Let Jonathan postpone the National Conference?

With the varying responses being received from entrenched interests in Nigeria, analyst Amanze Obi of The Sun newspaper has adviced President Goodluck Jonathan to postpone the National Dialogue till after the 2015 election.

His argument is that the north, which has benefitted heavily from a skewed federation-awarding undeserving local councils, census figures and more states to themselves to the disadvantage of the south which sustains it with oil revenues, port duties, alcohol VATs and property taxes, is against the exercise.

While the north would not want to lose its advantages in the distorted federation, he is surprised that members of the political leadership of the Yoruba represented by All Progressive Congress(APC)'s Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande have rejected the idea.

For a people who have consistently called for SNC and Tinubu, in particular, has been vociferous since the death of Abiola, what could have informed the political Yoruba's change of mind?

Yoruba have been known to advocate for regionalism, the Niger Delta for resource control-all variants of the south east's confederation, signed, sealed and delivered by Ojukwu in 1967 before the north, goaded by the British, and the south west intellectuals adviced Gowon to repudiate it together with north's secession 'araba' mantra.

Now he wants Jonathan to re-direct his steps on submitting the outcome of the conference to national assembly. This will save him the remaining supporters who saw the announcement earlier as a bold and patriotic move to save Nigeria.

He wants Jonathan to put those doubting thomases who think he will use the dialogue for his re-election because of its timing close to the next election to shame by postpone it and galvanise for 2015 after which the conference could commence.

By then, though the north would still be uneasy losing its undue advantages, the tongue-in-cheek, back-stabbing south west would have returned as vocally interested parties having gained or lost whatever advantage they seek to curry in the unholy alliance with the north(all emphasis mine).

So should Jonathan postpone the conference till at least one month after 2015 election? My only fear is the violence and blood that are predicted to flow after the election, will there still be peace and tranquility with a cohesive country then? Maybe Jonathan is trying to avert this doomsday prediction hence he wants the conference before the next election. What do you think?

What conference are we talking about when they said no room for secession.