CHANGE OF SUBJECT OF FORMULAR

This sounds quite familiar to some of you who have done elementary maths in High School. An equation like; X =4/3(2Y+Z) requires you to make Z the new subject of formular.You need not bother to solve it considering what most of us went through before managing to get average grades in our Mathematics days,this would be a bitter invitation to our stubborn past. For the purpose of this discourse, I'd like to refer to the above equation.

Since Y is our final destination, we would need to pay detailed attention to other parameters like X, Y and associated numbers that make up the equation. Any choice to disregard these parameters would unarguably have far reaching effects on our final answer, that on one hand. The outcome of our conquest equally creates an impression of us on the mind of the examiner who must have safely assumed we should have an idea of what is expected of us. Enough of this mathematical jargon, let's return to the main point of discourse.After the eventual demise of Yar'adua, many things, you should expect must have changed. People must have fallen out of favour, while some are just smiling at their fortune. Old offices closed and new ones created. A whole lot of juggling and adjustment would most definitely add colours to this new administration. New in the sense that Dr.Jonathan was finally sworn in but in it's real sense, all we have is a continuum.

While concerned Nigerians were soberly clothed in their mourning garments, consoling one another and looking into yet another mixed future, certain top boys also pretending to be in the same mood have flown and travelled the lenght and breadth of this country enlisting the support of godfathers in the face of the emerging race for theVice-Presidency. I'm truly not sure how to qualify this individuals beyond that their concerns are localised and they would stop at nothing.

Well, that is an issue to contend with in the immediate. It's not out of order however to take a look at other issues that would mould our political future. This is where parameters must be carefully considered.To pretend we have opened a new page and disregard the effects of certain forces would only take us some years back. Yes, we have a new Leadership with promises to pursue the cardinal programs of Yar'adua and additional people-oriented pursuits; but beyond that, we have to begin to probe into factors that would eventually position us for the challenges of true democracy.

2011, a year set to test whether or not we can truly stand as a democratic nation would play itself out without known midwives and key players of 2007. I'm predicating this on the ground that more people would not pass on.The first casualty of the yet-to-be released script of 2011 being Prof. Morris Iwu, the Magic hand that produced the sad, bad and ugly faces of pilitical cohabitation. Abubarka Rimi may also make my list of casualties but I might not be able to answer why. Now, Yar'adua.

The dispositions, actions and inactions of Dr. Goodluck gave a strong signal that the order would change especially going by the people he chose to meet and discuss with. By my judgement, a reasonable number of them had a semblance of Umar administration's scapegoats or safely put antagonists of the Cabal-aided self styled Yar'adua dynasty. Now that he's a substantial President, there's no point limiting his tendencies. He appears to me like someone who understands the enormity of the assignment before him and is prepared to squarely confront same.

If this is so, Jonathan may transform himself into a peoples'choice like Gov. Fashola of Lagos and by far undermining whatever zonal arrangement that has being put in place. (As a quick diversion, is there any provision for zonal arrangement inthe Nigeria Constitution?) This scenario would again pitch PDP as usual against the wish of Nigerians, needless to say PDP have almost always performed woefully under such circumstances,should they stick to the zonal plan. How much the opinion of the electorate would matter depends on who is conducting the Elections. A very tricky and delicate parameter this is.

Mr. President must be careful not to appoint a petty individual. I am not expecting a totally free elections, very few countries if any at all, have achieved that; but any process that would put riggers at bay and have a fair representation of peoples' mandate would do. The likeliest challenge of a befitting candidate is having to work with a bad tool. The present crop of individuals promising to bring to life, credible electoral reforms mostly perfectly match Rogues and nothing more.

If Mr. President, a man noted to have instituted the right manner of addressing the legislative arm as against the Late Yar'adua's 'My Dear Brother' kind of salutation, can get them to do the right thing, we could be looking at something close to free and fair.

There is another principle of mathematics, called Elimination. If mother nature chooses to adopt this principle, more factors may come into play in order to get our parameters right and come up with the proper equation for 2011.

God Bless Nigeria.