Obasanjo and the haunting ghost of his Third Term Agenda, by Olu Fasan

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s erstwhile subject ruler and erstwhile civilian president, is simply a bundle of contradictions. One could constitute a publication connected Obasanjo’s strengths, and different connected his flaws. Of course, Obasanjo is his ain hagiographer. He has written galore books connected himself, with specified self-referential titles arsenic My Command, Not My Will and My Watch. But arsenic the biographer Lytton Strachey said, discretion is not the amended portion of biography. And so, astir of Obasanjo’s books are an workout successful self-glorification, with highly disputed narratives. 

For instance, Obasanjo’s My Command, an relationship of his relation during the civilian war, was truthful arguable that it provoked General Godwin Alabi-Isama to constitute his ain book, The Tragedy of Victory, to close what helium described arsenic “Obasanjo’s Tissues of Lies”. But portion the civilian warfare is an elite taxable among the retired Generals, 1 contented that each big Nigerians retrieve truthful vividly, arsenic if it was yesterday, was Obasanjo’s effort to widen his tenure and bash a 3rd word arsenic president. He continues to contradict it; but each clip helium does, helium provokes a barrage of aggravated responses by those with cognition of the unfolding events of the period.

Recently, portion speaking during the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue successful Ghana, Obasanjo said: “There is nary Nigerian dormant oregon live that would accidental I called him and told him I wanted a 3rd term.” He added: “I’m not a fool. If I wanted a 3rd term, I cognize however to spell astir it.” The reactions were speedy and unequivocal. 

Speaking connected Arise Television, Dr Usman Bugaje, a national legislator during the Third Term saga, said: “I tin corroborate that Obasanjo did everything wrong his powerfulness to get a 3rd term, but failed,” adding: “There is nary mode helium tin contradict it.” Joining the fray, Senator Orji Kalu, a erstwhile Abia State governor, said connected Channels Television: “What Obasanjo said was a bare lie. Many radical who were portion of that play are inactive alive.” Senator Kalu continued: “He invited maine to the Villa and told maine astir the 3rd term.” Obasanjo’s erstwhile denials were likewise controverted by others similar Adolphus Wabara, a erstwhile Senate President. 

This is bittersweet due to the fact that Obasanjo’s affirmative contributions to Nigeria are monumental, beryllium it arsenic a civilian warfare combatant, a subject caput of authorities and a civilian president, not to notation myriad different roles. But astatine the bosom of the occupation is Obasanjo’s unwillingness to admit that helium is quality and frankincense fallible. It’s either a subject happening (soldiers hatred appearing weak!) oregon a cultural/personality contented (a arrogant Yoruba/Egba chief), but Obasanjo considers publically admitting a responsibility oregon apologising utterly beneath him; helium would alternatively usage “ogboju” – bold face/bravado – to wriggle retired of immoderate situation. Yet lone God is infallible!

In my book, Obasanjo is the champion Nigerian president to day erstwhile it comes to authorities effectiveness; but helium is the worst president successful Nigerian past erstwhile it comes to the workout of governmental power, although, successful conscionable implicit 2 years successful office, President Tinubu is trying precise hard to instrumentality that presumption from Obasanjo, with his penchant for crude and unconstrained usage and personalisation of power. But let’s absorption connected Obasanjo and unpack his contradictions.

Take governance. Obasanjo was a visionary and effectual person who freed Nigeria from a indebtedness peonage by successfully negotiating a indebtedness relief; fought corruption by creating anti-graft bodies similar the EFCC; and embarked connected far-reaching economical and organization reforms. In her book, Reforming the Unreformable, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Obasanjo’s concern curate during his 2nd term, who helped negociate the indebtedness relief, describes successful item the macro-economic and structural reforms nether the Obasanjo administration. It is the aureate epoch of governance successful Nigeria!

Sadly, the aforesaid can’t beryllium said astir Obasanjo’s handling of politics. He ran Nigeria similar a subject dictator: removed authorities governors done exigency rule; sacked Senate presidents capriciously; and fired his party’s chairmen whimsically. The 2003 statesmanlike predetermination was truthful massively rigged that Obasanjo secured 99.9 per cent of the votes successful Ogun, his location state; the Supreme...