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Babatunde Adenodi
Pharmacist

East Orange,
New Jersey
USA

What Obasanjo must do if Babangida wins
by Tunde Adenodi.

This title is not particularly appropriate. It presumes that Bibangida can indeed win a free and fair election in Nigeria. But if I were to change it to this: “What Obasanjo must do if Babangida won”, it indicates that it is probable, but highly unlikely that Babangida could win. But in the probable, but highly unlikely event that IBB wins…, what must Obasanjo do?

By having the effrontery to declare his interest in ruling (I say ruining) our embattled country again, Babangida has declared war on the country of his birth! His declaration of intention is just as bad, if not worse than his reckless annulment of MKO Abiola’s election in 1992. And any one who supports his bid for the presidency again is by that support, the enemy of Nigeria.

IBB strongly believes that he, or his family owns Nigeria. He said that much by stating that he merely “step(ped) aside” when the heat was too much for him in 1992. He has not stopped running since. And every move IBB has made since he annulled that election, has been strategically made towards the realization of the dream. It now behooves Nigerians of all persuasions to make sure that he is president only in his dreams.

After annulling the election, he propped up a pliable UAC “civil servant” Ernest Shonekan as Head of the Interim National Government of Nigeria, leaving his protégé, Sani Abacha in place for the ultimate price.

On what record is IBB running to be Nigeria’s next President?

He sweet-tongued Buka Suka Dimka into giving up the rebellion after Dimka’s assassination of General Murtala Muhammed in 1976 thereby assuring himself a strategic position in Obasanjo’s government. He became the Chief of Army Staff under the tyrannical government of Muhammadu Buhari. He was, it was believed, the third column referred to by Buhari, which was responsible for some of the atrocities of Buhari’s security personnel and ultimately led to Buhari’s downfall.

On overthrowing Buhari, IBB called himself “President” of the republic without a single vote and in contradiction of known tradition before and since then. He then went ahead to decimate the country slowly but steadily. He released Buhari’s prisoners from NSO cells only to promptly put his own prisoners in SSS cells. Then, he began the destruction of education, agriculture, health and even the army through which he rose to become the Commander in Chief. He frittered away Nigeria’s earning on an endless transition to civil rule program which he ended by annulling the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history. This is his record, This is the record on which he is seeking the votes of Nigerians.

IBB believes that if Obasanjo can have a second shot at the presidency, so can he! If Obasanjo could win without the votes of his Yoruba ethnic group, so can he. If Milton Obote could have a second shot in Uganda, so can IBB. If Rawlings in Ghana, or Kerekou in tiny Benin Republic, so can he. IBB forgets, however, that he is not Obote, nor Rawlings, nor Kerekou, nor Obasanjo. Those people deserved a second shot, not the man who single-handedly put fire on his motherland!

If IBB has a bloated image of himself, you cannot blame him. He thought that he made Obasanjo in 1976 with the Dimka encounter and also in 1998 when he approached OBJ and asked him to take over from Abdulsalami Abubakar. It is also rumored that he was the one man who bank-rolled OBJ’s presidential bid in 1998. And it is no coincidence that the man who awarded him the highest honor of GCFR is none other than Obasanjo. It stands to reason, in IBB’s distorted mind, that OBJ had sanctioned all his activities from birth to the point of the GCFR award!

Did he do those favors for OBJ because of his love for OBJ? No! Certainly not. He did those things for love of self! He did them with the hope of being repaid one day. And to IBB, the one day is now. This was why he was rumored to have made OBJ sign an undertaking to hand over the presidency to him after OBJ’s first term in office.

Now, let us get to the crux of this article.

Obasanjo has come full circle. Cumulatively, he has held leadership position for a period of 12 years. He is one of the most experienced leaders and perhaps most vilified but all the same most well-intentioned leader of Nigeria so far. Yes, the election that brought him back to office for the second term was highly contentious, but I probably would have done the same if I had Ojukwu or Buhari angling to be president of Nigeria after me! Over my dead body! No, over my live body!! If I got to be President of Nigeria, there is absolutely no way I would hand over the presidency to Ojukwu, Buhari or Babangida even if they won with a land-slide! I would not hand over to a disloyal deputy either! And I dare say, nobody would!

Obasanjo became Head of State by accident of fate. He took the position “against (his) personal wish” and desire. He trudged on gingerly in the minefield of political intrigue and handed over peacefully to Shehu Shagari in 1979. After his release from Abacha’s jail, he was asked again to be president. Not because the power brokers loved him, but because they thought he would always do their bidding and cover their tracts. So, 2003 was the first time ever that OBJ actively sought to lead. And to think that he would allow himself to be defeated by Ojukwu, who saw OBJ in Enugu in 1970 and fled, or Buhari, who was chased out of office by IBB, was totally unthinkable!

Those who are encouraging IBB should think twice! OBJ does not want IBB to run. He does not want Buhari or even Atiku to run, let alone win. By supporting these people, they are also supporting OBJ’s third term bid.

If I had Obasanjo’s antecedent, I would not allow any of these people to run, talk less of win. So, what must OBJ do if IBB won? He must annul the election and hold another election that will exclude IBB. Who knows? OBJ might well get his wish to rule for a third term.

"IBB strongly believes that he, or his family owns Nigeria. He said that much by stating that he merely “step(ped) aside” when the heat was too much for him in 1992. He has not stopped running since. And every move IBB has made since he annulled that election, has been strategically made towards the realization of the dream. It now behooves Nigerians of all persuasions to make sure that he is president only in his dreams."