Former leaders gang-up against President: plea for caution, by Kola Amzat
Directly from Okada venue of the 90th Birthday Anniversary Celebration of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo stormed Minna Hilltop fortress of another ex-leader, Ibrahim Babangida, where another former leader, Abdul-salam Abubakar, and a retired general, Aliyu Gusau were already waiting for him.
Their Agenda: Interactive session on various challenges that the country is presently battling with.
Expectedly, the session centered on security and socio-economic problems plaguing the nation.
Of course, as former leaders of the most populous black nation on earth at different times, and more importantly, as major stakeholders in the Nigerian project, they reserve the rights to meet, even periodically, if they so wish, with a view to suggesting to the incumbent president the direction they’re of the opinion the country affairs should be directed.
But, the session at Minna Hilltop Mansion of former dictator practically turned out to be another ‘council of states meeting’ judging from resolutions reached.
And, Nigerians shouldn’t be taken aback by the outcomes especially, considering the utter disdain, contempt, disregard and hatred that the supposed convener of the meeting, has for years harbored against the president.
In-fact, the Owu High Chief has never left anyone in doubt that he’s not with this government, even, from the day Tinubu was inaugurated.
It won’t therefore be out of order for Nigerians with discerning and rich mind to make deductions that Obasanjo in convening the meeting, was just making frantic efforts to achieve what he couldn’t, through unsolicited letter writings.
Back to the resolutions at the Minna session:
The meeting completely veered off from the expectations of Nigerians to other mundane and pedestrian issues, that seriously subject to questioning, the patriotism, love and affection of the former leaders to the motherland, a country that has not only launched them to eternal stardom, but, has provided them stupendous wealth sufficient enough to last their 2nd, 3rd and even, 4th generations.
- They resolved to reignite and rekindle the flame of PDP, which the former leaders acknowledged, has significantly waned.
- They agreed to impose the former senate president, David Mark, as Chairman on the party, with a view for him to repositioning and re-organizing the party ahead of 2027 general elections.
- Except, Obasanjo who opted for Peter Obi, other former leaders unanimously resolved on Atiku Abubakar to be the party’s presidential candidate.
- More importantly, they agreed to deploy all resources within their proposal to stop Tinubu’s second term bid in office.
Even though, the former leaders would continue to remain in the annals of the country as statesmen, it’s an auspicious time they allow Nigeria a breathing space.
It’s apparent that the country has moved beyond them. The country has long regained freedom from the clutches of their primary constituency-MILITARY.
They would obviously do well to allow the country to consolidate on the democratic gains it has recorded over years, rather than undue & disruptive intervention.
For the records, Nigerians vividly recall the most destructive and damaging economic initiative of IBB regime christened Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP), which crippled the nation economy in all gamut.
Even after 30 years that Minna born general had vacated office, the negative effects of the strange economy policy is still ravaging the country.
The citizenry would never forgive the ex-leader for institutionalizing high-octane corruption in all the facets of the country.
And, of course, in Nigerian history, no other leader bastardized the political fabrics of this country more than IBB.
In his time, he was the one forming all the parties, imposing their National Working Committees (NWC), as well as foisting on them, presidential candidates and deceptively promising to return the nation to democratic order, until the citizenry got tired of his deceit and had to force him out of office.
Meanwhile, Abdul-salaam Abubakar presided over the military top brass that foisted the 1999 Constitution, as amended, on the nation.
The constitution, which in all respect deliberately designed to INDIRECTLY perpetuate the military men as leaders of government in all the 3 tiers of government has been a cog in the democratic journey of the country, on account of its legion of obnoxious sections and sub-sections.
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale ABIOLA, the acclaimed winner of 1993 presidential elections, mysteriously died in custody, while retired general, Abdul-salaam presided over the affairs of the country.
Till date, the citizenry are still in darkness over what indeed kill MKO!
Meanwhile, the supposed convener of the meeting, ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo as a democratic leader, had ample opportunity to redress and right some of the wrongs, in all facets in the country, more especially, having been in the same office as military head of states about 23 years earlier.
But, he chose to abdicate the responsibility of leading the country to his Vice president for the significant part of his first term in office, opting to globetrot under the pretense of laundering the Nigerian image, which according to him had been battered since Sani Abacha era.
At the tail end of his 1st term regime when he eventually realized his folly, Atiku Abubakar hasn’t only cleared the country out, he had also removed carpet under Obasanjo foot.
The million dollar question here is: Would it have taken four (4) years to restore the country back to reckoning of international community especially with Nigerian already in democratic governance?
Even after 20 years, the country is yet to recover from the wide scale looting that characterized the governance, while Obasanjo was globetrotting.
His time on the air (24/7) also coincided with the period the national monuments, historical heritage and all other assets both at home and abroad were disposed at very ridiculous prices by BPE to Atiku Abubakar and his cronies; an exercise that made the nation to lose trillions of Naira that supposed to have been accrued to FAAC for infrastructural and other developments.
Politically, Obasanjo regime dismantled and destroyed the fabric of the nation democratic institution, with respect to democratic ethos, principles, traditions and orders.
During 2003 general elections and in the quest to establish political bloc in his Geo-political base, his rigging machine swept all the South West ACN governors from office, except Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the then Lagos governor, who valiantly fought and bluntly resisted the federal power and might to retain seat for another 4 years in office.
The same president continually breached the DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION OF POWERS” by invading the national assembly with CONTEMPT and offensive IMPUNITY with a view to imposing his loyalists, faithful and those who were ready to pander to his whims and caprices, particularly, as a senate president.
It’s also instructive to note that, the colossal rots with respect to infrastructural deficits, prostrate economy, bastardization of the nation political institutions, rots in education and medical infrastructures that the former leaders combined regimes foisted on the nation are largely what the present regime is making valiant and spirited efforts to put right and redress.
Therefore, where lies their justifications and moral rights to roll out those resolve from the Minna meeting?
They’re also advised to leave Nigerians to making their decisions concerning the second term bid of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
It’s not in the former leaders’ hands.
It’s a game of democracy. They individually have one vote each, just like any other electorate.
They should therefore purge themselves of the erroneous belief that they could influence the direction election would go.
If indeed, they’d the power, Peter Obi would have ascended the presidency on account of maximum support he got from Owu high chief.
We knew all this! The scheming and propaganda during the last presidential elections!
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),
Lagos based Financial Consultants,
09077509348
