Obasanjo In The Eyes Of PDP

By

Max Gbanite

maxgbanite@yahoo.com

 

 

“Obasanjo e don shit for church…Baba e don shit well-well.” This is probably the chorus of a new music being song in heaven by the late afro-beat king, Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, on our former Head-of-State (1976-1979), former President (1999-2003), and now an International-Thief-Thief (ITT), and Elder-Statesman cum kleptomaniac-extraordinaire.

 

This is indeed the season for Obasanjo bashing, and Nigerians are indeed relishing the sleaze that is coming out of this self appointed messiah, and probably glorifying God for bringing the deity called OBJ down? 

 

As members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the governors who control the delegates were themselves honest in answering many troubling questions beleaguering the party in recent times, and their conscience challenged in the eyes of God; and given the antecedents, collective bad image and aspersions cast on the party by Obasanjo’s very terrible behaviors; which bothers on immoralities and corruptive actions, they decided to act or be seen to act to bring sanity and a better image for the party and Nigeria, at the just concluded convention, by defeating his (OBJ’s) imposed candidate of Dr. Sam Egwu.

 

Obasanjo, was imposed on the party in 1999. Yes, party members have probably forgiven those that perpetrated such heinous act against them. The party has since witnessed imposition of party leaders in the past with clear bombastic-impunity, yet, out of fear of being blackmailed, killed, or kicked out of the party, members kept quiet as collaborators of evil.

 

Well, Obasanjo finished his term of office, and the Almighty God gave the party the opportunity to change things without fear; and that was the challenge the party was faced with before the convention; and why the governors, led by Dr. Bukola Saraki, the governor of Kwara State, combined with the diplomatic finesse of Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), were able to appeal to the party stalwarts through their inner-souls and convinced to them of the need to seek a new chairman at the convention; hence, the emergence of Chief Vincent Ugboluafor (a former national secretary of the party); once marginalized by Obasanjo for not supporting his (OBJ’s) fight with Chief Audu Ogbe, a former chairman of the party.

 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the leadership of President Umaru Yar’Adua and its new chairman Chief Vincent Ugbolafor, have begun the arduous task of ridding the party of ‘nest-of killers’ and ‘incestuous-immoral-animals’ and ‘do-or-die political garrison commanders’ whose actions in the past helped to destroy the good image of the party. Those within the party worthy of being called men of integrity, and command the respect of their constituencies must support the president now, lest the party will be adjudged by Nigerians and the International Community to be infested with immoral, killers, and do-or-die politicians.

 

But before the convention, I went around meeting and discussing with some members of the G-21 and Integrity group; these are brilliant members of the party opposed to business-as-usual style of Obasanjo, and were hell-bent on stopping his imposition-candidate. I asked those who were willing to speak to me why they don’t want Obasanjo’s candidate?

 

One of them was very gracious to give me a write-up circulating amongst them and sent by a United States based lobby-group, who incidentally are members of the same PDP, titled, ‘Memo to PDP delegates to the Convention’ on why Obasanjo must be removed entirely from the party; and based on the write-up, it would appear that the party hierarchy, by choosing a ‘Dark-horse’ decided to act in the interest of the party, Nigerians and International Community.

 

The following are excerpts from the reasoned memo to PDP delegates:

 

“ACCOUNTABILITY: Under Obasanjo, our party is being accused, and rightly so, of mismanaging the economy of the country; we cannot account for the following:

 

  • More than 500 millions dollars spent on the refinery maintenance turn around, for 8 years running; Obasanjo, his son Gbenga, and friends imported fuel into our country with impunity; sometimes bad fuel that killed innocent people, and we condoned it as a party.

  • Current President Umar Yar’Adua, told the world that Obasanjo squandered 10 billion US dollars in the power sector, and the current House Speaker, Bankole Dimeji, added another 6 billion US dollars, making it a total of 16 billion US dollars, with nothing to show for it; our power is more epileptic today, than when we took over government in 1999; the power being generated is less today than in the past 8 years. Why?

  • Current deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, told reporters during the Christmas holidays, that the federal government owes contractors 950 billion naira. Obasanjo in 8 years received more than 850 billion naira for road construction, and rehabilitation around the country; please, what happened? Nigerians and the world need to know what roads Obasanjo commissioned; roads rehabilitated; roads constructed; so far the answer is none. So what happened to the money appropriated, and how did the debts come about. Why are we silent?

