In life certain persons are born to conjure near miracles with their lives, exhibiting rare prowess and guts wherever they go. Some through self-consciousness, others by the simple arrangement of providence; a lot in this latter category happen to become miracle themselves by circumstances beyond any human explanation, except personal adaptability buoyed by recurrent life occurrences over time. Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo happens to be one character captured in this mould. We must not forget our history in a hurry, lest we get lost in the jungle of existence. Chief Obasanjo, we must not forget, was ‘timid’ and not a very brave soldier when he started out.A child of circumstances whose parents were not lettered enough to be able to know the date he was born; a man whosebirthday is remembered only with the date of inauguration of a local church in his community.
That is Obasanjo. He grew up believing that he is some years older than what his parents told him he was, but throughmiracle of circumstances found himself in the military, from there he knew he could do what he ordinarily couldn’t do. Many years after this realization providence again smiled at him by opening its gates and the once ‘timid’ village boy of Ibogun-Olaogun in Owu, Abeokuta in Ogun State was destined to be a general and military head of state and, above all, Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His reply or response to that opportunity portrayed Obasanjo as a brave but not gallant soldier. He accepted the military appointment as Head of State but added that the acceptance ‘was not’ his will. He managed to rule in a hurry and handed over power to Alhajl Shehu Shagari in 1989.
But Obasanjo was not without regrets of maintaining his near innocence throughout the period of his first rule. Military intervention by general Muhammadu Buhari, general Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha offered OBJ a lot of lessons on how to be ‘military enough’. The global recognition and place accorded him by the international community further boosted Obasanjo’s profile and soared up his ego. He learnt during the process that for sure, Obasanjo was not an ordinary fellow, he must not see himself as ordinary person.
Obasanjo learnt fast and in time too, hence his second coming when the providence in 1999 again smiled on him, he was only too learned and prepared to show the world that he was too armed and prepared not to be cowed by anybody or group. His second coming bore all traces of acquisition of new knowledge. He learnt first that to be a leader and a successful one for that matter particularly in a clime such as ours you have to be brutal and rough and smart enough both in words and in action. He knew that acts of terrorism must bequeath balance of terror. Remember how OBJ experimented this new found love in Odi and Zaki Biam. It was an eye for an eye and there was no authority to cough. Obasanjo has elevated himself to an oracle, his words and commands became sacred. But Nigerians needed to have understood Obasanjo by now; just as Obasanjo understood himself. Obasanjo knew that by circumstances of the opportunity he has arrogated to himself, the authority to abuse and curse anybody was within his power.
The only surviving military and civilian Head of State who by that privilege has arrogated everything to himself? Remember how he trickishly arrogated the position of chairman BOT of the Peoples Democratic Party to himself? Obasanjo has certainly tested a lot of waters depth in his lifetime, sometimes with two legs and nothing happened tohim. His types are prone to openly boast of being above ‘human destruction, He sometimes appears to me as someone who should be a comedian. And he could do very well excerptthat he will always expect people to clap for him even when there is nothing to clap about.
It was Obasanjo on about February 16, 2015 that publicly ordered the shredding of his PDP membership card while he watched and said he had no regrets afterwards. First, that action portrayed Obasanjo as a rash character and lacking in self-emotional control. Obasanjo further interpreted his action as giving him the freedom to comment on any issue he wished. He said the PDP membership card was always one of the considerations probably restricting him from being himself. But that was a lie. The action was one craftiness of Obasanjo’s trailing arcade of crafts. Obasanjo took the action to evade shame of being suspended. He did that a few hours after he learnt that the party was putting up papers for his suspension.
This is why I can’t see where the PDP tracking on the old man whose mouth is his strongest asset will lead us. Obasanjo will never change. Abubarkar Atiku was his Vice and Obasanjo can claim to knowing Atiku better than all others. One idea I offer the PDP and free of charge, is Obasanjo will not explain anything strange about Atiku that Obasanjo himself will not be guilty of.
If he says Atiku committed acts of impropriety while in office that will not be strange. All of them were in the same boat except Obasanjo would agree to the concept that a bus accident be blamed on the conductor while the driver is set free but Atiku has offended the law of power that Obasanjo will remain to heap curses and accusation on him real or imaginary. He attempted to outshine his boss by wanting to contest against him while the boss was still holding the towel. Obasanjo has grown to become Nigeria’s albatross that must be managed to the end. Or, how will the PDP expose Obasanjo? Tell him that he stole money while in office? That is a common place story that will not scratch the oldman one bit. Or would he be prosecuted? That would be an after-thought and the entire global community may turn about. To me, I feel there are other important schemes the party that its struggling to gain back its lead place could do, rather thanbusy tracking the old man. In fact, if the entire Nigerian people should understand Obasanjo that way there will be no need to worry about what he says.
Obasanjo has seen more and I dare to add that he has benefited in the Nigerian enterprise more than any other Nigerian living or dead. He belongs to no political party in Nigeria now and he is not coming back to ask for any position in Nigeria, so the man is in a world of his own. PDP should now be worried about building a new image for its presidential candidate and also worry about his Vice. That is what is of utmost importance for now. In fact, talking about exposing Obasanjo, for me, is of little or no consequence. Let me repeat here for the purpose of being heard clearly: saying anything against Obasanjo is a sheer waste of time. The man has lived out his useful age on earth, what he is doing now is entertaining the masses.
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