Baba Olusegun Obasanjo, Not So Fast By Bukola Oreofe

Congratulations to President Olusegun Obasanjo on his conferment of a PhD degree in Theology. Clearly, age is not an impediment to knowledge acquisition. This feat should be inspirational to our youths especially with the pervasive desire for wealth acquisition by all means possible which bodes danger for our well being.


I read Baba's statement or quit notice to President Buhari admonishing him to not seek reelection due to his below-par performance in office. The contents of his now familiar and perennial write-ups indicate his belief that he owes the country the duty to publicly speak out against faltering government and also opine on the way forward.

His critique of the Buhari administration, his predecessor (Goodluck Jonathan) and the woeful performances of the two political parties under these two leaders was spot on even though he conveniently left out his complicity in the state of affairs of the country under the country's democratic experience.

The significant part of his missive which made headlines was his counsel that President Buhari should call it quit and not seek reelection in 2019. That verdict I am sure would jolt the president and his acolytes who have endorsed him for a second term. Meanwhile, I have made efforts to determine if Baba's degree was just a PhD or combined with "Atona" of Nigeria. Atona in Yoruba means "The Pathfinder".

Let me be on record that l am so far disappointed in the performance of President Buhari. I was shocked to see how quickly he was demystified and how he frithered away the massive good will he earned over the years in a very short time. Infact, President Buhari had a larger-than-life image. He was messianic under the cloud of doldrums that befell Nigeria during the Jonathan administration. Nigerians held out hope and promises for a new Nigeria in him. He has so far let down millions of Nigerians out there who are groaning under the weight of poverty and hopelessness.

I recall that as soon as he was sworn in there was noticeable improvement in electric power transmission. There was a feeling of a new dawn and Nigerians were willing to be partner in the rebirth of the country. The fear of Buhari was the beginning of wisdom for the looters or so we believed. There were friendly narratives which included unsubstantiated reports of treasury thieves willingly returning loots to the treasury. These stories were positive projection which resulted from the abundant goodwill he had. The international community also bought the Buhari Nigerian redemption script. He was welcomed around the world as a new lease of life. Because our country has been battered over the years Buhari was a bearer of bright light and hope which we have since sadly watched dim and may extinguish except there is an urgent course correction.

Reading Alhaji Lai Mohammed's response to Baba's statement wherein he reeled out numbers and figures to defend the government and refute the former president's submission, his efforts would be mere academic exercise if those numbers do not translate to good life for the people. It would mean either those indices/numbers are not strong enough to make an impact or the administration is using the wrong metrics.

Baba as the self proclaimed Atona of Nigeria bears a huge share in the blame of the Nigerian mess. It is amusing when Nigerian leaders believe that failure in a task or position qualifies them as an authority/deserving to be regarded as a connoisseur. We have witnessed political actors seek second term on the basis of a failed first term-stunning! President Obasanjo over the years has positioned himself as the Orunmila, the chief priest who provides divinity and prophesy. The unfortunate trend is that his interventions roll us back yet he is unrelenting in his unsolicited counsel. He either assumes we suffer from collective amnesia or he is deluded about his place in Nigeria's history.

During the June 12th 1983 election annulment and its imbroglio, Baba in South Africa rather than join in the call for the respect of the democratic will of Nigerians as expressed in the election, he infamously stated that "Chief MKO Abiola was not the messiah Nigeria needed". His disposition certainly emboldened Ibrahim Babangida and gave impetus for the Shonekan/Abacha interregnum. Baba's failure to stand with the people but rather supported a coup against the peoples' right to determine and elect a candidate of their choice was a wrong and disastrous path.


In 1999 President Obasanjo was sworn in and his eight years if they were as good as he expects of his successors, a solid foundation would have been laid but l guess talk is cheap. We witnessed $16B electric power expenditure which gave us darkness, billions appropriated to his Works and Housing ministry under Chief Anthony Anenih with increased dilapidated infrastructure. Fraud and corrupt practices of local and international scope were alleged against him and numerous members of his cabinent including his Vice President Abubakar Atiku. The Obasanjo eight years were replete with missed opportunities to make the country develop her potentials and record greatness.

Again, in his Atona role, Baba orchestrated the emergence of Umar Yar'dua despite widely known poor state of the man's health. We all remember his "Umoru dem say you die" comic display to assuage nervous Nigerians that the former president's health was in good shape. All is history as they say concerning Yar'Adua's stint in government. Baba, bears responsibility for the turmoil and failure of the Yar'Adua administration. That was a wrong path.

With the demise of Yar'Adua he supported Jonathan against Buhari even though Baba wants us to believe he is altruistic and as a patriotic statesman the country comes first before party but could he not discern who would make a better president between Buhari and Jonathan? The Jonathan administration unleashed a massive record of locusts who relocated the treasury into their bedrooms. His was a season of marauders who were unsympathetic to the plight of the people. They had a mission to steal us into stupor and they sure did. Baba, that was another wrong path.

For reasons best known to him he left PDP and expressed his support for Buhari and the APC in his exercising his Atona penchant and three years in he is changing course and he wants us to follow him. Baba, how about take a deep breath and figure out how to apologize to Nigerians for the dead end you have led Nigeria each time you have played the role of a Pathfinder? It would be honourable for President Obasanjo to know his weaknesses and failures and know when to call it quit. I respectfullly state this is the time for him to take a bow. His Pathfinder role on the way forward has historically being abysmal. He lacks a worthy antecedence to be the arrow head for a resurgent Nigeria.

The Nigerian Youths should organize themselves and fill the ominous vacuum which allows failed leaders to recycle themselves or dictate what is best for us. At this juncture Baba is advocating a third-force movement option which without us addressing the fundamental problems of Nigeria is another dead end. There has to be an agreement among the component units that make up Nigeria on the desired trajectory with a template that recognizes our uniqueness and how best to structure the country.

Baba, Nigerians await your apology for your previous lead which has cost us blood and treasure.


Bukola Oreofe