Yar

Yar’Adua’s Sickness/Obasanjo’s Response: An Insult On The Northern Elite

Abbas A. Dikko

One need not balloon it, at least, we all know how the liked of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Aliyu Gusau, TY Danjuma facilitated the realized of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from prison at the same time, manipulated the process to his victory in the presidential election of 1999, we equally knows how elder-statesmen, Alh. Shehu Shagari, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and a host of them saved him the embarrassment of impeachments spearheaded by the then agile House of Representative under the leadership of Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba. We as well, knows how former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a host of former governors loyal to him saved him from yet another disgraced at the party’s level and at the same time, stage-managed his return to the presidency in the general election of 2003. It’s equally, too early for Nigerians to forget how the combined forces of these personalities, civil liberty organizations and the media saved this nation from political catastrophe by putting a halt to his ungodly third-term project.

But and surprisingly, we later, saw how personal and inordinate ambition tears these personalities apart and helplessly watched how former President Olusegun Obasanjo that has no political base in 1999, couldn’t win election in his ward, has not and to date, cannot win any election or sponsor any candidate to win any election under a free and fair environment, short-changed the interest of the north and imposed a sick candidate on the them when it was glaring, he could not achieved his aim of denying the north the presidency. That however, reminds one the good old days of Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina, Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, Sheik Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, Sunday Awoniyi and of course, the popular Kaduna mafias that sacrificed their lives, earnings and personal interest in order to protect the interest of common northerner and the north entirely.

Decades from today, there has never been a time when the north and it’s people became defenceless, powerless, unethical, uncultured, greed, corrupt and divided except, in the fourth republic and to date, could not find its bearings. In the history of this country, nobody would ever thought that not only Obasanjo that was rejected by his kin(s) including some people from his household, but, any other respected personality of high morality ranking can come to the north and decide who is to be their leader and freely get away with it. Unfortunately, with all the galaxy of personalities mentioned, nationally and internationally recognized and respected, financially strong and otherwise, an impudent of Obasanjo’s standing who for the rest of his life had enjoyed un-quantifiable favours from the divide more than his home-region, came and rubbished not any the north but, the country itself under their watch. What an eye sow!

Not enough, same him with all his backlog of failures, corruption and immoral act, still has the alacrity as challenged at the media trust dialogue to tell the north and the entire country that before he adopted Yara’Adua as his successor, he took cognizance of certain characteristic features of him, could one imagine, as if, we are not in a constitutional democracy. What an insult! Hear him, “I adopted Yar’Adua for no other reason(s) than; his personal integrity, certified medical report, intellectual capacity, knowledge, political, social/religious broadmindedness.

Interesting! But the questions here are; if we are to take cognizance of consensus, how widely has he made his consultations and with who-and-who? And, where there was no consensus, is it constitutional, simply because, he was the out-going president to single handedly decides for over 140 million Nigerians? Does Obasanjo truly understood what constitutional democracy is all about or is it because, the country has become a trash and dumping ground, therefore, any jackal can be foisted on its people as their leader? Sincerely speaking, if former President Olusegun Obasanjo is spared for this uncouth and disclosed unconstitutional act, then, we should all forget about Nigeria.

It has been on note; this type of lies was one among his many, therefore, if Obasanjo thinks, he can continue to deceive people, he is indeed, the biggest fool of the century. Millions of Nigerians knows why he adopted Yar’Adua, in fact, it was not for any reason(s) rather than to achieve his personal ambition of dragging the north completely down when it was evidently clear that he has failed the south-west, and, to creates dissatisfaction and mistrust between the north and south-south and as well, settle scores with the people that made him because, he is a sadist.

However, let’s take his reason(s) of adopting Yar’Adua as not just his usual gimmicks and deceitfulness as we use to know him, let’s again, take each reason(s) and analyze them on there merits. Well, Obasanjo mentioned personal integrity as one among the factors, the question here is, what does he understood about Yar’Adua’s personal integrity? Is it because, Yar’Adua has never been found enmeshed into any controversy or it was his parental background he took into consideration? If for the former, Obasanjo is wrong because, it was affirmed by one of his ranking minister and heat-man, Mal. Nasir el-Rufa’i that Yar’Adua’s name was one among the Ribadu’s list of 31 corrupt governors but shelved on the intervention of National Security Adviser that his corruption was not counter-productive, and, if it’s the latter, that has no any relationship with leadership.

Secondly, Obasanjo mentioned having a certified medical fitness report from Yar’Adua’s personal physician that was after he had consulted Yar’Adua himself and he affirmed his medical fitness. What insanity! Lest we forget, this is Nigeria that is suffering from moral rectitude, honour and dignity, therefore, even a sick-man on a sick-bed, if given the opportunity to rule, would affirmed his fitness. And, what does Obasanjo expect, to tell him that he is medically unfit? Well, it’s said a fool at forty is a fool forever!

Thirdly, he mentioned intellectual capacity-wonderful! One only hope Baba do not misunderstood it with academic certificate which, is only a complement to not only leadership but, several other endeavour in life and never a guaranty to deliverance of good governance. Therefore, for Obasanjo to consider it as a criterion, he must be in a state of despair or not in tune with reality or as usual trying to find an escape route in order to exonerate himself from the controversy he has today, puts this nation.

Fourthly, Obasanjo mentioned knowledge, political, social and religious broadmindedness as another factor, here again; this signifies his ignorance of the character in contention or as was earlier analyzed another of his usual deception as a cover-up against his plot. Yar’Adua who as a governor for eight years in Katsina State was dictatorial and nakedly refused to accommodate opposition, how therefore, politically minded could he be? And, how socially broadminded is/was he when to date, his network and reach-out still remained within the confine of his home-state. And, for the first time for Yar’Adua to have a first hand knowledge of the topography of this country was during the 2007 campaign.

More reason(s) why in the selection of his first cabinet, he strongly relied on the list that was given to him by PDP/State governors noted to be the most unceremonious and incapable ministers and later, fell back to his colleague former governors and yet, nothing has to date change in the leadership, rather, worsen the situation. Another reason why he could not visit/address the Niger Delta militants, rather, relied on skewed information that was insincerely fed to him and of course, the Jos mayhem to see for his eyes the genocide in order to at least, think of an enduring solution that will bring to end the dastardly act and today, the genocide has resumed in a more uglier manner.

However, on Yar’Adua’s religious broadmindedness, one is not an authority to throw more light; it’s only the Omnipotent that has the supreme knowledge of his inner intention, thought and believe, but if what we are seeing with the Nigerian politicians should be the borne of contention, Yar’Adua too, would not be spared. And then knowledge, one wonder which of the one? Is it his experience of eight uninterrupted years as executive governor that came to Obasanjo’s thought? Well, if that was it, definitely, Baba must be sick in the brain and his level of thought must be low. If Yar’Adua was sure of self, capable and prepared to take charge-de-affairs of this country, he would have at least, indicated interest or came out to contest like the rest of his colleague, contestants-governors. In 1999, nobody adopted or convinced him to vie for the governorship of Katsina State.

Therefore, whatever excuses/reasons Obasanjo would proffered today, on the controversy that is close to consuming this country, it holds not water. He has his plans and projections and very much out to achieve it, if he has not already achieved it, at least, he has said it. What stops Yar’Adua taking the path of honour?