Obasanjo, PDP and Nigeria

I’m of the view that all the developments are very important and a reflection of the mood of the nation at the moment. With the suspension or postponement of the 2015 elections by 6 weeks by INEC ‘at gun-point’ (even though the Commander in Chief who claimed that he was briefed by his security chiefs […]

I’m of the view that all the developments are very important and a reflection of the mood of the nation at the moment. With the suspension or postponement of the 2015 elections by 6 weeks by INEC ‘at gun-point’ (even though the Commander in Chief who claimed that he was briefed by his security chiefs every hour only to contradict himself during the Presidential Media), many things of great importance to the nation happened.
When I woke up on Monday morning and learnt through Major General Chris Olukolade, DHQ spokesman, that Monguno, Marte and other territories previously under the control of Boko Haram had been recaptured by the Nigerian military, I was skeptical not because the military is incapable in handling matters relating to this particular insurrection but because a couple of times before now, they issued statements that proved not exactly the case. It is difficult therefore to readily agree when any such claim of liberation is made in view of the flexibility of truth in managing contemporary affairs of the nation.
I hope Monguno and other places are truly liberated and wish also that all other areas under insurgency would similarly be liberated as soon as possible. Wait a minute, one of the reasons they told us they were jacking elections for 6 weeks was that the military was not in a position to provide security to citizens especially in four states. They told us that they will wipe out the insurgency in 6 weeks and we can go to elections peacefully after that. They told us about a multinational force to do the battle. We hope that will happen.
What is scaring is a few days after the elections were postponed, the president came to say two things. One was that he was not aware that the elections were going to be postponed and secondly when asked if the security forces would be able to restore peace in the North-East within the time frame, Mr. President went wild again. He said he could not guarantee that there will be peace in the region but that forces would try to stabilize the areas to be conducive for elections. I’m worried that those who should speak straight are cutting corners. That is why Nigerians are getting agitated and frustrated.
Could this be among several other reasons that General Obasanjo gave for dumping the party that brought him to power for 8 years as the president of Nigeria? Maybe. That can in itself be sufficient reason to make one lose his sleep in a nation of the squandering of the riches. Onyeka Onwenu didn’t know what the squandering of the riches was when she came up with her short documentary in the early 1980s. Sad, she is a principal actor in this government and apparently a party to the squandering that is ongoing and resisting the urge for change that is all over the air in Nigeria.
General Obasanjo treated Nigerians to a mixed grill Monday morning when he announced his departure from PDP and publicly directed his ward head to tear his party membership card in public. Nigerians of PDP stock were outraged but those who are tired of the party’s misrule were excited. Clearly, there are lessons to learn from the development beyond the public quitting and the drama. That something is fundamentally wrong with the PDP and Nigeria. Infrastructure has broken down and corruption has been elevated to the highest level to the extent that the difference between stealing and corruption are subjects of debates and dialogue. As Reverend Father Mbaka rightly and famously said, the nation is breaking in our very hands and we are looking. Are we allowing it to finally break?
General Obasanjo left. I don’t blame him for talking, after all he is guilty for infesting Nigeria with this endemic failure. He must speak so as to clear his conscience and at least convince the nation that this wasn’t his plan. As they say, man proposes, God disposes. This may be the reality that the former president has been facing. Nigeria is really in trouble and needs urgent attention. We must defeat this government in March so that the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction begins.
Ours is a country where electoral processes are strengthened and the usual loopholes of electoral fraud gradually blocked. The government is not comfortable with a fair arrangement. They want business as usual to take precedence. Nigerians seem determine to change bad leadership so that their lives could be better than it has been. So that there will be peace in the polity. So that corruption would be replaced with probity and accountability. So that schools, hospital, electricity and other essentials could function effectively. These are the indicators of the change that Nigerians desires and not any romanticisation and allegiances to faith that do not really matter in the quality of the personality in and outside of government. What Nigerians need are leaders that can turn things around. That can make things happen. I restate my view that a good Muslim is good for both Muslims and Christians. A good Christian is good for both Christians and Muslims and the way Nigeria should go is that way. Down with those who exploit cheap variables to cover obvious failures.