By Ayodele Fagbohun
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I have been aware of Chief Olusegun Obasnjo’s attitude towards those in power. Since he handed over power as a military president, he has consistently been acting like an agent provocateur on behalf of international imperialism” Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former Governor, old Kaduna state.
This weighty and heavily loaded political verdict against the military career of the former President, General Olusegun Obasanjo amply depicted reprehensible melancholic interlude and incursion on the nation’s politics with dire consequences of political instability and poor governance pervading the country.
The recent widely published comment of this implacable political titan, indefatigable never-say die activist of the left, a core progressive People’s Redemption Party (PRP) lent credence to the popular contention that President Muhammadu Buhari is the only man standing in the military both serving and retired that can volunteer himself for service with integrity and honesty of purpose to salvage the nation from imminent cataclysm.
Balarabe Musa, the National Chairman of National Conference of Political Parties accused former president Obasanjo of laying the foundation of impunity in the country. He said Obasanjo did worse than the present government led by Muhammadu Buhari in terms of using instruments of state to coerse and harass political opponents or opposition.
Let’s face it, Muhammadu Buhari offered himself for the highest office of Mr. President three times under the various platforms of ANPP and CPC and failed. He approached the electoral tribunal claiming to retrieve his stolen mandate. In spite of the fact that his running mates deserted him whilst in the tribunal and joined the then ruling party, PDP, that did not deter Buhari from pursuing his case to the logical conclusion.
Eventually, Muhammadu Buhari reluctantly but actively participated in the 2015 presidential election for the fourth time running. He won in a landslide victory based on his anti-corruption stand, charismatic and magnetic personality amongst the “talakawas” in the North and the invaluable assets of APC stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has carved a niche for himself as a trusted political leader in the South West.
Don’t forget the North West and the South West commands the highest preponderance of electoral value. The other regions are only trailing behind. That story is for another day.
However, in contrast, General Olusegun Obasanjo either in active service as a military generalissimo or in reserve as former president and Owu Chief in Egba land, remains an albatross and destabilising force in the nation’s fledgling nascent politics.
Records should be straightened after the bloody coup that terminated the glorious life of his boss, Major General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. General Obasanjo on assuming the headship of Nigerian Armed forces and ipso facto as Head of State started to envince his intrinsic qualities as a wicked, monstrous serpentine personality to watch, avoids and to ignore.
Obasanjo is a gargantuan sell out; playing the role of Uncle Sam; neo-colonial agent and a fawning agent of imperialism. Tying the nation’s economy perpetually on the apron strong of International Monetary Fund (IMF), United States of America (US) and the Western world, General Obasanjo is a willing tool of oppression, pernicious tool and a do-gooder to make nonsense of our sovereignty and turn Nigeria as an appendage of United States (US) greed; and dumping ground for European goods.
Obasanjo is not doing anything different from his past misdemeanors to run the nation’s aground. He did it cleverly during 1979 presidential polls by handing over to his crony waiting to hand over power back to him. He launched dastardly and scurrilous bile campaign of hate against Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 president polls eventually led the fallen hero to his ‘mount of calvary’ where MKO Abiola was murdered like a chicken.
His so called ill fated presidency (1999-2007) masterminded the pillory and assassination of Cicero of Esa-Oke, Chief Bola Ige (SAN), the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice; our own pearl and unique political gem. Obasanjo was the most vicious sanguinary politician the nation has ever produced.
As president, he was junketing abroad whilst his vice now the flagbearer of PDP in the coming presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire politician who derives his enormous wealth from sources known and unknown, presided over the liquidation of the nation’s economy by cannibalising and selling off for peanuts the peoples’ patrimonies.
The remote cause of the present decay and sorrowful past of our economy was as a result of the non-challance, slipshodness and lack of vision and spiritual depth of General Olusegun Obasanjo to manage and preside over the resources of the country for optimum performance for upward of eleven years in the saddle of government both as military head of state and elected president. He is colossal failure.
This writer is not at all comfortable with the volte face of some Afenifere chieftains like Chief Sehinde Arogbofa in league with nefarious and bestial conduct of characters like Femi Fani-Kayode and Yinka Odumakin in support of the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP probably for filthy lucre.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation and Special Assistant to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, has an unedifying antecedent quite inimical to the progressive government of Yorubaland. He is neither penitent nor has remorse for the socio-political revolution of January 15, 1966 that shook the Western Region to its very foundations thus sweeping off his father, Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode as deputy to the premier of Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. It remains to emphasise that Akintola’s regime was illegal but foisted on the good people of the region. The people were overwhelmed with joy and great applause when the regime was overthrown and it marked the end of political blood bath throughout Western Region.
Femi Fani-Kayode and Yinka Odumakin should be bold enough to face the music instead of going into hiding having sold themselves as purveyors of fake news re-enact and relish a regime of corruption and avarice that PDP typifies in Nigeria’s politics.
Obasanjo must not go scot free this time around for orchestrating violence ahead of the yet to be conducted forthcoming presidential polls. He who sows wind shall definitely reap a bountiful of whirlwind, apologies to former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari, peace be unto his soul.
Obasanjo is hell bent to play his traditional role of Uncle Sam which is common place fawning and groveling sycophancy as do-gooder to further impoverish the country when his preferred candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar “captures” power at the centre. God forbids.
The earlier it is dawned on him that he is no longer in power and in authority to conduct the affairs of the country as usual, the better. He should stop camouflaging and grandstanding, pleading with nebulous Western powers which is puerile and bereft of any substance. Obasanjo is only fighting his shadow!
Gen. Obasanjo in his hey dey once described a celebrated economist and astute political strategist of no mean order, Professor Sam Aluko as being “senile.” In deed, the rash comment from Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo was indeed very unfortunate and grave insult to the late professor.
However, the dowright remark is now playing out on General Obasanjo.
Obasanjo’s determination to embark on overseas’ campaign for Atiku Abubakar whom he had once upon a time written off as corrupt person, personal nongrata and unfit to rule clearly shows that Baba Obasanjo is quit degenerating fast in age without any plausible reason or project that Atiku has pursued to prove wrong the previous opinion of Obasanjo.
It is hightime we called off the bluff of United States of America and Western powers and firmly take our destiny in our hands. For example, the Asian Tigers have done it right to excel as industrial and political giants globally.
Obasanjo and his henchmen should stop deceiving and bamboozling the entire nation with the obscene and overwhelming powers of the Western world to thwart our democracy as power belongs unto God. Obasanjo’s orchestrated campaign of denigration and violence shall crumble to the dust and the people’s wish and desire for Buhari/Osinbajo ticket to continue the good governance and transparency shall be the watchword.
On the home front the electorate of South West should vote very wisely by returning their votes enblock to re-elect All Progressives Congress (APC) led President Mohammadu Buhari and his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, our own kith an Kin in Yorubaland, so that, we shall together have the full benefits and dividends of democracy.
