MUYIWA Olaleye examines the factors that empower President Goodluck Jonathan as President and commander-in-chief, in line with constitutional provisions

In Nigerian politics, not many people know the functions of the President and how he should carry out his day-to-day responsibilities.

In Aso Rock Villa, Nigeria's seat of power, the President is regarded as the Head of State and Head of Government, unlike in the parliamentary system of government, where different officers perform the two functions.

President Goodluck Jonathan is largely seen as a luck-driven man, whose rise to prominence was dictated by fate. In fact, the only competitive election he has apparently participated in was the 2011 presidential election, which he won.

Prior to that, Jonathan had been a civil servant, from where he was picked as running mate to the former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in 1999, marking the beginning of his foray into the nation's murky political waters.

As deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Jonathan maintained his cool in the face of the larger-than-life image of his boss. He maintained a network among the deputy governors of the time, many of whom he is said to still keep in close contact up till now.

In fact, his current Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadome, is one of such persons. Oghiadome served as deputy governor of Edo State when Jonathan was deputy to Alamieyeseigha in Bayelsa.

Sources have also told The Moment that Jonathan maintained a close relationship with the deputy governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mahmud Shinkafi, who later served as governor between 2007 and 2011, as well as the then deputy governor of Abia State, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is now the chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, among others.

In 2005, apparently against his wish, Jonathan had power thrust upon him as governor of Bayelsa State. Many of the power brokers then saw him as an unwilling governor. His boss was involved in the money-laundering saga in London and then the drama of his escape from the United Kingdom, in a bid to forestall impeachment by the state House of Assembly.

Having emerged as the governor, Jonathan had no other choice than to consolidate himself politically. He set his eyes on the gubernatorial election of 2007, which would confirm his first term in office as substantive governor.

By late 2006, he had secured the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its governorship candidate and was set for the election when a call from the Presidency, Abuja, interrupted his plans.

He was mandated to fly the flag of the PDP as running mate to the late Umaru Yar'Adua in the presidential election. It was something he never really contemplated but he could not object, as a loyal party man.

From May 2007, Jonathan learnt the ropes as the Nigerian Vice President. He was said to have landed on a rough patch initially, as a result of the battle for the presidency between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, which made Obasanjo to strip the office of the Vice President of much of its power and glamour.

Jonathan entered an 'empty' Vice President's office and was forced to call the attention of his late boss to that situation.

Sources confirmed to The Moment that Yar'Adua did not expressly return much of the powers originally allotted to the office of the Vice President, as his men were said to enjoy the situation where the presidential villa ran a lame office of the vice president.

Things got so bad that Jonathan, as Vice President, had to rely on the goodwill of a number of his friends outside government whenever he travelled out of Abuja, as the funds made available to his office could hardly run things there.

He was allegedly made a formal complain to Yar'Adua such that the then President could facilitate a return of much of the duties and entitlements of the Vice President withdrawn during the Obasanjo-Atiku battle. The memo could not receive attention until Yar'Adua died in May 2010.

Having gone through many battles in his bid to emerge first as Acting President and then substantive President on the demise of his boss, Jonathan assumed power as President from May 2010.

He comes across as an amiable gentleman who, notwithstanding his height in authority, still exhibits uncommon humility. Many who have come across him say he is humane and does not like exhibiting the bravado of power.

An associate once said that the man believes that the enormous powers of the President are too weighty to be used indiscriminately. He is, therefore, seen as someone who wields power with a lot of caution.

Beneath the harmless look on his face is innate steel. He is said to have uncommon courage, saying it as it is, when the time calls for such decisiveness.

For instance, a source told The Moment that Jonathan usually calls any top government official he is about to sack to a dinner or breakfast, as the case may be, to review the unfolding situation, without letting the cat out of the bag and, as the official moves to exit, he would look at him in the face and drop the bombshell with a tone of finality: 'this government is grateful for your service and wish you success in your future endeavours.'

He is said to often pat such appointees who would by then have developed wobbling feet on the back and see them off to the door.

Former security chiefs and other officials who have been relieved of their appointments in his administration were said to have received similar treatments.

Besides, it was gathered that while Jonathan could take his time in reaching decisions, he cannot be stopped once he makes up his mind on issues. 'If he is convinced about your ability to deliver, he won't have problems with you but you will have to convince him about the cost of every item,' a source said of the President's character.