The Obasanjo letter

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued a “special press statement” on January 23rd 2018 directed at President Muhammadu Buhari. Obasanjo’s letter referred to “…poor performance in government-poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed-if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality…” These are weighty if not damning allegations, but they are neither surprising nor novel. I have recently dismissed Buhari’s administration as “dysfunctional” and the terms in which I think about the government these days are as a “human, political and economic tragedy!”

I have some reservations about Obasanjo being the messenger-he was one of Buhari’s key sponsors-the “navigator” as another co-sponsor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described him at the time! He was more than aware of Buhari’s severe limitations, which some of us younger Nigerians interested in Nigerian history and politics pointed out. The political and military class aided by large segments of “civil society” (including Tinubu, Obasanjo, Wole Soyinka, Oby Ezekwesili, Chukwuma Soludo, Emir Lamido Sanusi, Tam David-West, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Pat Utomi and many others including youth leaders who should have been more wary) conspired in 2015 to deceive Nigerians into voting in a grossly deficient individual who was well past his productive prime, by hiding his many severe limitations and “re-branding” him in new garbs of the Nigerian messiah! It was all based upon a lie or series of lies, and the truth was bound to be revealed sooner than later as the dissonance between the Buhari myth and reality were too extreme! Now the illusion has cleared and most Nigerians are disillusioned. Obasanjo is wise to dissociate himself from the emerging nightmare “before it is too late!” 

Nigeria’s political elite were never in any doubt about Buhari’s inability to govern, as I discovered in 2014-2015. Everyone knew of his track record as someone who didn’t understand policy, economy or administration. If he could not do these things when he was in his 30s and 40s as a governor, minister or head of state, and later as Chairman of Abacha’s Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), why were they expecting him to transform a country in his 70s or 80s? To my shock, I realized that everyone was aware that whatever position Buhari held, it was usually someone else who exercised the powers of the office, but they all sought to be the beneficiaries of this incompetence! So Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Oyinlola-Obasanjo’s favourite and several others, all hoping to be Vice President and defacto President in the mold of the late General Tunde Idiagbon; or Salihijo and Nasir El-Rufai  at the PTF gave us this president! Some happily recounted how other people had controlled Buhari’s CPC and military formations in which he presided; and assured me-“Opeyemi, don’t worry, we are the ones that will control this government!” This time however, it is Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura, Ismaila Isa Funtua and others who are the Idiagbons, as I warned back then!

In this manner a selfish and unthinking political elite landed Nigeria in the quagmire in which we are today. Even if Jonathan continuing in office was no longer desirable, weren’t there millions, thousands or at least hundreds of other competent Nigerians who could serve as President?

Obasanjo mentioned “serious allegations” of “round-tripping” against members of Buhari’s “inner caucus” which he seemingly condoned; he referred to the carnage of herdsmen decimating fellow Nigerians which according to him continues with “careless abandon” and the reference to “condonation of misdeed…” is likely to have been a reference to these atrocities; he noted “nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness”, “inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court” and “national interest being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest” referring to the notorious Mainagate; he criticized Buhari’s poor management of the nation’s internal politics resulting in greater division and inequality; and his habit of blaming others for matters within his purview! Some days after Obasanjo’s letter, Buhari complained that none of Nigeria’s refineries were working properly, after being president for almost three years! Is it this columnist, former presidents Jonathan or Obasanjo, Lagos Governor Ambode or activists that should have fixed the refineries?

Obasanjo noted the complaints, murmuring, anger and anguish prevalent in the land and suggested that while Buhari and the APC may have done “what it can do to the limit of its ability, aptitude and understanding”, their best is not good enough, and Buhari should not push his luck! His advice is unequivocal-Buhari needs a dignified and honourable exit from office in order to rest and attend to his health. I agree whole-heartedly with the former president.

I am more circumspect with regard to the second part of Obasanjo’s message-dismissal of both APC and PDP, and call for Coalition for Nigeria, not because I don’t share his contempt for both parties (my views about APC are well known and I have recently written “PDP’s Suicide” after their “Wike’s” Convention), but because I am not quite sure Obasanjo’s “coalition” is not another hegemonic alternative being assembled by the generals! I agree we need a national progressive coalition, but I want one rooted in civil society, committed intellectuals, labour, women, youths, the professions and the diaspora. We can work with the generals, but not for them!

Opeyemi Agbaje