Dear Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president,
As you are more than aware of most of us ordinary Nigerians (particularly younger ones who constitute majority of Nigerian population today), your status of an elder statesman in Nigeria is not given on a platter of gold. Rather, you gained and earned it through providence, hard work, and Almighty’s destiny to one’s life. Just a little reminder sir, among all your friends from primary, secondary, and to military academy, none achieved what you achieved despite some being more brilliant and intelligent than you, and some even richer than you sir.
Papa, in Nigeria, one can easily argue that even our founding fathers do not achieve (personally) what you achieved. You were raised in the military from a cadet officer to General, and from battalion commandant to General Officer Commanding (GOC), to vice chairman Supreme Military Council (SMC), and subsequently, the chairman of the SMC. Not only this sir, you are also one of the few African rulers that voluntarily handed over power to a democratically elected government in Nigeria; This record is there in your CV sir! The Nigerian government sponsored your candidature for the United Nations secretary general position. despite losing that election sir, you are the first black man to contest for that position.
You are the first person in our nation’s history who headed the affairs of the country as a military leader and came back 20 years later to as a democratically elected president. Not only elected as an elected president but did two terms of office as elected president! Sir, you got all you want from Nigeria and Nigerians.
After your two terms of eight years in office, you anointed a candidate for your political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for Nigeria and Nigerians in 2007, and he won that election according to the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in person of Umaru Musa Yar’adua. After his demise, the then vice president Goodluck Jonathan took over the affairs of the country as president all with your visible and invisible hands. After your fall out with your political godson President Jonathan, the current President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), who was your junior in the military, came to the throne with the assistance of your invisible hands.
As usual of OBJ’s character, you wrote an open letter to PMB, which became the genesis of your falling out with him like his predecessor, President Jonathan. This event left you isolated in the daily affairs of your political party, the PDP. One crisis after the other in the PDP, and your failure to reconcile members forced you to take a back seat in the party. Eventually, you came out in the news briefing and telling the entire nation that you are done with PARTISAN POLITICS. Not only this, you also tore into pieces your PDP membership card! One thing expected of you as an elder statesman in the country, Mr. President, you need to stand by your words. Remember the saying that your words are your bond, particularly in an African society.
Recently, your actions said the opposite of your status as an elder statesman. You have been going from one corner of the country to another politicking for the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi. One doubts the reason for this (particularly remembering the kind of shabby treatment you meted to the same Peter Obi when he won governorship election in Anambra state, while you were President of the Federal Republic in 2006/2007). It is on record that you visited Professor Ango Abdullahi, the chairman of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), in his Zaria residence, yes, Zaria, not even in Abuja. You also met the Generals in the top hill mansions in Minna, as well as General Aliyu Gusau. Recently, you met Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state in faraway London. All in the name of selling the candidature of the Labour Party. Before the London meeting, you met with prominent Yoruba elders in Lagos, as well as Igbo residents in Lagos.
Papa, as you promised to the entire nation that you quit partisan politics, and as your age and status demand, particularly being a Yoruba descent, who firmly believes in ancestors, Papa, you have no reason now to turn around and be trolling the nation as well as some parts of Europe in the name of selling the candidature of a particular candidate, just because of having certain grouses with certain candidates. Whenever you encounter your ancestors, you will then understand they are not happy with your actions and inactions as an elder statesman, as you betrayed their teachings. But going through lane of history, this is not surprising. We are all living witnesses in this country how your son, biological son, alleged and accused you of sleeping with his wife! Also, your quarrel with your daughter which was washed in the public domain.
Papa, this will not augur well for you. As mentioned earlier, you parted ways with Jonathan, you also parted ways with PMB, thus, why would you not part ways with the current candidate you are trying to install if he eventually wins the election?
Papa, as an elder statesman, you need to emulate the likes of John Kufuor of Ghana, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, late Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, just to mention a few. These are all presidents of their respective countries at one time, and whom after leaving office, never interfered in the affairs of their countries, unless they are consulted, which is the most appropriate engagement of elder statesmen. Kindly, Papa, let the boys sort their partisan politics by themselves, thus, no one will accuse you of giving upper hand to another candidate.
Papa, it is the choice and desire of each African man to have a perfect end in life. By choosing what we do during our lifetime. Contaminating your life at this material time Papa, will mar your end. Thus, at this time of your life Papa, you need to be cautious of what you do and or refuse to do, as well as standing by your words no matter what. By this, you will leave a golden legacy after your life. Papa, I am sorry for writing you this letter, as I am too young to do this. But Papa, as you know, I have no means of coming to you as your protocol demands to shut the door to ordinary people like me from coming close to you. This is the only channel through which I can get access to you Papa. I do hope your protocol staff will still let you lay your hands on this.
Sincerely,
Abdullahi writes from Texas, United States, via llccoimex@gmail.com