Buhari vs Obasanjo: Now that the gloves are out (I)
Nigeria can be interesting and fascinating but it can also be intriguing and puzzling. There is a near universal convention where past leaders don’t openly chastise or pillory their successors. In America from where Nigeria copied the presidential system of government in 1979, former Presidents usually maintain a dignified silence by not openly descending on […]
Nigeria can be interesting and fascinating but it can also be intriguing and puzzling. There is a near universal convention where past leaders don’t openly chastise or pillory their successors. In America from where Nigeria copied the presidential system of government in 1979, former Presidents usually maintain a dignified silence by not openly descending on a sitting President. It is precisely because of this that as egregious and perverted as his conduct has been, former Presidents have refrained from openly rebuking President Donald Trump. It is true though that former President Barrack Obama has on few occasions issued statements in which he mildly criticized President Trump. I believe he is at pains to do it simply because President Trump appears bent on obliterating all Obama legacies.
Unfortunately for us in Nigeria, we have Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who has no respect for anybody whether ordinary Nigerian, the clergy and the former leaders whether military or civilian. Obasanjo was military Head of State (1976-1979) and an elected civilian President for two terms (1999-2007). Strictly speaking, Obasanjo is among the luckiest Nigerians, if not the luckiest, dead or alive. But he operates on the basis of his whims and fancies, and he abuses former rulers whether military or civilian and the clergy. Recall how he insulted Reverend Yakubu Pam in Jos some years ago. Apart from caustic tongue, his pen is venomous. As for former or serving Heads of State or Presidents, Obasanjo judges them by his own standard and nobody can tell how high or low the standard is. Regrettably, when he was “Lord of the manor”, he brooked no opposition or criticism because he erroneously believed and still believes of his infallibility. What is known, however, he is not God’s viceroy in Nigeria.
The question which follows, therefore, is what is the reason for Obasanjo’s messianic delusion? I am not here to defend President Buhari as a person and as President and this is because he has far better qualified people to do it. What I have set out to do is interrogate Obasanjo’s tenuous claim to being God’s gift to Nigeria by giving concrete examples with countries where their leaders could justifiably claim to be God’s gift. I find it difficult to understand why Obasanjo behaves like a loose cannon or unguided missile.
I have lived long enough and I am educated enough to critically analyze issues and take a position one way or the other. Those who know me, know that I am fiercely-independent minded and, consequently, not amenable to manipulation. As elected President of Nigeria between October 1, 1979 and December 31, 1983, President Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, was subjected to degrading and demeaning attacks by Obasanjo. The attacks remained unabated until that government was toppled by the military on December 31, 1983. Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was named as the Head of Military Government. Perhaps because he was in office for only twenty months (December 31, 1983-Augsut 27, 1985), he was spared of Obasanjo’s acerbic tongue and poisonous pen.
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who replaced Buhari, curiously took the title of President although he was unelected. It didn’t take long before Obasanjo began to subject him and his government to scurillous attacks. Until circumstances forced Babangida to “step aside”, he was vilified and chastised. How Babangida absorbed the attacks, I can’t tell. In all honesty, I was mystified if not stupefied, by some of the crude attacks and the language deployed. I, as a person, would never have tolerated Obasanjo’s unbecoming behaviour. Whether Ambassador or Permanent Secretary or Minister, anybody who looked for my trouble had serious fight to contend with. That was how I operated before I retired from the Foreign Service and this is because Civil Service isn’t Civil Servitude.
When circumstances of his own making forced Babangida to step aside as military President, he conjured and cobbled a wobbly Interim National Government (ING) under Chief Ernest Shonekan which was rightly declared as illegitimate by a court of law. This ING lasted for only eighty three or so days before it wilted under the heavy jack-boot of General Sani Abacha, who became Head of the Military Government. The coming to power of Abacha, with a no-nonsense mien, almost permanently got Obasanjo put away. Abacha was simply not ready to take insults from irritant Obasanjo. He was banished to Jos prison and later to Yola prison. During his trial for treason, contrived or not, Obasanjo looked pathetically bewildered.
Providence smiled on Obasanjo and in June, 1998 General Abacha mysteriously died and he was replaced by General A. A. Abubakar, an amiable, genial and thorough professional who never craved or looked for political posting, unlike his other military colleagues. In genuine effort to heal the deep wounds inflicted on the country by Abacha’s draconian rule, General Abubakar released and pardoned emaciated and gaunt looking Obasanjo from Yola prison. If Abacha hadn’t died, Obasanjo could never have been elected as President of Nigeria barely after leaving prison. More importantly, there was no way by which Obasanjo would have been military Head of State if General Murtala Mohammed had not been assassinated in 1976. Therefore, he was the greatest beneficiary of tragedies in Nigeria’s chequered history.
As an unambitious military officer, General Abubakar chose to conclude all the processes leading to the disengagement of the military from governance. He spurned the advice of Western leaders to remain in office for two to three years in order to clear Abacha’s mess. By his action, General Abubakar saved the military from further demystification and odium, nationally and internationally. Like he harvested immensely from the tragic assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, Obasanjo’s stupendously rich military colleagues, packaged him to become civilian President in 1999 although Chief Olu Falae would have made a better President. It is this fortuitousness that has led Obasanjo to believe there is not one Nigerian better than him or nobody can govern Nigeria better than him. Otherwise, other leaders must be under his tutelage. In effect, he must be the kingmaker and, as of right, must be the power behind the throne. It is very troubling to me that a group of rich generals together with their civilian collaborators will be the ones to decide who or who not to govern this immensely blessed country. This is why Nigeria is blighted by leadership failure and acting like an over-grown baby.
Instead of showing gratitude to General Abubakar for mercifully releasing and pardoning him, Obasanjo stabbed General Abubakar at the back on assuming office as President. He revoked the contracts duly awarded by the Abubakar administration. He cancelled all appointments made by that administration, including ambassadors who had barely assumed duty in various capitals of the world. In addition, he cancelled the National Honours that General Abubakar had conferred on deserving Nigerians.
As President, no voice mattered or counted except that of Obasanjo. Any sign of criticism was swiftly crushed. Our brand of democracy appeared tailored to satisfy his Zuma Rock-size ego. While de jure Nigeria operated a constitutional democracy, it de facto operated a civilian dictatorship under him. Court orders were whimsically ignored, governors were impeached on the spur of the moment at odd hours and even when there was no quorum. The turn-over of the leadership became too high because of interference by Obasanjo. It was under this scenario that the Third Term Gambit reared its head. Although Chief Obasanjo had denied looking for it but he never cautioned the people close to him who were championing it. Senator Ibrahim Mantu recently apologised for rigging elections for the PDP. But he didn’t say anything about the Third Term gambit of which he was a chief proponent. For the sake of the holy month of Ramadan, he may need to say what he knew. We are aware, however, that the former American Secretary of State, Ms Condolezza, Rice had written in her memoir, titled “No Higher Honor” that Obasanjo wanted third term and that he raised it with former US President George Bush who declined to support it.
To be continued…
Ambassador Sulaiman Dahiru. OFR, a retired Career Diplomat, wrote this piece from Abuja