenched corruption and the
government’s inability to diversify its economy as the price of
oil, the country’s financial bedrock, has fallen have also caused
Nigerians to look for new leadership. Nigeria, the most
populous nation in Africa, and a relatively young democracy,
cannot afford an electoral crisis.”
It would be recalled that following an endorsement of Buhari by
The Economist in its edition dated February 7, a sulking
Jonathan said he did not need the support of the magazine.
Text of the editorial by the New York Times:
Nigeria’s Miserable Choices
The Nigerian government was supposed to hold presidential
elections this past weekend, which presented voters with the
dispiriting choice of keeping a lousy incumbent or returning to
power a former autocratic leader. Now they will have to wait at
least six weeks to cast votes.
The Nigerian election commission said earlier this month that it
had pushed back the vote until at least March 28, after the
country’s security chiefs warned that they could not guarantee
the safety of voters in northeastern areas of the country where
Boko Haram, the extremist militant group, captured
international attention last spring when it abducted hundreds of
schoolgirls. On Friday, Boko Haram fighters attacked a village in
neighboring Chad for the first time, an alarming sign of the
group’s expanding strength in a region that also includes areas
of Cameroon and Niger.
Any argument to delay the vote might be more credible if
President Goodluck Jonathan’s government had not spent much
of the past year playing down the threat posed by the militants
and if there were a reasonable expectation that the country’s
weak military has the ability to improve security in a matter of
weeks.
It appears more likely Mr. Jonathan grew alarmed by the
surging appeal of Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler
who has vowed to crack down on Boko Haram. By dragging out
the race, Mr. Jonathan stands to deplete his rival’s campaign
coffers, while he continues to use state funds and institutions
to bankroll his own.
That Mr. Buhari, who helped launch a coup against a
democratically elected government in 1983 and ruled until late
1985, has emerged as potential winner is more of an indictment
of Mr. Jonathan’s dismal rule than a recognition of the former
military chief’s appeal.
Nigerian voters have grown increasingly worried about the
stunning rise of Boko Haram, which has committed terrorist
atrocities including bombings.
The abductions and attacks by the group have exposed the
weaknesses of Nigeria’s armed forces and the dysfunction of
the government. Although Mr. Jonathan’s government has in
the past been less than enthusiastic, and at times obstructive,
in response to offers of American and European aid, he appears
to be growing increasingly worried. In an interview with The
Wall Street Journal last week, he said he would welcome
American troops to fight the insurgency.
Beyond security matters, entrenched corruption and the
government’s inability to diversify its economy as the price of
oil, the country’s financial bedrock, has fallen have also caused
Nigerians to look for new leadership. Nigeria, the most
populous nation in Africa, and a relatively young democracy,
cannot afford an electoral crisis. That would only set back the
faltering effort to reassert government control in districts where
Boko Haram is sowing terror. The security forces may not be
able to safeguard many districts on Election Day. But
postponement is very likely to make the security threat worse.
*An editorial by New York Times published today with the title,
‘Nigeria’s Miserable Choices’