The dust generated by the endorsement of the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as his preferred candidate in the 2023 general elections is yet to settle.
Every moment of every hour, mixed reactions continue to trail Obasanjo’s choice of president among other Aspirants. For the ordinary Nigerian, it may be a comic relief in the already tensed political scenario.
But for the middle class, it could be the beginning of another political journey to an unknown destination. Whilst for the opposition parties, it was indeed a step taken too far by the former president.
Though within the realm of political discourse, Obasanjo’s pronouncement of his choice presidential candidate would be viewed as euphemism for the emasculation of other political interest. Paradoxically, the endorsement which has become a blessing to others have become curse to the Otta chicken farmer.
A critical view of the criticisms in the public domain, showed that most of Obasanjo’s critic had abandoned the message to go after the messenger. Perhaps in an effort to establish that he’s incompetent to deliberate and reach a personal decision on such matters, over eighty percent of his critics have dived into the archive to exhume his ugly past.
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a renowned political scientist and former foreign affairs minister was one of the first critic to fire the first salvo. For him, Obasanjo’s endorsement wasn’t necessary at this point of our political development. He sees the action of the former president laughable when he was one of past leaders who drag Nigeria into mess.
But the All Progressive Congress (APC) spokesman, Kehind Bamigbetan was more vehement in attacking the former president. He recalled in pain that Obasanjo is yet to unravel the circumstances surrounding the mysterious demise of the former Attorney General, Chief Bola Ige who worked under him.
Speculations were rife that the die hard Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s disciple was brutally murdered consequent upon his refusal to support the presidential aspiration of the former president for a third term.
Bamigbetan who accused the Otta chicken farmer of being vindictive, disclosed that in the hey days of his administration, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had fought with him, adding that from all indications, Obasanjo still stomach that altercation incidence.
Ironically, historical evidence abound that exonerated Obasanjo as a man who takes delight in playing ethnic politics. There were records to show that he never supported most of kinsmen aspiring to be president.
Despite several attempts by Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to rule Nigeria, he never enjoyed any support from Obasanjo. He gave the same treatment to the likes of late Chief MKO Abiola and late Chief Earnest Shonekon, the head of the infamous Interim National Government .
It was allleged in certain quarters that Obasanjo single handedly wrote a letter, seeking the removal GoodLuck EbelebJonathan as the president and frustrated his second term ambition. He, Obasanjo fought doggedly for the realization of Muhammad Buhari’s presidential aspiration”, he said
Also listing the atrocities committed by Obasanjo against the Nigerian people and state, the PDP presidential campaign spokesman, Daniel Bwala said that the former president ceded the oil rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon in order to enjoy the support of western powers to become the Secretary General of the United Nations .
He lamented that through the ambition of one man many villagers were dispossessed of their ancestral land and end up as foreigners in their home land.
Bwala stated that Obasanjo ordered the infamous Odi massacre in Bayelsa state where a handful of promising youth were knocked down at their prime by the bullets of officers of the Nigerian army. Today, the wounds inflicted in the hearts of parents of slain children is yet to be healed.
The Spokesman declared that former President Obasanjo instituted “Ghana must go bags” in Nigeria’s politics.
Though, those who were familiar with events in the President Obasanjo’s led administration would attest that corruption was institutionalized as big bags otherwise known as Ghana must go, containing cash were brandished at every nooks and crannies of both the upper and lower Chambers to cajole lawmakers to endorse Obasanjo’s third term bid.
At other times, Ghana must go bags were deployed to bribe lawmakers to assent to bill in the works. Today, the practice had gone beyond Ghana must go to electronic transfer.
