| Femi Ajayi's Outlook |
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It would be a wasteful exercise for any Nigerian to equate the feud between Atiku and Obasanjo as an attack on the North. North does not exemplify what Atiku is doing in his position to his subordinate. The North respects its leaders. North respects the unity of Nigeria, South, East, or West. Trying to instigate the North against the South, the South West, South East, or even South South that has been denied an opportunity to field a Presidential candidate under PDP, should not be allowed to flourish. Atiku rode to the position of Vice President through the joint efforts of Obasanjo under the platform of PDP. Atiku is a subordinate of Obasanjo to assist with any assignment from the President, and carry out PDP policies or programs. Nothing is wrong for Atiku to abscond to another Political Party, Action Congress, AC. That is all right to do so. Atiku picked up the other Party's Presidential Ticket to promote AC, his new Party's program agenda. Now he is gone to the Court to stop the move by PDP to keep his position as Nigerian VP, while he is a loyal followership of a different Political Party. It does not match. In a civilized society, the VP should honorably resign from PDP to allow him the moral and ethical justification to defend the new Party's programs he is pursuing. How could a Nigerian declare or register for two political parties at the same time? That is double standard. Amazingly, some Nigerians are endorsing the VP's move. Does Nigerian Constitution allow an individual to belong to multiple political parties? I doubt if some Nigerians are thinking logically very well. Where is Nigerian brain? You belong to a Political Party. You went ahead to pick its Presidential candidate while you are still a member of the other Party that elected you into your current office. You want to eat your cake and have it at the same time. If you are declaring for another political party, you should have the honor to give up the other party that you are denouncing. An honorable person would resign from the previous party. Atiku might have roped himself by picking up AC Presidential candidate ticket for 2007. There is nothing wrong for decamping in a political set up. Atiku should decide what to do, not hiding under the banner that what Obasanjo is doing is an attack on the North. It is either he remains in PDP, which might be too late, or resigned from PDP which he has to do to be a full legal member of any other Political Party of his choice, AC, to join another party. That would be more honorable for him to do, rather than taking Nigerians through unnecessary pain. There is life after politics. If I may ask again, is it possible for a Nigerian to belong to multiple political parties? If yes, any Nigerian could vote twice in any election, for his parent party and his new party. This is different from marrying multiple wives from different ethnic groups in Nigeria, or having multiple girl friends or boy friends at every place you go. This is an outright double standard. In other words, what Atiku is saying is that you can belong to a multiple party; you can vote twice, you can hold multiple political positions, VP and President at the same time. God have mercy. The bad blood between Atiku and Obasanjo is challenging the wisdom of Nigerian leaders especially the Northern Traditional Rulers to see how this could be stopped. At the initial stage of the crisis, when the elders met to parley between Atiku and Obasanjo, Obasanjo, in his crude way, advised Atiku to have 'Out of Court' settlement, if I may use that phrase. Obasanjo counseled Atiku to apologize to the nation about his indictment, denounce his Presidential ambition, and he would grant him amnesty. Atiku's dilemma is going into an embarrassing conclusion. Unfortunately, some Nigerians are getting too emotional about the development. Instead of looking at the situation in a more objective manner, they resolved into making some inflammatory statements narrowing their thoughts to Obasanjo single handedly 'firing of a VP'.
