most of the national dailies on Thursday December 12, 2013.
It was all about the 18-page December 2 letter written by the
former president, General Olusegun Obasanjo to President
Goodluck Jonathan. In the letter, Obasanjo made several
allegations against President Jonathan verging on misrule and
other moral questions.
As it is now, it is not only journalists and opposition
politicians who are celebrating the letter, which the Presidency has rightfully described as "malicious". Strangely, the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, is also doing a veiled victory dance over the letter. You can even picture him grinning and chuckling away in self- satisfaction. Atiku has been widely reported to have called on all other elders that Obasanjo had copied the letter to respond. According to him, all the elders have a moral duty to speak up on what he regarded as "weighty allegations" against Jonathan in the letter.
First and foremost, the former vice president, in inviting
General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalam Abubakar –
two former military leaders – and Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former
vice president, to speak up on the controversial letter is not
interested in any peace making as statesmen do.
Instead, Atiku Abubakar is at his mischievous best of stoking
the fire to escalate an already bad situation. As a former vice
president and a serial presidential candidate, Atiku ought to be
experienced enough to know that a quarrel between a sitting
president and a former president (especially in the mould of
Obasanjo) is potentially threatening to the polity.
To invite two former military leaders to join in the quarrel
cannot be an act borne out of wisdom and patriotism.
Already, the fissures, bad blood and incendiary remarks
coming out from the different camps of the two protagonists
in the famous quarrel is heating up the polity and any wise
counsel will be such to calm frayed nerves and put out the
conflagrations.
But unfortunately, Atiku's desperation for power, particularly
his ambition to be president, seems to have got the better of
him thus robbing him of all his nationalistic values. What he
seeks now at every turn is an opportunity to push through his
ambition. Whereas many other well-meaning Nigerians are
seeing in the quarrel an opportunity to improve governance in
the land and bring prosperity to our people, the former vice
president and his team have their eyes permanently fixed on
what an opportunity there might be in the brewing controversy
to sell to Nigerians the Atiku brand, which they have
consistently rejected at the polls.
This perhaps explains why the former vice president quickly
issued a statement in support of Obasanjo, calling his
allegations against Jonathan "weighty" when other leaders and
elder statesmen and women are still analysing the situation.
Not satisfied with his own jumpy and rash conclusions on the
Obasanjo letter, Atiku is also inviting other leaders who
obviously know better than he does to join in his reckless
indiscretion. Well, that is what unbridled ambition can do to
any man or woman!
It is very unfortunate and sad indeed that our former vice
president who received and even continues to receive more
accusations bordering on corruption by a man who probably
knows him better than anyone else is now giving credence to
Obasanjo's allegations because another person is now at the
receiving end.
It is a shame that Atiku who has constantly called Obasanjo a
liar is now willing to change his position and regard his
former boss now as a truth bearer simply because Jonathan is
the victim here. If Atiku has conveniently forgotten in his
selective amnesia, Nigerians are still consciously aware that
Obasanjo has made several allegations of corruption against
his deputy in and out of office. In fact, Obasanjo has fallen
short of calling Atiku a thief!
For the better part of his remaining career, Atiku's greatest
obstacle in realising his political ambition of becoming
Nigeria's president perhaps is shedding the thick beautiful
garland of corruption that Obasanjo has put on his neck.
And rightly so, the focus of the former vice president's
campaigns has been laundering this public perception that
Obasanjo has rightly or wrongly created for him. He has
gone to the courts; he has made denials; he has called
Obasanjo a liar; what has Atiku not done to counter
Obasanjo's claims? The question now is: if Atiku believes
Obasanjo's allegations against him were fabricated, why is he
now seeing the allegations against President Jonathan as
weighty?
If there is one person whomNigerians have expected to rise in
defence of Goodluck Jonathan in these wild accusations
against him from his former benefactor, it is Atiku Abubakar.
This is so because what Atiku now calls "weighty"
allegations, which he now seems to corroborate for his own
selfish interest is nothing compared to what Obasanjo has said
about the former vice president. But what Atiku does not
realise or has conveniently forgotten is that Obasanjo has said
the same things against the people Atiku is now inviting to
speak up, and they know it.
He maligned Babangida and Abacha when they were in
power; he criticised Abdulsalami Abubakar and all former
military leaders; he ridiculed Umaru Musa Yar'Adua when he
was in office; and he would do so to Gbenga, his son, if he is
elected.
There is nothing really new in the Obasanjo letter, which is
being celebrated in the media. If anything, it is vintage
Obasanjo. But it is sad that the Atikus of this world, now
drunk, with presidential ambition have forgotten so quickly.
Atiku should please leave Babangida, Abubakar and
Ekwueme alone. These leaders, unlike him, put the nation
first. Let Atiku speak for himself!
Mr. PASCHAL OWOLABI, a post-graduate student, wrote
from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Via: Vanguard
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