BY: HON. BILLY NWOYE
The best period in Nigeria’s recent economic history is 1999-2007. During this period, Obasanjo was President and Atiku was Vice President. Obasanjo has been touted as one of the best presidents when compared to his successors but was Obasanjo really that good ?
When one takes a look at all the sectors of Nigeria under the Obasanjo era, it was the economy that made progress. Every other aspect was retrogressing. Why did Obasanjo Administration perform better than his successors in all economic indices, the answer is Atiku.
Atiku Abubakar was the brain behind the success of Obasanjo’s Administration. Between 1999-2007, the only area the Obasanjo Administration did well was in the economy and that was because Atiku Abubakar was in charge of the management of the economy under Obasanjo. Obasanjo failed in other areas where Atiku was not in charge. He bastardized the legal system, oversaw terrible assaults on our political system through a feudal era style witch-hunt of political enemies and opponents and committed several massacres as the commander in chief. In 2007, he left a legacy of conducting the worst elections in the country’s history.
The only bright spark about Obasanjo Administration from 1999-2007 was the economy and that was because Atiku was in charge of that aspect. In Every other aspect, Obasanjo is nothing to write home about.
Our elders in their ancient wisdom gave us a proverb that says “A masquerade who knows how to dance must know when to leave the stage otherwise he will end in disgrace”. There are certain persons whom the elders have in mind when they dropped these words of wisdom and as we are seeing currently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo fit into that description.
Obasanjo is a masquerade that knows how to dance because he is arguably the most successful Nigerian politician in the country’s history who has had two opportunities to lead this country as a military head of State and as a democratically elected President. His contributions to Nigeria’s history are indelible. It was under his command that the war for Nigeria’s unity and survival was won. He has the record of being the first military leader to hand over to a civilian administration in West Africa and he is the first civilian leader to hand over to another civilian. He is that masquerade that knows how to dance and ought to be celebrated except that he has refused to leave the stage paving the way for his disgrace.
Since 2007 when Obasanjo left office, he has refused to come to terms that Nigeria is bigger than him and his ego. In 2007, he broke every law known in civil politics to enforce a sick man over the biggest black nation on earth. That single action of Obasanjo plunged the country into a constitutional crisis. Even when he saw that he could not control President Yar’adua, he resorted to his usual blackmail. He did the same thing to Jonathan and fell off. In 2015, again, he refused to leave the stage and played a role in bringing Buhari in. Like his usual self, he sought to control the new Government and fell off. Since 2007, Obasanjo has been meddling with partisan politics because of his egomaniacal desire to install a president that will either do his bidding or not exceed his own records. He wants to be at the center of the stage not knowing that his time has passed and his dance steps are no longer attractive to spectators.
His recent outburst where he endorsed Obi, the least qualified candidate of the three major candidates is another demonstration of that proverb. Obi is the lightweight – the boy whom Baba Obasanjo deem fit enough to be controlled and made to do his biddings. Obasanjo does not have as working relationship with Tinubu who opposed his tyranny when he was president. He can never forgive Atiku for fighting for democracy by helping to frustrate his third term ambition. Hence his choice of Obi.
In 1999, when the country was about falling apart. The wise men thought among themselves of one who can save the country and that one must be someone who is experienced and not a trial and error leader. That was why he Obasanjo came into the picture.
In 2023, we are at the same crossroads as we were in 1999 and instead of wishing Nigeria well by clamoring for a leader with experience, Obasanjo in his usual selfish gimmicks is pushing the least qualified and least experienced Candidate for the job. This is the final straw that will break the camel back. After 2023 elections, he will be disgraced again since he has refused to leave the stage. Further President Obasanjo should take into self advisory that it’s best to leave the stage while the occasion is loudest or in this case it may begin to appear that he is seeking a back door channel to a third term through whom he described as his protege whose ear he could pull back himself should be fall out of line.
Finally What were obasanjos achievements between 1976 and 1979 when he was first head of State ?
So when you look at these things, you will agree that without Atiku, Obasanjo is worse than Buhari.
HON. BILLY NWOYE
FMR ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA