Scandals of Nigeria’s Jonathan brushes off to lead 2015 election

ABUJA: Not many presidents could survive three multi-billion dollar government oil corruption scandals and a wave of cold-blooded killings and kidnappings of civilians by Islamist militants still holding hundreds of schoolgirls after six months.

Nigeria’s president Good-luck Jonathan has not only survived, he will seek reelection in February stronger than ever, after five years in a job no one expected him to get.

Jonathan’s support base within the ruling party is now unchallenged, a rare feat for the often fractious People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while the main opposition APC coalition is split between two contestants for the presidency.

The government announced a ceasefire with the Islamist Boko Haram rebels 10 days ago, ahead of talks in neighboring Chad to secure the release of more than 200 girls seized from Chibok village in April in an abduction that shocked the world.

A parliamentary report detailed a $6.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud.