OPINION
By Ofio ‘Lojuayegbe
Our Presidential democracy is touted to be modelled after that of the United States of America. There have been instances in the history of the US where Vice presidents have vied for the top job with the encouragement and support of their principals, and they went on to win.
Records showed that these have happened six times in the history of the United States of America. But since the beginning of the fourth republic, starting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the number one man at the helms has either openly thwarted the ambition of their vices or covertly worked against their emergence as their party’s presidential flag bearer.
In the run-off to the 1999 presidential election, Obasanjo and Atiku found themselves in a forced marriage. While the presidency was served Obasanjo à la carte, Atiku was drafted into the joint ticket because of his strong pedigree and political capital within the then newly formed party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. He belonged to the political movement known then as the PDM and a very strong ally and protege of the late Shehu Yar’Adua. PDM was said to be one of the strongest power blocks within the PDP and who else if not Atiku, that should benefit in the horse-trading for the elective position of a vice-presidential ticket.
The duo began their forced ‘marriage’ on an eventful note with Obasanjo trying to cement his status as a statesman and also push for some recognition on the world stage exemplified by some of his contributions to global affairs as Nigerian president. While he was busy at this, his Vice was practically given a free hand to run the business aspect of the government, especially the reforms in the public sector of the economy through the BPE and other government agencies. It was widely believed that Obasanjo felt Atiku had his hands too often in the cookie jar, and given the chance, he would have wished for a different ‘wife’ to run the affairs of state with him.
But the Atiku political machine was well oiled and he had most of the PDP governors with him, whom naturally hold all the aces when it comes to party primaries. Obasanjo’s second term ticket was being threatened, so he had no choice but to swallow the humble pie and marry Atiku again, albeit against his wish. The ‘second’ marriage became turbulent right from the get go and it was clear to the blind and audible to the deaf that this couple were strange bedfellows.
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The second term of their presidency saw them working at cross purposes. While Atiku continued to form alliances with PDP governors, especially those who are mutual and mortal enemies of his principal, Obasanjo kept his game plan close to his chest. If unassailable war chest is what is required to win a presidential election in Nigeria, Atiku would have been home and dry in the runoff to the 2007 presidential election. Many governor’s were ready to contribute their billionaires’ mite to have an Atiku presidency whom many of them regard as their paddy man, who will oblige them to shamelessly rape their States and plunder the cookie jar without let or hindrance. Alas, Obasanjo schemed Atiku out and safely gave the ticket to a mortally Ill teacher. Atiku jumped ship but the presidency has eluded him ever since, even with his relentless effort to clinch the plumb job under different political set ups.
Let’s skip Mr Jonathan and move on to PMB. But it’s safe to add that had Jonathan had the opportunity of handing over to his successor from the same party, his influence to anoint one is lilliputan; as he was largely seen as a lame-duck president throughout his dramatic reign in the saddle. Now enter the most referred President Muhammadu Buhari, the one man since the start of the fourth Republic who can commandeer over ten million votes in any presidential election because of his fabled cult hero following.
His ‘marriage’ to his ‘wife’ of seven years, PYO, was a marriage made in Bourdillon. There were widespread speculations that the lion of Bourdillon, who himself has audaciously threw his hat in the political ring, nursed the ambition to deputise for the lanky former general until he was given a bloodied nose and told that his only sin was because his middle name is Ahmed and the combination of Muhammadu and Ahmed sounds offensive to the men from CAN.
At every turn of the Buhari presidency, people have waited to read his body language correctly, and I bet there are few experts that can correctly do this. It seems the General is not truly enamoured by his Vice, but rather working against him to divert the ticket to a more pliable ‘client’.
PYO no doubt possesses intimidating credentials to govern a complex country such as Nigeria. He has had seven years hands-on the job experience as a spare tyre to his principal, whom many opined had run his presidency with disdainful aloofness and who had practically allowed a cabal ineptly emboldened by him to call the shots from the cocoons of the Villa. The ‘assassin’ from Adamawa, who resides in “the other room” had cried out not once, that her Mai Gida is a captive of a few men who run things from behind the scenes.
When principals deny their deputies the right of first refusal to take over the rein of power from them, it’s usually for their perceived sins which in many instances may be forgivable if truly they had synergy in the course of their joint presidency. For Atiku, the collective wisdom was that he had odorific presidential ambition which was too nauseating for his then principal, couple with the allegation that his ten fingers were permanently in the cookie jar. For PYO, one has to surgically search for one reason and one reason only, why the taciturn General from Daura does not see him as a worthy successor to his throne in the Villa.
Some egg heads have opined that PYO’s singular sin is the palace coup he carried out when his principal was under the knife in Queensland. There was a powerful and audacious man who bears the same name with the hometown of PMB. This man did the unthinkable by deploying his official goons in the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly, depriving lawmakers their constitutional rights of making laws for the country against the principle of separation of powers as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. The law professor did the right thing by giving the Dee-Es-Es overlord an ignominious booting. Alas, there’s trouble in paradise, and the cabal according to general wisdom of the time, waited for their ‘Daddy’s return to report the infidel who dared upset the apple cart. Oh yes, they kept to their promise and they did report the infidel to their Daddy and the wage of his sin is political death.
For this cabal, PYO’s presidential ambition is dead on arrival. Events in the last few months running into political maneuvering towards 2023 presidential election show that, just like Obasanjo, the current General in the Villa might probably look past his vice and go for a candidate “that will shock Nigerians” as his anointed successor. Two names have been bandied around. The first being that man who can borrow any type of foreign currency in sight ;Yuan, Yen, USD, Euros, Cedis, Cèfas, just to achieve his egregious plan of building rail tracks from Abuja to Maradi in Niger Republic. The second man is the house boy and Treasurer of the cabal who gave them the spare key to the cookie jar which they have been leveraging to purchase anything that catches their fancy; rumours have it, including a telecommunications company. This dude who runs the See-Bee-En is said to be willing to dash money to any political farmer with long caps and babariga under the guise of anchor borrowers scheme, in return to the promise of making him the next stooge in the Villa.
It’s no surprise however that emissaries have been sent ahead in the guise of ‘support groups’
to carry messages of these two purported “shocking candidates” in various media outlets, with budgets probably already in the billions.
The treatment that will be given PYO, some people reckon, is fait accompli, and those close to him should rather tell him not to bother with a lame ambition to succeed his principal. This is de javu, and some people are copying from the Obasanjo playbook. A word, or is it four, they say is enough for the wise, PYO, pls don’t run.
*Ofio ‘Lojuayegbe, a public commentator and political analyst writes from Lagos
