Wednesday,Jun 30,2010
Jonathan, Babangida and the Sword of Damocles
In the Sword of Damocles, the Roman politician and philosopher Cicero tells the story of Dionysius II, a king who r.... By Jideofor Adibe
Wednesday,Jun 23,2010
Attahiru Jega and the Search for a Nigerian Hero
Nigerians seem to be in constant search for public heroes - competent little messiahs who will not hesitate to put .... By Jideofor Adibe
Thursday,Jun 17,2010
The Return of Mallam Ribadu
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the one time strongman of the financial crime buster EFCC, who sneaked out of Nigeria into self.... By Jideofor Adibe
Thursday,Jun 17,2010
Too Many Captains…
Two major attributes that have been quite easy to discern about President Goodluck Jonathan are: one, he seems to l.... By Ijeoma Nwogwugwu
Thursday,Jun 10,2010
Should Suspects Be Paraded?
The above question is generating increasing furore among our intellectuals, and ‘beer parlour’ politica.... By Jideofor Adibe
Thursday,Jun 10,2010
Nigeria: A Two Party System By Legislation?
Perhaps enamoured by the seeming ease with which two dominant political parties trod the political landscape of, at.... By Joel Nwokeoma
It is not easy being a deputy to anyone, in particular being the Vice President of a country. On the face of it, it is a prestigious position because nominally you are the Number Two in the power hierarchy. However, substantially you are only as powerful as the President wants you to be. In essence, to be a ‘good’ Vice President is to be good at playing a second fiddle, which may not be as easy as it sounds. Though it is seen as a joint ticket in a Presidential system of government (albeit the bottom part of it), once elected; it is a mortal political sin for a Vice President to see his position as such. The American entertainer Will Rogers summed up the job description of a ‘good’ Vice President: “The man with the best job in the country is the Vice President. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, ‘How is the President?’” For Hubert H. Humphrey, the 38th US Vice President under President Lyndon B Johnson (1965-1969): “Anyone who thinks that the Vice President can take a position independent of the President of his administration simply has no knowledge of politics or government. You are his choice in a political marriage, and he expects your absolute loyalty”.
In countries like USA where the level of literacy is high, and constitutionalism has a long history; friction between the President and the Vice President is well managed, often away from the public glare. A President who demeans the Office of the Vice President by completely sidelining the occupant risks a political backlash as much as a Vice President who is seen as disloyal or too ambitious. In sharply divided and low-trust societies however, the story is often different. Consider these stories:
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View Comments
Date:Jan 19, 2010
It is a very good and insighf e.
There has to be a part two of this artic e people in Africa to start debating.
Something similar happened in Malawi (2004-2008).
