Obasanjo: When A Hypocrite Writes To The President

When Nigerians entered the New Year in 1998 it was with great apprehension about the future of their country. Nigeria was on the brink and disintegration was no longer being talked about in hushed tones. The National Democratic Alliance(NADECO) with its epicentre in the Yoruba heartland were using their media prowess to make General Sani Abacha’s regime literally ungovernable following Abacha’s refusal to revalidate the annulled 1993 election in which Chief M.K.O. Abiola was poised to win. There were doubts over Abacha’s promised transition to democracy. The “body language” of Abacha indicated that he planned to transform to a civilian president. But while Nigerians were in despair over the future of their country, God had other plans for the country that year. This is because at the mid-1998 General Abacha died followed by Abiola under controversial circumstances . General Abdulsalami Abubakar became the head of state after the death of Abacha. The death of Abacha created window of opportunity for the country to heal its wounds inflicted on it by successive military regimes. The North that had been on the receiving end of Yoruba and NADECO attacks made up its mind to atone for its “sins” against the Yoruba and Abiola. They wanted a Yoruba to be president. Their choice of potential Yoruba candidates for the top job was narrowed to Obasanjo. But there was a problem. Obasanjo had been imprisoned by Abacha for being part of those that wanted to overthrow his regime. He was tried using the same instruments he instituted when he was military head of state and was found guilty. To pave way for an ex-convict to become president since under Nigeria’s extant laws ex-convicts cannot be president, Abdulsalami Abubakar granted Obasanjo pardon and released him from jail. It was General Ibrahim Babangida that led the northern leaders who urged Obasanjo to run for president and provided him with the resources to run his campaign since he was broke after years in detention. Besides, the federal government under Abdulsalami has made all arrangement for him to be the next president. The IBB delegation made it clear to Obasanjo and he agreed that he would do one tenure just to stabilise the country and assuage the hurt feelings of the Yoruba over Abiola’s  annulled mandate. To underscore the import of what the North did was the universal rejection of Obasanjo by the Yoruba in 1999 election. But other Nigerians thinking that Obasanjo was a nationalist voted him president. Two years into his first tenure Obasanjo started plotting for second term against the agreed one term with Northern leaders. Piqued by Obasanjo’s insincerity the North started sponsoring media attacks telling Obasanjo to abide by the agreement and do one term like South African legend Nelson Mandela. Obasanjo derided the suggestion saying that he cannot do the Mandela because there was no Mbeki to take over from him. Realising that he cannot get the presidency without the North and aware of the resentment with which his people the Yoruba view him, he knew that his second term ambition was a non-starter. Obasanjo began to play the ethnic card. Firstly the Oodua Peoples Congress(OPC) leaders Ganiyu Adams and Federick Fasheun began to issue treats that blood will flow if Obasanjo did not enjoy eight years in power. The Yoruba party, Alliance for Democracy(AD) was approached by Obasanjo and the party agreed not to present a presidential candidate in 2003 elections so that all Yorubas will this time support his presidential ambition. This is the same character accusing Jonathan of playing ethnic politics. Not satisfied with his undeserved second term he was also spending tax payers’ money plotting how to enjoy extra-constitutional third term. When he discovered that the North posed the greatest threat to his third term ambition he started playing the ethnic card again. He bankrolled the Southern Peoples Assembly to counter the North opposition to his third term ambition. Can this type of character open his mouth to talk about morality and sticking to agreement. Besides with Obasanjo’s son swearing an affidavit in court alleging inappropriate relationship between Obasanjo(his father) and his(son’s) wife, Obasanjo should be the last person under the sun to educate Jonathan or anyone for that matter on morality. Talking about corruption no one can yet equal what Obasanjo did between 1999 and 2007. He is lucky that PDP is still in power he would have been accounting for all the corruptions he perpetrated. But the day of reckoning will soon come earlier than expected. If General Buhari can take advantage of this mess in PDP and emerge president in 2015 Obasanjo and his ilk will vomit all that they have swallowed that does not belong to them. As for the APC let them not celebrate Obasanjo’s selfish and acerbic letter to Jonathan because he also talked about your leader and made weighty allegations against him.

“It happened in Lagos in 2011 when Bola Tinubu was nocturnally brought to Abuja to strike a deal for support for your personal election at great price materially and in the fortune of PDP gubernatorial candidate,”   Obasanjo wrote accusing the APC leader and Jonathan of compromising their parties fortunes for personal gains in 2011 election.