ING: Rumours or Obasanjo’s plan B?

By

Zayyad I. Muhammad

In its editorial of Sunday 30th July 2006, the sun newspapers called on Nigerians to    disregard the current insinuations and rumors spreading around Nigeria, that there is plan to install an interim government in 2007 to succeed the government of president Olusegun Obasanjo, probably an attempt by Obasanjo to masquerade as head of ING to succeed him self or installed his           ‘anointed’ loyalist as Nigerian president, through the backdoors.   

 In a normal situation one may not pay attention to such clamour for an interim government, or simply, one can just closes his eyes to such abnormal thought, but, insinuations and rumors have played a major important role in the Nigerian polity; most political events that happened in Nigeria, they began like shaggy dog story complimented with rumors, then suggestions, then clamours then the actual event. When in 1966, Nmandi Azikwe won a sit in the western Nigeria House Of Assembly; rumours started spreading around, that Azikwe being the leader of the NCNC would not assumed the position of premier of western region. On the inauguration day of the House, one by one NCNC members cross-carpeted to Action Group, thus, it became true; Nmandi Azikwe cannot be the premier of western region. In 1966, rumours were spread that a military coup was in the making-thus a military coup brought Major-Generals Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi to power. In the same year there were rumours even in the military rank, that a regionally motivated reprisal coup d’état was in the cooking and suddenly it became true, Ironsi was killed in a bloody coup d'état. In  1975, insinuations fielded the country, that a military coup is needed because of Gowon’s continuous delay over holding free elections, and it indeed happened, Brigadier Murtala Ramat Muhammed assumed the leadership of the country.

Of late, instigation of rumours and clamours has become imperative tools used by those in authority to achieve one anti-people goal or another. When at the tail end of Gen. Babangida administration, rumours started going around the nation that Gen. Babangida would not hand over to an elected civilian regime, no one took the rumuor seriously; then Senator Nzeribe started his campaign of clamouring for more years of military rule through his Association For Better Nigeria (ABN), he had free days as ABN did not met any serious challenge from the public; at the end, the most freest election in Nigeria was annulled and Nigeria was plunged into more years of dictatorship. Similarly, during the Abacha regime, out of the blue      Daniel Kanu came and started bombarding Nigerians with his afro-American accent, that Abacha is the alpha and Omega, Nigeria needs, he meet no substantial challenges, his Youth Earnestly Ask For Abacha (YEAA) nearly turn Nigeria into a ‘one-man state’.

Interestingly, most previous events, economic or political that happened in the present regime of president Obasanjo, they are either preceded by rumours or insinuations or clamours to test what public reaction will be, for instance, every ministerial re-shufflement in the present Obasanjo’s government was heralded with rumours- before her final un-ceremonially bowing-out, rumours has been long flying in the country that Ngozi Iweale will resign her ministerial post, and finally it became real on 3rd August 2006 , every petroleum pump price increment forced on Nigerians by the government of president Obasanjo was preceded with heavy insinuation by government agencies for an appropriate price for petroleum product. And  a classical example was the dead third term debacle; Ambassador Greg Maduekwe started insinuating for a third term for president Obasanjo, we gave no attention to him- thus, intelligently, Obasanjo think tank tested public view, they went ahead and organized National Political Reform Conference despite the National Assembly refusal to endorsed it, at the National Political Reform Conference rumours started going around, that Jerry Gana came to conference with    a mysterious constitutions hidden in his armpit; and suddenly it became a fact, they shamelessly presented it to the delegate , but  the delegate patriotically thrown it into dustbins.  When the Mantu committee suddenly got enough funds to hastily amend the 1999 Nigerian constitution, rumuors started flying in the country that it was an attempt at rekindling Obasanjo’s hope for extra more years in power after NPRC denied him the prospect; Mantu committee continued it journey unhindered in the pretence that the third term issues was a rumuor, Senator Mantu in a roundabout way   leapfrog the lay down rules of amending the Nigerian constitution, though, nationalistic colleagues of his smashed the illegal and adulterated constitution at Mantu face and Nigeria was save from  political chaos  .

Reminiscent of Arthur Nzeribe’s ABN, Daniel Kanu’s YEAA, Greg Maduekwe’s Third term, today chief chukwumeika Ezeife, retired General Adeyinka Adebayo of the Yoruba council of elders and Chief Sunny Odogwu have started it again, now calling for an interim arrangement, and based on obasanjo’s past antecedents one may not be surprised if the plot is the long rumoured Obasanjo’s plan “B”- our president is a man that tries to get what he want at all cost, secondly, the man believes since the Almighty God had one time or the other shown favor to him, now he has the temerity to challenge  God.

In 1998, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar confidently said: the “ era of coups” is over, but the indications are- the 21st centaury Nigeria will witness coups executed by the typical Nigerian politician using democrats structures- the Nigerian constitution will be the most prepared casualty to be used by those in power, the ballot box, INEC, political parties and the National Assembly will also be used; the third term debacle and the 2003 elections are clear attests; happily, Nigerians are beginning to invent solutions to these civilian organized coups- Lagosian and Kano people prevented the ballot box coup in   2003, and recently the people of Langtang in plateau state did it,  when Obasanjo and his ‘loyalist’ tried the constitution option, Nigerians quickly invented the persona non granta  method, when many lawmakers realized the imminent dangers awaiting them at their constituencies , they started singing the anti third term slogan-  when senator Hambaga had  a bitter  real life  encounter, he quickly made a       u-turn.

It is saddening to see individual with good reputation behaving like donkeys that carry huge burden of books but understand nothing from them; Nigerians should be quick to stop those clamouring for installation of illegitimate regime called interim government in 2007, may be the  persona non granta method will be suitable!

 

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Nigeria