Before we all get carried away with emotions, we could sought the legal interpretation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria especially section 142(1) of the Constitution which states;
So also Section 146(3) (C): "Where the office of the Vive-President becomes vacant- (c) for any other reason, the President shall nominate and, with the approval of each House of the national Assembly, appoint a new Vice President." If we may again, Nigerians should ask one another, if any Nigerian could belong to a multiple Political Parties at the same time? Would Nigerians be allowed to vote as many times as possible while playing loyalty to their multiple political parties? Would Nigerians be allowed to hold two political positions at the same time, while being a member the Senate, to be the Chairman of their Local Governments? It is a known fact that Atiku has large Nigerian followerships, especially among the Governors, who are his personal friends. With the help of AC, the Party of disgruntled old members of PDP, one million-man match is in the offing. The bond is there. The obvious is that most of his friends are afraid of OPC Bulldog that is Obasanjo Political castle Bulldog, called EFCC. No dispute about that. Birds of the same feather, people say, always flock together. The fact remains that 80% of Nigerian Politicians have no real job before joining politics. What do we expect of them since they have nothing to lean on after vacating their offices, either after four or eight years? One sure thing is that they would follow someone that has strong wings to hang on to. Secondly, while in office, they would do everything possible to accumulate some wealth by all means possible. Thirdly, they would support, whosoever, would stop Obasanjo's Bulldog, EFCC, from barking at them, or possibly biting them, which could be life threatening. DPS and Tarfa are struggling for their life now after been bitten by Obasanjo Political Castle, OPC, and the Bulldog, EFCC. Dariye and Fayose have gone underworld, running away from the barking of OPC 'Bulldog'. Unfortunately, some peoples' mind has been mortgaged. Regrettably, some Nigerians are pushing Atiku to his cobweb hole, under the pretence of fighting democracy. They did that to Babangida, he realized where he was heading and he quickly made a U-Turn, before it became a huge embarrassment to him. He gave up his ambition. If we may ask, what does Atiku want after his wealth? Some Nigerians may not like what Obasanjo is doing to reform the country. Obasanjo is very crude in his own way. Nigerians are stucked with this man, either Nigerians like it or not, till May 2007. I mentioned this in 2001 when Na'Abba was bent in impeaching Obasanjo. Those that referred to Obasanjo as a 'tyrant' who rule with iron hand could be right. May be they are not thinking. Obasanjo's orientation could NEVER be changed. An engineer, a Military man, a War Commander, a Military Head of State, and a political prisoner, if I may add, and you expect him to rule like someone that knows no hardship in his life. Nigerians would see when Yar'Adua becomes the Nigerian President, God's willing. Nigerians should safe their energy for something better. Obasanjo, a political novice, was tamed and he is now using his experiences, delivered to him by the North, against his masters, breaking the jinx, as used in 2003 elections. Obasanjo understands the dynamics of power and uses it very well. Did you all see the outcome of the PDP 2006 Presidential primary? Read my most recent piece on that subject titled, "Obasanjo Political Castle". The agitations and hard work of the SE and SS especially to produce a PDP Presidential candidate in 2007 failed. Obasanjo could be vindictive, and unforgiving. He might have confessed his disagreement with late Awolowo's family, and might have forgotten and forgiven the family. Do you trust him after his daughter, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, former Ogun State Health Commissioner, and a PDP Senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, has confessed that "vindictiveness" ran in their family? He could defend his argument that he appointed Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu as an Ambassador, of which some people might have seen as aesthetic. It is not surprising for the Igbos decision to reject Yar'Adua, Buhari, and Atiku tickets, and take their destiny in their own hands in the next dispensation. Could that have encouraged the Senate President, Nnamani's readiness to resign his prestigious position to be Buhari's running mate, pretending not to understand the Constitutional provision that no member of the National Assembly could decamp to another party? The common sense filtered into Buhari's camp, not to consider Nnamani, saved Nnamani's face. This might be one taster of lack of cohesiveness in the SE political game, without applying what is morally right or ethically appropriate. The immorality and ethical behavior of some Nigerian Public Officials leave much to be desired. In 2003, unfortunately, the Igbos REFUSED to support Obasanjo for his second term bid. Obasanjo used the 'political jinx' to carry the SW, discouraging SW from fielding a candidate. The move sent some powerful Governors to AC today (2006), Osoba of Ogun State and Akande of Osun State. Do you think they are happy at whatever Obasanjo does? Who are the people Ndigbo call "coward"? Where is the Ndigbo's consensus candidate? Ndigbo fielded Ekwueme in 2003 to run against Obasanjo at PDP primary election. My advice then was for Ndigbo to support Obasanjo, while the South West would not have no excuse to support Ndigbo's bid for the PDP Presidential candidate in 2007. Regrettably, every known Igbo politician then wanted to be the Nigerian President. The South West refused to field any candidate under AD, to give Obasanjo the support he needed. That is the dynamic of Nigeria politics. You would not blame the South