Is Obasanjo an alarmist? By George Onmonya Daniel
Former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, announced today that he is being targeted by the President Buhari’s government and he is not safe. Obasanjo has been at the forefront of the movement to ensure President Buhari is defeated in the coming election in 2019. He is spearheading the coalition and mobilizing Nigerians to makes sure they vote out Buhari.
In response to Olusegun Obasanjo recently, President Buhari when addressing supporters who went to visit him, announced that Obasanjo wasted $19bilion on electricity and there is no electricity. An agitated Obasanjo quickly replied Buhari that he is ignorant of what happened and directed him to check the facts available to him. He also said he is ready for probe. That was about three weeks ago of which not much was heard from Obasanjo until today.
Today he is up telling Nigerians that he is not safe as he got reliable information that there is plot to arrest him and detain him and even kill some people as 2019 approaches.
But why should I take Obasanjo seriously? He pulled off this drama during the Goodluck Jonathan era, accusing Goodluck of plot to assasinate some Nigerians. That accusation would have plunge Nigeria into crisis if President Buhari was killed that day in Kaduna as he was attacked by Boko Haram but the bullet proof vehicles given to him Sambo Dasuki, courtesy of ex-President Jonathan, saved the man. Mr. Buhari’s supporters would never have believed that Boko Haram killed him, had they succeeded. It turned out Obasanjo was wrong on the allegation of plot to assasinate some notable Nigeria. It is either he was being mischievous, acting up based on false information or made it up just to blackmail Goodluck Jonathan and give the man a bad name. I simply see it as mischief.
Why should anybody take Obasanjo serious this time? He is known for such mischief. And if it is true, why is he afraid of arrest anyway? If his hands are clean he shouldn’t be afraid of arrest, don’t you think?
I doubt if Buhari would take his arrest adventure that far to pickup and lock up Olusegun Obasanjo. It would be quite an interesting one there.
This is the beginning of the drama into 2019 election. When I personally don’t take Obasanjo serious on this one, I wouldn’t be surprised if anything like this happens. These are desperate times for Buhari and sometimes in desperate times men do all sorts of desperate dumb acts. It has happened in history of dictators and if it happens again, no one would be surprised.
