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The political history of
Nigeria would be incomplete, if the name, Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo is
omitted; this son of Otta village, who was born on the 5th
day of March 1937; some sixty-nine (69) years ago in Abeokuta Ogun
state, is indeed among the luckier of the luckiest Nigerians, but
somehow a ‘star-crossed’ president, Nigeria got so far. He came to power
twice, impromptu; after the sudden and unexpected death of a previous
Head Of State, on 13th February 1976, when General Murtala
lost his life in a botched bloody military coup d'état, and in 1999,
when Gen. Abacha
sudden death on 8th June 1998
paved the way for
democracy in Nigeria.
If current trends
in Nigeria as they are now, especially in the economy, politics and the
much celebrated anti corruption war; continue unchanged, the post
Obasanjo Nigerian polity would be interesting to ordinary Nigerians; a
banana peels to president Obasanjo, and a painstaking moment to
Nigeria’s next president if it happens that our next president is a true
democrat, but if it happens that our next president is a pseudo-
democrat; he or she will stuck on to the current scenarios: arbitrary
use of state machinery and resources, selective execution of the anti
corruption war, lordly use of power and those in authority closing their
eyes to due process , principles of true federalism, and
accommodation of opposing views especially when situations does not
favor them.
Taking into
account what had happened in many countries after a change of regime
despite the fact, that retiring presidents tried as much as they could,
and installed a surrogate as their successor, but in the long-run,
things didn’t went as they expected it – for example: late Ahmadu Ahijo
of Cameroun Republic did much to influenced the materialization of Paul
Biya as Cameroun’s president , but in the end, Ahijo had to flee into
exile, until today, Ahijo’s corpse is still in exile in Saudi Arabia,
Fredrick Chiluba circumvented due-process to facilitate the
emergence of his political ally Levy Mwanawasa to become the president
of Zambia, but Chiluba didn’t escaped trial on corruption charges ;
president Obasanjo himself is an example, all those that worked to see
his emergence as president of Nigeria are today in worlds-apart with
the president, from IBB, Atiku, the founding members of the PDP, so in
view of such cases, post Obasanjo Nigeria would not only be a
catch-22 situation to organs like EFCC, PDP, and some politicians but
to president Obasanjo himself, regardless of who become the next
president of Nigeria; though if our next president is a make-believe
democrat, this entails that, ordinary Nigerian would witness more of
what is currently happening in Nigeria, where ups are downs, and wrongs
are rights; political power would be the greatest ‘smoke gun’ to be
used by the ruling class to achieved anything they wish, where their
armories would be two very poles apart matters, anti-corruption war
and state resources.
The economic and
financial crime commission (EFCC) is the best thing that had happened in
the present Nigeria, but it is regrettable to see the organ turning
completely into an instrument of crushing, blackmailing and
down-grading perceived political opponents of those in authority, the
post Obasanjo Nigeria would a very difficult moment for the EFCC
regardless of the type of president Nigeria would have; if our next
president is a complete democrat, the EFFC would be constraint to
swallow its ‘vomits’, because the commission would be compel to respect
due process and rule of law, thus, those that the commission painted as
Saints during the Obasanjo tenure, the commission have to repaint them.
The most interesting thing that would happen to the EFFC would be if our
next president happens to be a make-believe democrat; in this case, the
commission would finally turn into an instrument of politicking by those
in authority; and it is unfortunate to note that, Obasanjo
administration’s anti-corruption war has gradually been reduced to
politics, and it would be a Herculean task to prevent undemocratic
politicians from doing same; for the reason that, when such people are
confronted on this, their simple reaction would be: “even during the
regime of ‘Father Of Modern Nigeria’ these are the complains”. And with
current world politics, the support of international community would be
easily obtain; once a government pledge to be an ally, then and a blind
eye will be cast on their illegalities at home.
The next Nigerian
president will certainly inherit a presidency that is demeaned in the
eyes of the public, but a presidency that possess
utmost political clout; an office that can direct, matched-on
and punish any body without any apprehension, and when the president is
with you, you can do and undo- it was widely reported recently that a
serving minister in the Obasanjo government brazenly challenged a
sitting vice president of Nigeria; although this is part of the
consequence of president Obasanjo overbearing ruling style.
Nigerians will not
cherish a president that would preoccupied his management of Nigeria’s
affairs in dealing with events of the past rather than putting down
plans for future growth of the nation, but Nigeria’s next president
have to face the challenges of a nation with large population but less
productivity, where Unemployment remains desperately high, and
agricultural sector has been decimated over the years, and estimated
70% of Nigerians live below the United Nations-defined poverty line, our
next president have to look for a way to reformed obasanjo’s voluminous
orthodox reforms programmes that is crammed with relabeled, renamed and
a re-produced of the usual international financial agencies economic
pills imposed on African nations; which are at pole-apart with needs of
ordinary masses .
While by mid-day of 29th
May 2007, president Obasanjo will be on his way to meet his chickens and
pigs at his Otta farm, Nigeria’s next government will be face with a
demeaned political position at all levels of government, conflict
between the interest of state and that of a regime, a limping
advancement to a prosperous, peaceful, just, democratic, valued and
multi- dimensional secular nation.
Zayyad I. Muhammad
writes Jimeta, Nigeria
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