  • Dr. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, recently told the world that Obasanjo pressured her into becoming the chairman of Transcorp; a company used to steal our national treasures like Nitel, Hilton hotel, the refineries, amongst others; with Obasanjo buying 600 million shares at 1 naira per share, and turning around to sell about 400 million shares within one week for 29 naira each. Imagine the huge profit he made, is this not a form of ‘419’?

  • Obasanjo, as the petroleum minister for 8 years, sold the choicest of oil blocks to his friends, cronies, and family members with impunity, and without accountable-due-process; the art of bunkering rose incredibly during these years.

  • Obasanjo, according to Asari Dokubo (member of Niger-Delta Militants) is alleged to have collaborated with some governors in the Niger Delta to support militants, because their activities will increase the profit of their personal oil deals; what a shame!

  • Obasanjo granted over 100 billion naira tax waivers to his cronies, and the current Senate has asked that it should be cancelled.

  • Under Obasanjo’s leadership, the Attorney General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, though not a member of our party was murdered; and Vice Chairman of South-south, Chief A. K. Dikibo, a member of our party was murdered, and many others, whose killers are either still within our party or have remained elusive. The same happened in some states where the governors were known to be loyalists of Obasanjo, yet we kept silent. What a shame!

  • Now they want to intimidate us with fear by insisting that we move the convention to Ibadan, Oyo State, the killing headquarters of the party; a city with the ultimate garrison commander; only God knows who will come back alive if they succeed. This shows exactly the extent Obasanjo will go to continue to hold the party at ransome. We must reject this evil.

  • Under Obasanjo, the National Vice Chairman, South West, Chief Olabode George, was involved in a 13 billion naira fraud at the maritime industry, and EFCC, investigated and told us and the world that George is corrupt, yet, we kept quiet and rewarded George as Chairman of PDP-Foundation; What is wrong with our conscience?

  • Obasanjo sold Ajokuta Steel Company, National Iron Ore Mining Company, and Delta Steel Company Limited to son, Gbenga and his partners Global Infrastructure Holding Limited (GIHL). Is this transparency or hypocrisy? (See Sunday SUN, February 24, 2008, pg 5).

  •  There are many issues that have to do with corruption, and accountability beleaguering our party, and have remained unanswered. These ugly undemocratic things happened during Obasanjo’s Presidency; have we forgotten the illegal tampering with the constitution in 2002, and the almost successful ‘THIRD TERM AGENDA’ and the billions of naira in bribes offered both inside aircraft, on the sea, and on land, to achieve it. Please we must depart from our evil past under Obasanjo-by making a clean break. LET’S VOTE HIM AND HIS CANDIDATES OUT.”

 

They further wrote:     

 

“MORAL ISSUES: This is another troubling matter that must weigh heavily in our hearts, conscience, moral, and religious beliefs. What manner of men and women are we; what kind of message are we sending to the world; what kind of moral standards are we setting as example to our children, and the next generation, if we allow a man like Obasanjo to impose his candidates on us and remain as the BOT chairman of our party?

 

For instance, he is accused of the following moral misadministration while as President from 1999-2007:

 

·        “Obasanjo impregnated 12 ladies while in power, and he constantly beat and abused me.” Wife Mrs. Oluremi Obasanjo

(Mirror Newspaper, Saturday, January 26, 2008).

·        “My Father slept with my wife.” Entered in a Lagos High Court affidavit by Son, Gbenga Obasanjo, to justify why he is seeking to divorce his wife, Moji Obasanjo.

·        “Obasanjo impregnates Wole Soyinka’s daughter, Mrs. Onijala, married to Mr. John Olutola Onijala, a Nigerian diplomat; breaks the marriage, and Husband seeks divorce.” News of the People Magazine, February 12, 2008.

·        Six months after the death of the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Obasanjo, according to close associates was alleged to have attempted to forcibly have sex with the widow in his office at Dodan Barracks, but for the timely intervention of late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who happened on the shameful act?  

