DETAILS: How FEC meeting held with sad faces in Aso Rock

Since President Goodluck Jonathan lost the presidential election to General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, there has been graveyard silence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Immediately he conceded defeat and called Buhari on March 31, the President received a few persons who came to commend him for what they called his rare display of sportsmanship. With that over, the seat of power became silent. The lull in activities in the villa forced a journalist to exclaim unconsciously recently inside Aso Rock that “failure is indeed an orphan.” When news filtered in on Tuesday that Jonathan and his ministers would, on Wednesday, be holding the first Federal Executive Council meeting after his electoral loss, some of us looked forward to capturing the mood at the meeting. As of 9.30am, members of the council had started arriving the Council Chamber – the venue of the meeting. Unlike previous meetings when members would gather, laugh and pose for photographs, many walked quietly into the venue and quickly located their seats. After watching the mood for some time, they started gathering in groups: more of ethnic groupings. They were analysing the performance of the Peoples Democratic Party in their various zones. At first, they discussed in hushed tones. Later, temper rose and journalists who had their ears on the ground started deciphering some of the discussions. For Jonathan’s performance in the South West, it was the responsibility of the Yoruba ministers to take stock. Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan (Osun); Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos); Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide (Oyo); and the Minister of State, Works, Dayo Adeyeye (Ekiti), gathered at a strategic spot and started blowing their own trumpets. In order not to be accused of eavesdropping, I will not disclose details of what transpired among them. The summary, however, is that expectedly, like the proverbial lizard that fell from a height and nodded its head to commend itself, the ministers believed that they did their best for their principal. It is, however, no longer news that Jonathan did not win in any South West state – except Ekiti. They were still engrossed in that heated discussion when Jonathan arrived and the meeting started. As ministers gathered in groups, there were also a lot of political analyses from journalists on their (the ministers’) role in Jonathan’s loss. The consensus was – and is – that there are many ministers without electoral value in the President’s cabinet. Before now, there had been the general belief that some people betrayed the President and finger is being pointed at some ministers. That is why some people said they expected that Jonathan would dissolve the cabinet after that Wednesday meeting. After the meeting, many of the ministers also filed out quietly. But there were some of them who managed to remain their cheerful selves. One can only imagine what would have happened at Wednesday’s meeting if Jonathan had won the election. The ministers would have walked into the venue with their shoulders high. They would have hugged and cracked jokes. They could have even rehearsed a congratulatory song that they would have rendered to the President’s admiration. In fact, a giant celebration cake would have been placed inside the tea room and Jonathan would have cut it with the ministers beaming with smiles behind him. Of course, the ministers would have stood up one after the other to eulogise the President after presenting a giant greeting card that they would all have signed and presented to him. These are mere imaginations, imaginations and imaginations. But because electoral failure is also an orphan, the story is completely different now.