Mbaka v Jonathan: Presidency, PDP keep mum

Mum was the word from the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday after the scathing criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to seek reelection in 2015 by renowned Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka.
Unlike the spontaneous reactions that trail other criticisms of Jonathan’s ambition and policies, the Presidency and the PDP were uncharacteristically quiet the whole of Saturday.
Not a few Nigerians were shocked that those considered the “attack dogs” of the Jonathan regime failed to respond to the sermon delivered on Thursday by Fr. Mbaka, in which he told Jonathan to perish the thought of seeking a fresh mandate.
From the Presidency, the Senior Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe, failed to respond.
So also was the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Barrister Olisa Metuh, quiet.
Efforts to reach both Okupe and Metuh for their comments were unsuccessful.
They equally did not issue statements on the development.
A source however said the decision to keep mum on Saturday was to enable the Presidency and the PDP put together a well thought out response.
The attack on Jonathan’s ambition and the revelation by Mbaka that he had already told the first Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, that her husband’s ambition would not fly were said to have caught the Presidency napping.
Mbaka had in the sermon said when Dame Jonathan visited him last month, he released four birds, out of which none flew away.
He said this was an indication that Jonathan’s reelection would not fly.
And he said he told Dame Jonathan so categorically.
He said it was thus shocking that Jonathan was preparing for the election in 2015.
Jonathan is the candidate of the PDP for the election.
In the New Year day sermon titled: “From Good luck to Bad luck,” Mbaka, who heads the popular Catholic Adoration Centre in Enugu, Enugu State, said the country needed to vote for a leader who can tackle its many challenges.
Mbaka said it was unimaginable that the President could not tackle the Boko Haram insurgency, which was a local issue.
He said there was no need for Christians to wait any further for their own churches to be bombed by members of Boko Haram before voting out Jonathan and replacing him with an effective president.
He equally said it was strange that despite the claim that a former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, was behind the insurgency in the country, he was yet to be arrested.
Here are some of the quotes from the sermon: “If my father will be my leader and my siblings will all die, let a stranger be my leader and let my family live.”
“Are you waiting for your own Church to be bombed before you speak out?”
“A President that cannot fight a simple internal insurgency… not external enemies.”
“The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria. We need change.”
“When Goodluck met Yar’Adua, he got bad luck and died. When Goodluck met or oil, it poured away and met bad luck. When Goodluck met our Naira, it met bad luck.”
“Many are saying that it is Buhari, that he said he will make our country ungovernable. Even though Buhari never said such a thing like that, but if you are the president, will you not arrest such person?”
“Look at you brilliant youth but nobody has any plans for you – jobless – our leaders should come and apologize. 2015 cannot be the same. We announce change.”
“If Goodluck means bloodshed, are you waiting for your blood to be shed? We need change in Nigeria.”
The video of the sermon has since gone viral.