Obasanjo's war against Jonathan
15 February 2015 By Abi Giwa
Olusegun Obasanjo's bravado all over the world about Nigeria's election debacle, reminds me of Sunny Ade's song about the Challenge Cup final, between the Bendel Insurance of Benin City and the Mighty Jets of Jos. With his recording of the contest between the two teams, Sunny Ade had succeeded at giving a historical perspective to a soccer tournament and an event that happened in 1972, a little after 1964 - when Nigeria's first attempt at self-government started a journey toward self-destruction.
In this context, there are two contests in topic. One is a soccer contest and the other is a political contest. The soccer contest ended without any fiasco, but the political contest has been in a fiasco and from which Nigeria has not recovered. The title of Sunny Ade's song "Afai Bawon Ja" under which the "Challenge Cup" features is instructive here, for no other reason than the Cold War between Obasanjo and Nigeria's siting President Goodluck Jonathan.
Obasanjo has been doing everything to show he does not want anything positive for Jonathan. But Jonathan's attitude has been everything that represents every word in Sunny Ade's song. "It is God that sees the mind and heart, We know we have not done any evil to anyone. They use the mind to do evil and use wickedness to be truth, and yet we have plan no evil to anyone. People expect a bad outcome, but yet we have plan no evil. The enemy is beating the drum of destruction, but God will not allow out to it sound, but if it sounds, their children would be the one to dance it. An eagle is making incantations as if the dove does not hear, but the dove hears and only he does not entertain evil."
Whatever may be the cause of the Cold War between Obasanjo and Jonathan, the danger it poses is its endangerment of Nigeria's democracy, just as the 1964 political drama to the country's first attempt at self government. Obasanjo had used his entire political clout to cause endless carpet crossing by notable members of People Democratic Party, PDP! to the All People Congress, APC. Notably, Obasanjo has demonstrated that he is a turncoat member of the ruling party, playing a cat and mouse game with the president and leader of his party.
The latest in Obasanjo's uncharacteristic attitude and one not wishing his party leader goodluck is his endorsement of the opposition candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. It happened in the midst of an argument over the postponement of an election solely by the head of the country's electoral commission, Attahiru Jega, without the president's approval. But Obasanjo has been everywhere accusing the president of a plan to send the country back to square.
Obasanjo has said everything needed to be said and almost threatening a military coup if the president fails to allow him and his henchmen in the APC the freedom to change the government whichever they like. It has become a boastful moment between Obasanjo and the president's party men. The PDP says it will win the presidential election to return Jonathan to office. Obasanjo and his APC men are saying they will give it all it requires to send Jonathan home, and said the PDP had engineered the election postponement to avoid a defeat.
As the two powers, some in the PDP, and some in the APC and Obasanjo lock horns, needs of the ordinary Nigerians suffer. The PDP and its warring members led by Obasanjo began their dangerous game of digging a hole worse than a grave for the PDP, had left observers at loss why the president and his party had continued to accommodate Obasanjo's unfriendliness that had taken its attention away from governance.
Some observers are saying that if Jonathan was vindictive, Obasanjo would have been in jail or somewhere he would not be able to use his loquaciousness against the government and his party's leader. Of course, people are saying Obasanjo can endorse who he likes, he can become an advocate defending the indefensible in a clear case of perjury that some of them are still limiting to certificate issue.
What is bothersome to many other observers is the manifestation that Obasanjo is one of those leaders who have benefited so much from Nigeria and who don't wish Nigeria well, because of their selfish and greed for more and more wealth and control of the country.
In this context, there are two contests in topic. One is a soccer contest and the other is a political contest. The soccer contest ended without any fiasco, but the political contest has been in a fiasco and from which Nigeria has not recovered. The title of Sunny Ade's song "Afai Bawon Ja" under which the "Challenge Cup" features is instructive here, for no other reason than the Cold War between Obasanjo and Nigeria's siting President Goodluck Jonathan.
Obasanjo has been doing everything to show he does not want anything positive for Jonathan. But Jonathan's attitude has been everything that represents every word in Sunny Ade's song. "It is God that sees the mind and heart, We know we have not done any evil to anyone. They use the mind to do evil and use wickedness to be truth, and yet we have plan no evil to anyone. People expect a bad outcome, but yet we have plan no evil. The enemy is beating the drum of destruction, but God will not allow out to it sound, but if it sounds, their children would be the one to dance it. An eagle is making incantations as if the dove does not hear, but the dove hears and only he does not entertain evil."
Whatever may be the cause of the Cold War between Obasanjo and Jonathan, the danger it poses is its endangerment of Nigeria's democracy, just as the 1964 political drama to the country's first attempt at self government. Obasanjo had used his entire political clout to cause endless carpet crossing by notable members of People Democratic Party, PDP! to the All People Congress, APC. Notably, Obasanjo has demonstrated that he is a turncoat member of the ruling party, playing a cat and mouse game with the president and leader of his party.
The latest in Obasanjo's uncharacteristic attitude and one not wishing his party leader goodluck is his endorsement of the opposition candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. It happened in the midst of an argument over the postponement of an election solely by the head of the country's electoral commission, Attahiru Jega, without the president's approval. But Obasanjo has been everywhere accusing the president of a plan to send the country back to square.
Obasanjo has said everything needed to be said and almost threatening a military coup if the president fails to allow him and his henchmen in the APC the freedom to change the government whichever they like. It has become a boastful moment between Obasanjo and the president's party men. The PDP says it will win the presidential election to return Jonathan to office. Obasanjo and his APC men are saying they will give it all it requires to send Jonathan home, and said the PDP had engineered the election postponement to avoid a defeat.
As the two powers, some in the PDP, and some in the APC and Obasanjo lock horns, needs of the ordinary Nigerians suffer. The PDP and its warring members led by Obasanjo began their dangerous game of digging a hole worse than a grave for the PDP, had left observers at loss why the president and his party had continued to accommodate Obasanjo's unfriendliness that had taken its attention away from governance.
Some observers are saying that if Jonathan was vindictive, Obasanjo would have been in jail or somewhere he would not be able to use his loquaciousness against the government and his party's leader. Of course, people are saying Obasanjo can endorse who he likes, he can become an advocate defending the indefensible in a clear case of perjury that some of them are still limiting to certificate issue.
What is bothersome to many other observers is the manifestation that Obasanjo is one of those leaders who have benefited so much from Nigeria and who don't wish Nigeria well, because of their selfish and greed for more and more wealth and control of the country.