Right of First Refusal: Manifestation of Anenih’s declaration

When last year Chief Anthony Anenih came to town with his declaration that the best thing to do in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, regarding its choice of a presidential candidate for the 2015 presidential election would be to grant incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan the Right of First Refusal, many frowned at the thought.

However, after just about a year since he made the statement, the party, rightly in its wisdom, has finally granted Jonathan the Right of First Refusal. But what does this all mean?

Common sense dictates that you do not change a winning team or a replace a winner.

Anenih and Jonathan

The story of Jonathan’s final emergence as the sole candidate for the PDP needs telling here.

The caucus of the party met and decided without much fuss that its best option was to re-present the man who has transformed Nigeria beyond what people thought was possible when he mounted the saddle. Indeed, from the transport sector, to power, healthcare delivery, foreign relations, macro and micro economic development, Jonathan has almost always proved his critics wrong.

Therefore, at the caucus level, it was an easy deal relating with the postulations of the man that is known as the Leader. And because he is the Board of Trustee, BoT, Chairman, discussing the issue at that level did not also present any serious challenge.

Therefore, when at the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party, the unanimity of opinion was that President Jonathan should be granted the Right of First Refusal, it was more like a prophecy by the leader coming to pass.

But the party went a useful step further. The party also granted its state governors who were entitled to a second term of office the same Right.

Putting these in context, it would be appreciated that what an elder sees while sitting, a young person would not see even when standing on a tree top.

This would not be the first time that Anenih’s persona would dominate.

During the battle to secure the PDP presidential ticket in 1999, Anenih it was who played the role of a workman at the convention ground in Jos, Plateau State.

At the height of the Obasanjo/Atiku face off between 2002 and 2003 preceding the presidential primary, it was Anenih who played the role of a stabilizing figure in the pursuit of Obasanjo’s ticket for a second term.

Even last in 2010/2011 when the debate raged as to the appropriateness of Jonathan’s candidacy for the presidential election of the latter year, it was Anenih who brought out documentation as to who did what, when, where and how.

While some people argued that the ticket should be reserved for the North based on a zoning arrangement in the PDP, Anenih let it be known that since 1999 when the party once allegedly reserved the spot for the South, some people from the North paid for the presidential form and went ahead to contest against Obasanjo both in 1999 and 2003.

And in 2007, when power was expected to revert to the North, some people from the South contested against Umar Musa Yar’Adua too.

Now that Jonathan has picked his expression of interest form and the form for the presidential ticket, Nigerians await what next would come from the oracle of Uromi.