West for not supporting Ndigbo for 2007, realizing the vindictiveness and unforgiving ethos of Obasanjo. Unfortunately the candidates pushed forward for 2007, from the SE and SS, Attah, Duke, Udenwa, Egwu, Odili, were not taken serious, except Odili. The moment PDP saw some cracks in Odili's candidacy, PDP made a U-Turn to the North, none was considered from the SE. If the world was ready for a female President, Professor Dora Akunyili could have been a good candidate. I hope Ndigbo is learning some lessons from the imbroglio of the Nigerian political game. Igbos can go ahead and reject the nominations of Yar'Adua and Buhari, they failed themselves. We sang to their ears what needed to be done, they never listen. The Brainwash on some Nigerians in the feud is unfortunate with Atiku referring to his vacant position as "unilateral and reckless action", is very interesting. If I read the piece of news correctly, my understanding was that, PDP NEC met and based on its recommendation has requested the removal of Atiku. Both INEC and the National Assembly were notified. Technically Atiku has seized to be a member of PDP since the last registration as he was not properly registered. After he spoke with the President about it, his registration card was brought to his office by the PDP Chair, Dr. Ali. Guess what, his card was signed by the National Auditor (of the PDP) for PDP chair, and his Deputy Chief of Staff signed on behalf of his ward secretary. The PDP Constitution allows the chairman and secretary to sign. Technically, Atiku was holding an invalid PDP card. Was that not enough evidence or sign for Atiku to resign from his position as the VP? Realizing that, we could ask where is his morality and ethical justification in hanging around PDP and now he does not want to leave PDP? What baffles me now is that for every single occurrence in Nigeria, the next step, especially Nigerians Abroad in the United States of America, is to start running to the United States Congress, writing the State Department for salvation. Does that mean that USA is the only source where Nigerians could get salvation? Does it mean that Nigerians, with their high intellects, cannot put their heads together to find solutions to the numerous challenges in Nigeria? Are Nigerians not making a mockery of themselves and allowing the American Media to continue bashing on Nigerians. Why is it impossible for Nigerians to take their own destiny into their hands and find solutions to the man-made internal disunity rather than running to almighty USA that is facing its own challenge in the Middle East today (2006). Do they see themselves as burdens to the USA, expecting 'manner' to keep on falling from heaven'? Nigerian lawyers either in the USA or Nigeria should answer this question whether Atiku is morally and ethically justified to belong to two political parties at the same time? In most of what we do in this world, common sense is highly important. Nigerians in U.S.A. jump to the direction of a few 'placard carriers', after been fed with some false information regarding the happenings in Nigeria. We sometimes have some false reports from one or two individuals to state that Nigerians Abroad are opposed to the 'quit order' on Atiku, or to say that Information Minister calls Nigerian Abroad role in Nigeria as "inconsequential", or Professor Gambari has been drafted by US as the next Nigerian President, and when you follow up, the stories have no substance. Such misleading reports have been on for some times, under the false pretences that US based Nigerians are of such opinion not realizing that it was also focused on very few, less than five, placard carriers on every minute issue to stage a protest. While Atiku is writing the Chief Justice of Nigeria, which Belgore has denied, at least he has not received the letter yet, as of Wednesday, December 27, 2006, asking a stop to any move by the National Assembly and the Court regarding his 'vacant' position. Chief Justice Salihu Modibbo Belgore has already promised to flush out the rotten Justices within the system. Unfortunately there are many Senior Advocates of Nigeria today than we have lawyers in Court, with 1994 cases still pending in different Nigerian courts. The cases of the impeachment saga in Oyo took almost a year before the final judgment. Others still pending are in Anambra, Plateau and Ekiti States. I hope Belgore will stop the mockery of Nigeria Judiciary. It is only Atiku that could ease the tension that is overheating in Nigeria today regardless of the 'mileage' of SANs walking to Supreme Court on his behalf. He has money to spend and SAN members need money with N10 million to retain each of them. Money or wealth intoxicates and leads to an abuse, lack of respect for the rule of law, abuse of power, lawlessness in Africa, especially in Nigeria. Atiku should use his moral and ethical judgment to resign from his position as VP instead of puling the North into the equation. Nigerians should echo Obasanjo's Christmas prayer, offered December 25, 2006 in Abuja at the Presidential Villa Chapel, since God told him not to rule again, "Father, we bring our dear country, Nigeria before you, once again. We pray that in all we do, you will continue to be our guide, keeper and helper. Let our land become a land flowing with milk and honey. Take us to the Promised Land and grant us the fulfillment of our hearts' desires. Amen" Nigeria election 2007 is going to be very interesting. Let there be peace in Nigeria!
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he dogfight between number one and number two Nigerian Citizens, Obasanjo and Atiku, is degenerating into what Nigerian Vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku would like Nigerians to believe as "the attack on the North". This writer at one point cautioned that Atiku might possibly draw his feud with Obasanjo to the issue of North and South, or Christian and Moslem infatuation.