Jonathan Plays the Game

摘要

Three months after his election in April, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan is struggling to finalize a cabinet to implement his broad agenda, which aims to enact the Petroleum Industry Bill to reform the oil and gas sector, consolidate peace in the Niger Delta, transform Nigeria's economy for the better and deal with a rising insurgency in the north (EC Apr.22' 11).Forming a cabinet is tricky anywhere. In Nigeria, which is divided along regional, ethnic and religious lines, the balancing is especially complex, especially when a president is elected for the first time. With political office seen as the best way to accumulate wealth, supporters expect big rewards, particularly those in the president's home region. At the same time power brokers flex muscles to gain leverage. Complicating matters, Nigerian political conventions require each state and regional zone to nominate a minister - which often favors political compromise over merit.