By Ayodele Fagbohun

|

S egun Ayobolu illumination, on his recent write-up on the back page of The Nation’s newspaper on Saturday September 9, 2023 titled “Limited blackmail would have made a good and fascinating reading.

But for the innuendoes, wrong jaundiced opinions and diatribes of Peter Obi of the Labour Party and his fellow co-travellers from further heating up the polity in their futile and disastrous gambling for power to rule Nigeria by hook or by crook.

To add insult to injury and murder political cum fledgling electoral history of the country, Segun Ayobolu went off the mark to draw imaginary conclusions out of sheer contempt for the nascent political history emerged from long and brutal military rule.

By drawing hasty comparisons with the ill fated, heavily compromised and pre-determined 1979 presidential election, my friend, Segun has committed barefaced lie to distort the political history of our nation before our very eyes. What a traversty of justice and history!

Hear him: “Obafemi Awolowo lost the 1979 presidential elections fair and square just as Obi clearly came third in this year’s election. Just like the Igbo are doing now, the Yoruba lived in denial after 1979 elections with the late Dr Tai Solarin running a series of articles in the Nigerian Tribune at the time titled “The stolen presidency,” in reality no presidency was stolen. Shagari won an unequivocal victory.

Segun, this is an unkindest cut; a blatant lie; gross abuse of rare privilege to commit error in writing without any scruple; gross distortion of fact and to sacrifice or mortgage the truth on the altar of political expediency.

Shortly before Awo’s transition, Olufemi Ogunsanwo, a gradute of Oxford University, a former political editor with the Daily Times of Nigeria and author granted an interview with Chief Obafemi Awolowo published in a book entitled Awo, unfinished greatness.

The book is a master piece and an eye-opener on the intrigues and conspiracy of the military and vested interest to shortchange and finally rig Awo from a well deserved victory in the 1979 presidency in spite of his excellent and indubitable track records which surpassed other rival contenders.

The author writes inter alia “The election was held on August 4, 1979 and although Awolowo was within shots of scoring an historic triumph in spite of the Ibo factor, the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo did not give him any chance.

“Awo scored 0.75% and 0.64% of the votes cast in Anambra and Imo States (the two Ibo states) compared to 82.88% and 86.67% respectively scored by Azikiwe there. He swept over 80% of the votes in the Yoruba states and Lagos.

Overall, and in spite of the manipulation of votes in some states, Awo scored 29% to Shagari’s 33 percent; Zik garnered 16% while Waziri and Aminu Kano scored 10% percent each.

“Even when the published results showed that Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the military government’s favoured candidate, could not muster a win of a quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the 19 states as required by the constitution and the electoral law to be declared an outright winner.

“Richard Akinjide successfully persuaded the junta, and later Supreme Court that his man had done “enough” to lock up the presidential prize in the notorious “two-thirds of 19 states is 12% states mathematical farce.

Chief Awolowo challenged Shagari’s declaration as the victor by the Electoral Commission (FEDECO) at the Supreme Court on August 21.

“The Federal Electoral Commission, which had always rules that two-thirds of 19 states meant thirteen states, found itself in a quandary. But it quickly accepted Akinjide’s mathematical interpretation and chose not to take the elections into the schedules second round in spite of the fact that no candidate emerged in the first round according to the rules of the election and the constitution.

“Akinjide ingenuously argued that a quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states meant a quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of the voting precincts of the thirteenth state and insisted that Shagari had scaled that hurdle in Kano State.

“The military regime headed by General Olusegun Obasanjo and the Supreme Court under the headship of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Justice Fatai Williams agreed that a mathematical fraction of a state, was feasible on the ground and in law and Shagari was returned as the first President in October, 1979.”

My dear esteemed readers, I beg your indulgence for allowing me to quote from the book written by veteran journalist and educator published shortly after transition of the late sage, Awo. 

This masterpiece will go a long way to disabuse the warped minds of those who erroneously and ignorantly filled their mental luggage with half truth; base and silly propaganda that Shagari won “fair and square” in inconclusive presidential election of 1979.

An election which the then honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria said in his ruling should not be cited as a precedent in any jurisprudence again in the country. What a huge mockery and charade of the judiciary!

Be as it might, President Shehu Shagari, a devout muslim and self reluctant candidate obviously pricked by his conscience on his first major assignment in office invested Chief Obafemi Awolowo with the highest national hounour, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) which is the exclusive preserve of the president/Head of state.

This show of magnanimity and hand of fellowship warmly and unsolicitiously extended to his main rival, Awo should be commended, emulated and to serve as food for thought and a rethink especially on the part of some elements in Yoruba land who either ignorantly or mischievously or both daubed Awolowo as a Yoruba leader, whereas other ethnic nationalities within Nigeria regarded the illustrious son of Africa as a pillar of strength, unity and courage in the onerous task and course of nation building.

The earlier some so called elite in Nigeria dismount their giddy and haughty Olympian height and embrace humility to face the stark home truth, justice, hardwork and fair play, the better for the nation.

Some of our elite must totally repudiate the electoral malfeasance and unprecedented rigging of the ill fated 1979 presidential polls stored over the years in their mental luggage to further perpetuate the systemic rot, in our society.

To preserve the unity and territorial integrity of the nation is a task that must be done based on justice, equity, honesty and fair play. A stitch in time saves nine. Nigeria shall be a great nation!!