Atiku: You go explain taya

It is unbelievable that it took former President Olusegun Obasanjo all of eight years to become aware of what was written about him in the 2018 memoirs of accomplished journalist, Aremo Olusegun Osoba. In the memoirs entitled: Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics, Osoba recalled how Obasanjo sold a dummy to the then Southwest governors to help him get reelected in 2003.

The governors were all of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), with strong roots to the Yoruba socio-cultural and political group, Afenifere, which was so strong then that it determined many of the things that happened in the party. Party faithful and its elected governors ignored Afenifere leaders at their own risk. That was when Afenifere was Afenifere. Obasanjo also knew this and he attempted in his characteristic manner to play one against the other – that is Afenifere against AD – as led by the governors then.

Osoba claimed that Obasanjo employed ‘deceit’ in wooing the AD governors who thought they were helping a brother to his side. For eight solid years, that word stood solid in the pages of Osoba’s book without a response from Obasanjo until last week, following the culling of that part of the memoirs by a journal, The Legal Observer. Some may think that Osoba had just written the book the way Obasanjo descended on the author and Atiku Abubakar, who always gets the length of his former principal’s tongue.

There is no love lost between Obasanjo and Atiku. Their quarrel did not start today. It started from the first day of their eight years sojourn in office between 1999 and 2007. How they managed to work that long together despite the mutual mistrust is still surprising. Obasanjo, again, took Atiku to the cleaners while reacting to what Osoba wrote about how the former president plotted to sideline his then deputy in his reelection bid in 2003. Obasanjo, who got elected in 1999 without winning any state in his Southwest region was determined that should not repeat itself in 2003.

The way to go, he reasoned, was to go with the AD governors since he no longer enjoyed the support of his party’s governors in over 20 states of the Federation many of who were rooting for Atiku. Obasanjo knew that he needed AD and APP to overcome the Atiku threat, but he had a trust issue with governors of his home region, who knew him well. Obasanjo knew that he was a hard sell, so he had his ‘Option B’ handy. It was not a fashionable option.

Osoba was coming from this angle when in his book he referred to Obasanjo as ‘deceitful’, a word which the former president says is offensive. After analysing what Osoba wrote about him and the reference to the attempts to impeach him under the late Speaker Ghali Na’Abba-led eighth House of Representatives, Obasanjo gave it in full measures to Atiku. He claimed that Atiku gave N5 million to initiate the impeachment. Obasanjo never tires of giving it to Atiku whenever he has the chance.

They have been on the warpath for years, with Obasanjo predicting where Atiku would end up. Before his latest claim that Atiku gave Na’Abba money to impeach him, Obasanjo had never said or seen anything good in his former deputy. He fought Atiku to a standstill to ensure that the latter did no succeed him in 2007. To Obasanjo, Atiku is unfit to lead Nigeria because of his “propensity for corruption and lack of transparency”. NigerianEntertainment Coverage

He said more in his book: My Watch. According to him, Atiku is not always able to stick to the truth; tends to be disloyal and to have poor judgment; relies heavily on traditional spiritualists (marabouts); trusts in money to buy his way out of problems; and is ready to sacrifice morality and national interest for selfish goals. Obasanjo had since found Atiku unworthy to be the president of Nigeria and once called on heavens to judge him, if he ever supported the Adamawa-born politician’s ambition.

“God will not forgive me, if I ever support Atiku for a political leadership role again once knowing his true character”, he said. Expectedly, Atiku is fighting back. He has nothing to say really because the man at the centre of the N5 million allegation is dead. And as they say, ‘the dead don’t talk’. He knows that Na’Abba that can be called as witness is dead and that he can hide under that fact to say the allegation is not true. Even if Na’Abba were alive, would he have taken the witness stand against Atiku?

I doubt it, except if they are not in the same political camp. Did Nasir El-Rufai not say worse things about Atiku when they were at opposing ends of the political spectrum? Did El-Rufai not change his stand when they became political friends? So, Atiku can continue to hide behind one finger by asking why Obasanjo did not make the allegation when Na’Abba was alive. This is the only defence he has against this weighty allegation, but then he should not push his luck too far.

He can argue as much as he likes, calling on heaven and earth to bear him witness, but the fact remains that nobody knows him better than Obasanjo who worked with him at close quareters for eight years, despite keeping him at arm’s length. Come to think of it, what will Obasanjo gain by making up the allegation, if nothing of the sort happened?

To Atiku, Obasanjo made it up to shore up support for his kinsman for the Presidency. Who is that kinsman? Atiku did not say, but it is obvious that he is talking about President Tinubu, even when the world knows the kind of relationship between both men.

Can Obasanjo do anything to favour Tinubu? The answer is NO. He will forever work against Tinubu’s interest, except a miracle happens that makes him to see the light. Atiku’s claim in this regard is wide of the mark. He should just thank his stars that Na’Abba is dead.

By Lawal Ogienagbon