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How Obasanjo's self-succession charade at his Ota Farm has turned Nigeria to an 'Animal Farm'

By Prof. MOBOLAJI ALUKO

Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com

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SUMMARY OF ESSAY: Although, Nigeria's President retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo lived and was active in Nigeria as a former military ruler himself while Gen. Sani Abacha played his own self-succession charade. I can only hope that Obasanjo was not aware of what went on at the time under late Gen. Abacha over the latter's self-succession plans, otherwise he should neither have allowed nor been a part of the 'Obasanjo for 2nd term 2003' charade going on in his (Obasanjo's) own Ota Farm. Will nomination to run for elections not be through the normal party mechanism; in this case the ruling PDP? So why the public spectacle, the charade? If he does know how ridiculous all these public campaigns have become, then I am concerned about him. Somebody better call President Obasanjo aside and tell him about the comparable political succession 'body movements' - almost exactly four years to the day at Aso Rock - of the late dictator Abacha before he died on June 8, 1998.

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If you have read 'Animal Farm', then you will understand why I have chosen that book's title to characterize the ongoing 'Obasanjo Self-Succession' parade in his Ota Farm. Retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and his canvassers' efforts are engaged in what seems a repeat of Abacha's presidential 'self-succession' parade of almost exactly four years to the day at Aso Rock.

Let me remind all of us about Nigeria's recent history, under the late dictator Gen. Sani Abacha - from 1995 until his death on June 8, 1998, when we had the following groups "earnestly asking" him to self-succeed:

Here are the Groups/Initials, Full Names and their Leaders (where available):

NMPC - National Mobilisation and Persuasion Committee (?),

NMPS - National Movement for Peace and Stability (?)

YEAA - Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha '98 (Daniel Kanu)

UAN - United Action for Nigeria (Godwin Daboh)

NEC - Northern Elders Committee (Abdulrahman Okene)

GESAM - General Sani Abacha Movement for Unity and Stability ( )

GESAM '98 - General Sani Abacha Movement for Peaceful and Successful Transition Programme (Chief Yomi Tokoya)

ASOMO - Abacha Solidarity Movement (Alhaji Chief, Dr. Abayomi Owulade),

NACYAN - National Council for Youth Associations of Nigeria (),

March 2 -3 1998: Million-Man-March for Abacha

Now, so far on April 3, 2002, we have recorded the following groups for Obasanjo:

Group Initials - Full Name (Leader)

VOA - Vote Obasanjo and Atiku 2003 (Jasper Jumbo)

OACMG - Obasanjo-Atiku Continuity Mandate Group, (E.A. Adeoye)

OASM - Obasanjo-Atiku Success Movement (Hassan Umoru)

ISO - Integrated Supporters for Obasanjo (?)

YAO - Youth Alliance for Obasanjo (Sasanya Gbolahan)

OAPDP - Obasanjo-Atiku Peoples Democratic Projects (Catherine Acholonu)

MONAC - Movement for National Consensus and Accommodation (Arthur Nzeribe)

And the following pilgrimages were made to the seat of Nigeria's power, Aso Rock ,and only a few days ago they were hosted at President Obasanjo's own Ota Farm asking Obasanjo to 'Run, OBJ, Run!' to succeed himself in the 2003 presidential elections in Nigeria:

June 5, 2001 - YAO (Sasanya Gbolahan)-Aso Rock

Monday, January 21 - PDP Women's Wing (Mrs. Josephine Anenih) - Aso Rock

Sunday, March 24 - South-South Leaders and Governors (Chief Tony Anenih) - Aso Rock

Thursday, March 28th - North Central party faithfuls (Chief Solomon Lar) - Aso Rock

Monday, April 1 - PDP SouthWest and YCE (Archdeacon Alayande; Rtd. Commodore Olabode George) Ota Farm

Tuesday, April 2 - Senior government ministers and most PDP Governors (Tony Anenih) - Ota Farm

Although, he lived and was active in Nigeria while Abacha played his own self-succession charade, I hope that Nigeria's President retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo was not aware of what went on under late Gen. Abacha over the latter's self-succession plans, otherwise he would not havea allowed and been a part of the charade going on in Obasanjo's own Ota Farm.

Will nomination not be through the normal party mechanism? So why the public spectacle, the charade? If he does know how ridiculous all this public campaign, then I am concerned about him. Somebody better call President Obasanjo aside and tell him about the comparable political succession 'body movements' of the late dictator Abacha before June 8, 1998.
Aluko, is Professor and Chairman  of Chemical Engineering at Howard University, Washington DC. This updated version of Aluko's commentary appears, exclusively, on USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica The Newspaper where he has contributed a number of commentaries on Nigeria. Readers responses to Aluko's commentary will be published in our print and online editions. Linking to this page is permitted but archiving on any other site or newspaper will not granted. April 3, 2002.

Because of a juvenile interpretation of Scriptures, especially the 13th Chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, there are those who constantly assert that Obasanjo was raised by God to provide the only need of Nigeria-a good government. Such people should be reminded that God was alive when Mussolini, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, Mobutu Sesesoko, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and other despots ascended to power. The point here is not that Obasanjo belongs to this phylum of despots. Rather, one is debunking the fallacy of ascribing all events in history to God. My Evangelical Christian faith is comfortable with the notion of God's permissive will enabling Obasanjo to become our President. However, Christians know that sometimes, the permissive will of God is completely different from His directive will. The 1999 election of retired General Obasanjo (in pix, right) as the President of Nigeria was directed not by God but by a survivalist, self-serving cabal of current and retired Generals.

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