·        Obasanjo is alleged to have slept with almost every female Minister and DG’s that worked under him from 1999-2007. Imagine the stress his immoral actions have caused members of the families of these women, especially their husbands since this evil revelation. This action could continue if he remains as the BOT chairman, and this time it could be our wives, daughters or even mothers (God forbid).

·        Obasanjo’s daughter, senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, in ‘419’ scams with an Austrian company, and also charged with kidnapping in US courts.

·        Obasanjos’ nephew Chief Makonjuola disappears with 400 million naira from the ministry of defense without prosecution.

 

The list goes on and on. As members of this great party, we must look within and, as true people of faith, ask ourselves if Obasanjo, is what we want as true representation of our party’s new image, and one we want to give the responsibility of BOT chairman?

 

We must ask ourselves a challenging question: (a)-should our great party be a haven for adulterer’s, incestuous-evil-men, wife beater’s, nest of killers, exam/election cheaters, and immoral wicked people? Or (b)-a new PDP with men of integrity, respectability, sincerity, focused-on-national development, and delivery of democratic dividends, honor, and filled with fear of God. If the answer is (b), then we must gird our conscience and do what is right by retiring Obasanjo with honor out of the party and back to his farm, and reject his candidates too. 

 

We must chart a new part for our party. The challenge is ours now, and we must not allow him and his shameless loyalists to intimidate us. He remains a stranger to our party; therefore, strange methods must be employed to remove him.

 

Obasanjo has demonstrated an extravagant fondness and enthusiasm for sex; a trait usually associated to people who felt deprived of proper parental tutelage and upbringing in morality during childhood. He has exclusively maintained a difficult relationship with honor, truth, integrity, honesty, and good behavior.

 

Please we urge and encourage card-carrying members of our great party-PDP, who are not delegates, and Nigerians in general to muster the courage to carry out peaceful-demonstrations across the nation against the continual emergence of Obasanjo as BOT chairman. God fearing Christian and Muslim members, LABOUR UNIONS, NURTW, NANS, RADIO STATIONS around the country, and all others who feel aggrieved by Obasanjo’s corruption and immoral decadence, must rise up and give their support/voice to the G21 (those in the party seeking better reform), and condemn the actions of the G37 (State party chairmen/lackey’s installed by Ahmadu Ali-must-go and Obasanjo), who are currently frustrating the party from moving forward. The peaceful rally will send a powerful message to all state governors to place their delegates on the side of the people, and not that of evil-fornicators.

 

Lest we forget, Section 12.76(e) of PDP constitution 2001 (as amended), has already made all past and serving Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…who are still members of the party to be ex-officio members of the Party’s Board of Trustees.

 

In addition, by Section 12.7 I (d) of the same Constitution, all members of the Party’s Board of Trustee (i.e., including all past…Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…) are also ex-officio members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

 

Are these honors not befitting to Obasanjo? Why then must he stamped our party by imposing himself as BOT chairman, and insisting on a particular chairman and officers for the party, hence, taking full control of the party? This smells like THIRD-TERM.

 

We must not be afraid of Obasanjo; he can’t harm us when he is out. Yes, he may have helped some of us to get the party ticket and win election, but how did he too emerge into the party; was he (Obasanjo) not helped by people like T.Y. Danjuma, Babangida, Gusau, and many others; and did Obasanjo not deal with, and trampled them. So we can do the same to his ambition, and save our party, save Obasanjo from himself, and do it for Nigerians.

  

Delegates! Are we incapable of choosing, and electing our leaders? Please this is the time to do what is right in the eyes of Almighty God, right for Nigeria, and most importantly right for our party…. let us thread in the part of truth, honesty, integrity, and guided by ‘RULE OF LAW’ and ‘FEAR OF GOD’.”

 

We now know why Obasanjo lost in the convention, why the party chose a new chairman, and how Obasanjo fares in the eyes of PDP members.

 

I thank the party leadership for doing the nation the favor and we pray and hope that he (Obasanjo) will be removed as the BOT chairman, giving the latest findings in the energy sector, Ajokuta, Iron-ore, Delta steel, and very soon the oil sector. The party leadership must take the bull by the horn and let the chips fall where they may.

 

Let the debate continue…now we know who the most corrupt leader is!

Someone certainly owes the Abacha family an apology.

“It’s about issues and not individuals, and anything else is embellishment.” (Apologies to Dr. Mo ‘Ene)