MY FEARS FOR YAR’ADUA: BREAKING THE COCONUT ON HIS HEAD

The President of Nigeria needs the wisdom of Solomon to handle the present phase in his relationship with his party - People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria, his former boss - Olusegun Obasanjo who has cleverly found a back door to get his third term and other sycophants who will  masquerade as his advisers or assistants but working for the fifth columnists.

The ruse by Obasanjo and his cohorts that he did not want the third was demised when he, the former President ‘engineered’ the position of life leader of the People’s Democratic Party and also added that of ‘president’ to the Executive President of Nigeria by making himself the next Chairman of Board of Trustees for the same party.

Nigerians and the world at large will continue to follow with great trepidation the antics of the former President as he seems hell-bent to pocket Nigeria at the twilight of his domination and career. He is largely responsible for all the disobedience of constituted judicial authorities from 1999 till 2007; for the lawlessness present in many states of the Federation which is now very present in Southwestern states of Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo. This was also witnessed in many ways in his party where ‘babacracy’ - a philosophy of might over law, confronted many judicial pronouncements including that of the Supreme Court. The recent hurried assumption of the post of B.O.T. chairmanship by Obasanjo was also a continuation of his anarchical ways of doing things which were the hallmark of his eight years of civilian rule. The untying of tongues of some of those present at the motley assembly where they openly challenged the ex ‘militocivilian’ ruler  should be an eye opener for both the ex and current rulers.     

The acceptance speech from the ex-President said it all. His duties as the Chairman of B.O.T. include being “the conscience of the party and advising the President on policies of government”. It is the belief of all people who can see beyond their noses that Mr. President, not the life President of PDP but Umaru Yar’adua will understand that he is in a cage. He should be discerning enough to know that he may have no breathing spaces from the ex President who has been variously described to type by Sunday Awoniyi as ‘very domineering’ and will scatter if he is not allowed to domineer. The ex President is wont to dominate even environments that are not familiar to his comprehension or as in the words of his former friends as an anarchist.

The recent years of the retired General in office as Nigeria’s number one revealed his true self as anything but a democrat, and as a strong unbeliever in rules and regulations or laws. It is only his way or the highway. Several Nigerians who heaved a huge sigh of relief on May 29, 2007 after he handed over to Umaru Yar’adua should have many reasons to worry because they have not seen the last of him in the saddle as the controller. Some of the close friends of OBJ after the voodoo called elections in May openly announced that he must have some convictions to trust Yar’adua because ‘it seems he has a lot to worry about’.

It is a major concern to some of us as to what exactly are the worries of the ex President for him to angle himself inside the controlling towers of this new regime even at his age. To students of history, the Nyereres, Kenyattas, Kaundas and even Rawlings must have thought that they could do it forever too.  The popular saying has it that you can not fool all the people, all the time. Ask our own IBB who dribbled for a long time and had to dribble himself when people got tired of his dribbling.

There is indeed a growing desperation all over the acts and utterances of the former President Obasanjo. Here, the Yoruba elders and Afenifere should watch his offer to reconcile them. It should not only be rejected but both bodies need to watch their dealings with this man. The Yoruba Council of Elders need to be more careful because it is a creation of OBJ and was used by him for most of his eight years of reign.

Within the People’s Democratic Party, an implosion is beginning to take off and all those who thought of returning to the party after the ‘stepping aside’ of OBJ should beat a retreat.  However, there is a big difference for OBJ and his ‘babacratic’ party, the Constitutional power is in the hands of Umaru Yar’adua and a minute of utilization against any of them including ‘baba’ will make a big significance in the political implosion and explosion to come.  

Except if there is a big binding agreement between the Executive President of Nigeria and the former, the headmaster - student relationship between Umaru and all knowing ‘baba’ will not stand the test of time. Additionally, there are powerful forces out there who will very soon confront the situation and empower the seemingly timid and obedient student.

The student should watch and not disappoint the generality who believe in him as the first real educated man with a College degree to rule over Nigeria.

To all people in need of justice for the years of servilities and lawlessness under OBJ, they will require more patience because the man - OBJ, seems to have convinced all Nigerians that he is desperate. Gani Fawehinmi laid the desperation at the door steps of his corruption in government while others attributed it to some unresolved killings under his watch. Whatever, it is crystal clear that the ex President is desperate to be close to controlling the affairs of Nigeria and the last three days before his hurried assumption of office as the ‘president’ to the President of  Nigeria are pregnant with worries for him. These were the days when the men and women who had been ‘deported’ from his party started to return, the Yar’adua government caved in to pressures to probe the last contracts of his regime, promised to reconcile all and decided to include other parties in a Unity government.

There are potent fears for Umaru Yar’adua. He may want to be his own man but there is nothing like that when dealing with a man who sees himself as a god. The President will definitely need to protect his head because the war to come over the coconut may be too hot for all. He will need to quickly assert himself and stake a control in the political and other equations of power. He does not seem to have a base in the Congress while his ‘baba’ may be in control of about 69% there. His political life in particular seems to have been left in the hands of a man who thinks he has a monopoly of knowledge. He told a bewildered Nigeria that almost all before or after him did not know the rudiments of government and the reason why he must not allow his great efforts to be wasted again like Shagari did in 1979. Nigerians should remember that he played a role in installing Shagari in 1979 and has done the same in 2007 with Yar’adua. The current President should watch out because the same man who installed Shagari gave several public pronouncements which gave impetus to the poor man’s overthrow in 1983.

Yar’adua should go ahead to reform the electoral system, make the EFCC answerable to the National Assembly, give more teeth to the Nigeria Police to do its duties, stop the lawlessness enthroned in the States by his predecessor especially in Oyo, allow the law to take its due course as to the usurpers all over the states and make lives meaningful to all Nigerians per employment and power generation.

The President needs to think of serving Nigeria and Nigerians rather putting his hands behind his back to pay perpetual obeisance to a man who does not know when it is a new dawn. It should be a very new day in Nigeria.

 

John Ayodele,

bishopbode@hotmail.com

Atlanta, USA.