Leaders Wanted 1

Yakubu Gowon

Sani Abacha
Mohammadu Buhari
Obafemi Awolowo



Murtala Mohammed

Chronicles of Nigeria’s Leadership decay (Part.1)

If character is taken in isolation, Murtala Mohammed would be considered to glow with desirable commodity. When he was alive leading the nation (Nigeria), he had on an inner conviction which seemed to resonate well with Nigerians who were so dissatisfied with Yakubu Gowon’s regime. A government that had a character the was not matched with adequate judgment.

We must not forget that character always goes with something else, otherwise the notorious stubbornness and cocksureness of Nigeria’s former president Obasanjo could be confused with character. We’ve had leaders of very noble characters. We can actually make comparison with the case of French De Gaulle in 1946, when he attempted to amend the French 5th Republic Constitution and he was vehemently rebuffed. Ask me what he did: He had enough character to resign his position.

As a man who believes in God and His omnipotence, the more I think about Obasanjo’s presidency, the more I marvel at the unseen hands of God in the man’s life. Here is a man who appears to have been ordained to complete the uncompleted jobs of others. Obasanjo was the man who completed Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle’s job during the civil war. Then defeated Biafran Army surrendered under his command.

Secondly, the same man completed the regime of General Murtala Mohammed and his transition programme between 1976 and 1979. He successfully handed over power to Shehu Shagari in 1979. One feature that was common to Obasanjo’s completion of uncompleted jobs was the success of each completion. As if God Himself had not completed His use of Obasanjo for successfully completing uncompleted jobs, he (Obasanjo) was used by God again as an instrument to complete the longest transition in history through Babangida’s failed transition to General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s successful transition (1985-1999). Yet Obasanjo would have been a dead man by 1999 as Abacha was ready to execute him.

In relation to Awo and Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo is a political block buster. Awo, Abiola and Obasanjo are kinsmen, all hailed from Ogun State in South Western Nigeria. For the first time since independence, Nigeria has at last been blessed with a southerner, and more importantly, a Yoruba as President. Since 1979, two notable attempts had been made by the Yoruba to rule this country, and the two attempts had been frustrated by a combination of powers, external and internal. The first attempt was by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1979 and in 1983 and then by Chief MKO Abiola in 1993. Both died without achieving their noble objectives for Nigeria, and it looked as if attaining the position of the President of Nigeria was a closed book to a Yoruba or any other southerner in the country.

However, in 1999, providence struck miraculously and decisively in the installation of Olusegun Obasanjo as the civilian President of the Fourth Republic and the first Yoruba to occupy that exalted position. He did not put as much fight and effort for the job as did his predecessors who were frustrated by a coalition of forces which, ironically, was seen as including Obasanjo himself. He neither supported Awolowo nor Abiola for the presidency.

But, just as Abiola’s people had turned against him in 1979 but gave him their massive support in 1993 when he appeared to have injected himself with heavy doses of Awo’s social and political ideals, Obasanjo’s political future is likely to follow suit. Be all this as it may, Awo was, and remains, the best president Nigeria never had, according to Emeka Ojukwu. This is a statement that will be difficult to refute, and nobody has tried to refute it precisely because it is irrefutable, in the context of Nigeria’s socio-political history.

Faced with issue of third term Obasanjo was not only willing to undermine the legislature,the state governments and even the judiciary, he stubbornly attempted to subvert the will of the people through pot-pouri of inducements from which he cleverly dissociated himself. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is sometimes described as impulsive and obsessively preoccupied with himself. Such a man always finds it irresistible to meddle in everything. In some ways he appears the complete antithesis to the aloof and reclusive Abacha. And like the duo of Abacha and Babangida; both of whom lacked a sense of history and proportion, Obasanjo is fascinated with trivial matters and is continually embroiled in unnecessary chicaneries.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo insists history will judge his eight-year administration, during which he had the opportunity to restore Nigeria’s lost glory. Many believe he bungled it. Despite warnings, the Egba high chief, who had the opportunity to fulfill the purpose for which he was anointed, blew it all. Rather than lead Nigeria to the Promised Land, he led them to the desert.