Obasanjo And Buhari: Issues From Their Addis Ababa Meeting

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Nigerians woke up on Monday morning to behold a picture of two former heads of State, Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari greeting on the sidelines of the 33rd ordinary session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.

It was a remarkable meeting given the bad blood that has flowed between the two men in the advent of the 2019 Presidential Election in which President Obasanjo stoutly resisted a second term for President Buhari.

The picture is significant given that the two men are the only persons among the estimated 200 million Nigerians to have ruled the country for three terms, once each as a military dictator and two terms as civilian president.

The ambience of the meeting, however, indicates the tact and statesmanship of the two men.

Issues from the meeting at Addis Ababa.

• Obasanjo met Buhari at his seat – Obasanjo apparently left his seat or as he came into the hall and approached the president reflective of Obasanjo’s well known knack for honouring authorities even if held by his enemy.
• Obasanjo brought two hands to shake the president – Even though older, albeit officially, Obasanjo brought out two hands to shake the president reflective of humility to authority.
• Obasanjo was stone faced- The picture reflects the fact that Obasanjo was certainly not happy doing what he was doing, but did it because he was compelled by manners to do so!
• Buhari was smiling – Yes baba you may not like me but I am president, Buhari may have muttered as he shook the president.
• Buhari rose up to shake his foe. Buhari was not arrogant as he could have sat down to shake Obasanjo but gave his predecessor the dignity and respect he deserves. Remember Godwin Obaseki did not stand to shake Oshiomhole

It is worthwhile that the two men met and exchanged pleasantries.

Speaking to GreenWhiteGreen, Publicity Secretary of pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin said that the disagreement between the two leaders shouldn’t stop them from greeting in public.

Indeed, both prominent Nigerian figures are keen to have a prestigious place in the history of the country.

If the picture in Addis Ababa was taken before the 2015 General Election, the esirit de corp and comradeship would have been easily overlooked.

In 2015, Obasanjo smarting from losing a place in the heart of “his son” President Goodluck Jonathan had galvanized friends and foes to see to the ouster of then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Obasanjo publicly tore to shreds his PDP card. He also received Buhari and leaders of then opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in his Abeokuta residence.

That OBJ was the engine room for the defeat of Jonathan was not an understatement.

In March 2015, to celebrate with Obasanjo on his birthday, then APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Bahari described Obasanjo as a courageous patriot who tells the truth to power when he is convinced leaders are going wrong.

He said that though Obasanjo is widely perceived as controversial, he said such perception should not overshadow his patriotism and remarkable courage to speak up when things go wrong in the country.

Immediately  Buhari assumed office, the relationship between him and the Obasanjo was cordial with the latter dashing into the villa once in a while.

Some political watchers believe Obasanjo this time wanted to throw his weight around the new administration for selfish reasons. Others say the love of the nation and his nationalistic instinct was at play.

Some however believe that in a bid to screen out OBJ from having a stronghold over the politics of the south-west, a group loyal to a political leader in the region had to create distrust between him and Buhari.

As the nation tumbled from one crisis to the other, it wasn’t long for Obasanjo to send a damning letter.

He accused the Buhari regime of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty.

He also said the Buhari regime condoned misdeed-“if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today.

“But there are three other areas where President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him. One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court.“

He dropped a bombshell, that Buhari should not contest for a second term.

“My only appeal to brother Buhari to consider a deserved rest at this point in time and at this age. I continue to wish him robust health to enjoy his retirement from active public service. President Buhari does not necessarily need to heed my advice,” Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo was not done, in 2019, he wrote another letter warning that the nation was on the verge of ethnic cleansing.

Presidential aides were quick to hit back at Obasanjo, vowing to trounce Obasanjo and his allies in the PDP with a “margin will be much bigger than we had in 2015.”

Buhari and his boys taught Obasanjo a political lesson. The incumbent came back to power tearing to pieces the notion that you needed OBJ to retain control of the villa.

Some, however, agree with Obasanjo that the content of his letter are already beginning to manifest.

At the launch of the Western Nigeria Security Network Operation, Amotekun, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, said that Amotekun is nothing but a community policing response to a problem that the people would like to put an end to.

This is just as Southeast governors have agreed to launch their own regional security outfit in order to tackle security challenges and other issues in the region.

Launching regional security outfits is a pointer that there are issues needing urgent attention in the Nigeria state.

Like Buhari said in his birthday message to Obasanjo in 2015, maybe this is the time for the administration to look beyond the controversies of Obasanjo and his like and take measured to reassure the people that it is on top of the situation.

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