Why Gen. Obasanjo bought himself 130 Million Naira worth of trouble, scandal By Chido Nwangwu
The quest by former Head of State Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo to become presidential flagbearer is increasingly attracting controversy and snowballing into a scandal.
The latest action which is fuelling the controversy around his campaign to become, this time through an election as president of the country he once ruled as a military head of state (February 1976-October 1, 1979) is his latest dramatic donation of a whopping sum of 130 million naira to further his interests through the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Many are wondering how the same retired soldier who in August this year, shortly after his release from late Gen. Sani Abacha’s jail, told any willing ear that he had “no funds to even pay for my kids college fees here in the U.S” could have mustered the funds plus a promised 200 or so vehicles/vans to the PDP.
Some analysts in Nigeria and here informed USAfrica The Newspaper that Obasanjo’s donation is not only indecently massive but shows he is the tool of other shadowy, behind-the-scene forces.
A fellow Yoruba like Obasanjo, Chief Ademola Abayomi told our reporter in Lagos that “it exposes the point we’ve been making that Gen. Obasanjo is the candidate of the retired army generals, of retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and the northern Nigeria power oligarchy.
He will be at their beck and call and we do not want such a president after all we’ve gone through. It’s terrible.” Abayomi, an activist for the PDP queried “Where did the funds come from? If Obasanjo does not give a true and complete explanation, he should not only take back his money but he should quit our party.”
Obasanjo’s latter claims… the latter claims which he made in Houston and New York, this year, and back in Nigeria logically raise the suspicion and doubts about his backing/sponsorship. In comparative terms, for our American audience, the clamor and controversy makes better sense if, former president Jimmy Carter or Ike Eisenhower donated millions of dollars and vans to their political party, as prelude to seeking the nomination of the party!
When Obasanjo made a brief but private visit to Atlanta and Houston the closing days of October and first Sunday in November, he met with some of his more influential friends, including civil rights leader and international businessman Andrew Young. Recall that Gen. Obasanjo had told Nigerians in Houston Young was responsible for his son’s upkeep and payment of his college fees for the simple fact, according to Obasanjo, he did not have the resources/funds.
When I requested an interview with Gen. Obasanjo during one of his latest November meetings in the U.S, he told USAfricaonline.com “I think I’ve said all that I needed to say during my declaration speech as one the PDP presidential aspirant.” But I told that “a lot has changed since your declaration” to run a presidential candidate. The constellation of social and political forces have become markedly altered.
As we all know, one day is along time in politics. Moreso, 30 days, a phalanx of multimillionaire former generals, former head of state, a slew of contractors and a rejuvenated opposition to any form or emanation of military candidacy.
But the General insisted he was not going to do an interview. USAfrica The Newspaper of October 25 has the transcript of his interview with our contributing editor McLord Obioha in New York. He took a look at the interview, read parts of it, carefully, and said “this is good, the things I said in this USAfrica interview (pointing to the paper) still stand…” I reminded him “the configuration of things have changed…” He cut in, politely and smiled, saying “ehhh.. but only a little change. Chido, let’s leave the interview for now.” I respected the General’s preference.
But I needed, among other issues, to discuss what made the same Obasanjo in August this year, deny having any interest in partisan politics at the Nigerian community Forum in Houston which I moderated.
He said clearly, at the time, he had seen and served at the highest level in Nigeria as head of state and at the lowly level as Abacha’s former prisoner. Now, the issue remains, what did the very folksy retired commander chief forget at Nigeria’s presidential palace which he needs to get, or what goals did he not achieve which he finds rather opportune, at this time, to run to succeed another military ruler, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar?
There are more questions being asked even inside his Egba homeland, the same hometown of the late democracy martyr of Nigeria, Moshood K.O Abiola, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Also, Obasanjo had said before Abiola’s death that the late billionaire publisher was the messiah Nigerians should hope or wish for.
Meanwhile one of the leading attorneys in Nigeria, Gani Fawenhinmi has filed a lawsuit over Obasanjo’s donation of 130 million Naira to the Peoples Democratic Party. He filed it on behalf of the pro democracy Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON) in the Federal High Court.
They seek the courts mandatory order to: Compel Gen. Obasanjo to confirm whether or not the sum of 130 million Naira he donated to the Peoples Democratic Party in November 1998 is part of the $2.8 billion Oil proceeds alleged to be missing from the national treasury during the regime of Gen. Obasanjo. *Alternatively, a mandatory order compelling Gen.
Obasanjo to disclose the source of the sum of 130 million Naira he donated to the Peoples Democratic Party in November 1998 if it is not part of the $2.8 billion.
Obasanjo political future has taken a new, complicated turn, with barbs flying from within his own village, getting significant support from some of his former colleagues and international personages/organizations as he struggles for the nomination, principally with former elected Vice president of Nigeria Alex Ekwueme.
December will be a critical, turning point for the PDP, the credibility of Abubakar’s transition program and Obasanjo’s place in history as the only Nigerian military ruler registered as a card-carrying member of any political party. Soon, the dust will clear
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence Award, HABJ 1997, is Founder & Publisher of USAfrica Media Networks, Houston, USAfricaonline.com, USAfrica The Newspaper, BBJonline.com and The Black Business Journal. Also, he travelled with U.S president Bill Clinton to parts of Africa in March-April 2, 1998.
2, 1998.
