The former president, Olusegun
Obasanjo is an interesting character; he knows how to be relevant in our
national discourse. Right from the time he came to prominence during and after
the civil war, down to the handling over to the civilian government of Alhaji Sheu
Shagari to General Sanni Abacha imprisonment and coming out to become the
democratic president in the fourth republic, all has been an adventure of sort
for the one called ‘baba Iyabo’.
I will not go into the complex life
of this man who has made Nigeria to be his entity. The best I can say about him
is that he is a man, who thinks Nigeria first, even before his ethnicity. No wonder
he is despised by his people in the South West. He resigned as the chairman of
the Board of Trustee, BoT of the ruling party, PDP, after a protracted relationship
with the incumbent president over the handling of the nation’s affairs,
especially, in the area of security. It worthy of note that President Goodluck Jonathan
discarded the suggestion by Obasanjo that Boko Haram should not be treated with
kid glove.
The president lambasted Obasanjo on Channel TV, claiming the similar
force he, Obasanjo used in Odi, Bayelsa State only aggravated the situation
instead of subsidizing it. The president’s media aide, Reuben Abati did not
spare any salvo whenever Obasanjo raised his opinion about the situation in the
country. Therefore the best action is to allow the president has his way.
Of course, those who know Obasanjo
will tell you that he does not retreat without fighting back. This must have
been cleared to the president and his co-travelers in PDP that he cannot be
dispensed anyhow. The opposition party, All Progressive Congress’ leaders have
also tried to lure him to their fold to no avail. Obasanjo knows his onion, his
heart is in PDP, but he cannot stand being humiliated or sidetracked as
Jonathan is making attempt. Beside, Obasanjo wants Jonathan to respect their
agreement that he will only serve a term. Though, it may be very hard to tell
the president not to run for next election but he should have played his game
smartly and not listening to political termites he called allies. The declarations
by former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and former Head of State, General Muhamodu
Buhari to contest for president in the next general election must have made the
ruling party and the president jittery. In my opinion this is the main reason
the PDP chairman, Senate President and others are pleading that Obasanjo should
come back and lead them. The PDP chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu was quoted saying, “I want to join OGD, I
want to join my dear senior brother and indeed all the teeming members here to
very sincerely apologise to our leader, to our baba, my baba, General Olusegun
Obasanjo to forgive us. We cannot continue. I know he has been very prayerful.
In the Villa, I know he used to pray every morning. Very early, 5:30 to 6am, he
was praying.
And
I know he keeps on praying all the time. As we say in our Lord’s Prayer:
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
“Baba,
you have to forgive us. I beg you in the name of the almighty God, so that you
too are forgiven. We are your children. We are making mistakes, we have made
mistakes, we have apologised, we will not agree even if you want to throw the
baby with the bath water, the baby will not go with you.
”So,
please baba, we apologise. Come and lead us. Even the president is waiting for
you. Come and lead us. You are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for
your leadership. We thank you for your courage. And we assure you that by the
grace of God, we are all good boys and girls. “
Knowing
politic for what it is, no permanent friend or foe but interest. It not strange
that all this is happening now since it is obvious we are approaching the
critical moment for the next general election and in the presidency
calculation, the only person that can tame Atiku and Buhari is Olusegun
Obasanjo. He has clashed with those titans before and seemed to have upper
hand. If the terrain is left to the present, PDP may lose the next election to
the APC and that will be contrary to their target of ruling Nigeria till
eternity. I therefore find Obasanjo interesting and it is clear he is among
those who make Nigeria what it is. By this I mean he has been instrumental to
the emergence of the present leadership and if we are ruing our opportunity to
do things right in this nation, Obasanjo must share a larger blame. He may mean
well for this nation but his inordinate ambition to be the emperor and godfather
of Nigeria do becloud his sense of judgement when choosing our leader. Firstly,
he handpicked an ailing person to succeed him and also chose a weak man to lead
us since 2011 and the nation he left with robust international policy has
become a laughing stock and a lion that can be bullied by a dog. I know
Obasanjo is very crucial to Nigeria but of what use I do not understand.
