Resilience Television (forging ahead)

In what seemed like a combination of rage and revenge, Donald Trump the 45th President of the United States of America not only threatened to bring down the roof of the White House, he was as good as his word. Instead of a calm acceptance of his electoral defeat and a dignified exit, he chose to declassify vast quantities of the most guarded secrets of the US government. He did not spare other countries, not even the closest allies of the United States of America.

Trump even flew a kite – amongst those for whom he was considering presidential pardon was the fugitive former consultant to the CIA, Edward Snowden who had secured asylum in Russia.

As if by prior arrangement (or mere co-incidence) Julien Assange of Wikileaks chose precisely that moment to unleash a huge trove of secret files which had been stolen from the CIA or through the hacking of the computers of strategic and sensitive agencies of the United States of America.

Virtually all major countries are caught in the web of intrigues and shenanigans. Some of the off-cuts relate to the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a southerner, (former military ruler, 1976-1979) as the president of Nigeria in 1999 twenty years after he handed over to civilian President Alhaji Shehu Shagari (1979-1983).

Apparently, Chief Obasanjo’s deal with his Vice-president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a northerner who had played a crucial role in Obasanjo’s snatching of the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) presidential ticket from former Vice-president Dr. Alex Ekwueme and a subsequent challenge by Alhaji Baba Kingibe (who had been the running mate of Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola in the 1993 elections), was that Chief Obasanjo would serve for only two years and thereafter hand over to his heir apparent – Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Everything went smoothly at the beginning. Indeed, President Obasanjo immediately took off on a mission which he described as restoring Nigeria’s international image (from being a pariah nation). It took him to various nooks and corners of the globe.

In the meantime, back home it was Alhaji Abubakar who was running the show. He was very much in charge of the nation’s economic matters – and by extension fiscal policy. He had no cause to complain.

However, after the lapse of two years, all efforts to remind his boss that it was time to hand over fell on deaf ears. His entreaties were not only rebuffed, President Obasanjo sought a second term of four years. That was when matters went really awry, vicious and ugly.

In the meantime, when it came to the PDP primaries and the selection of the presidential candidate in 2003 which should have been automatically handed over to President Obasanjo, there was a huge problem. Power had shifted to the Governors of the States under the control of PDP. They were led by Chief James Ibori, Governor of Delta State. They were all rooting for Vice-president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The die was cast. Vice-president Atiku Abubakar held all the aces. On the eve of the primary, President Obasanjo sent a plane to fetch His Royal Highness Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammad Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa who was Atiku’s father-in-law.

Apparently, it was in the dead of night/early hours of the morning (around 2.30 a.m.) when the Lamido arrived at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock. Vice- President Atiku was summoned and out of deference to the Royal Father (and in-law) he agreed to bury his own ambition. Instead, he would mend fences with his boss, President Obasanjo. They agreed to run a joint ticket again (Obasanjo / Atiku). This did not go down well with the PDP Governors who were eagerly relishing the prospects of humiliating President Obasanjo ( who they considered overbearing and meddlesome) by denying him a second term.

It was a much subdued and chastened. President Obasanjo who mounted the rostrum at Eagle Square, Abuja to announce his acceptance of the nomination to carry the flag of PDP with Vice-president Atiku as his running mate. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was off the hook.

However, once the election was won and President Obasanjo was firmly on the seat of power, the relationship between the President and his Vice-president went completely sour. It was a race to the bottom – all the way downhill.

Atiku and his supporters were furious that instead of gratitude and appreciation of loyalty, their reward was the purging of Atiku loyalists from the Presidency. His aides were either sacked or re-designated as staff of the President (not the VicePresident).

In retaliation, the Atiku camp went to town with lurid tales of the President’s vindictiveness and fierce determination to cut Atiku down to size. The relationship between them broke down completely. Matters were made worse by what started as a rumour – President Obasanjo was nursing a “Third Term” agenda (true or false).

VicePresident Atiku Abubakar held all the aces. On the eve of the primary, President Obasanjo sent a plane to fetch His Royal Highness Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammad Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa who was Atiku’s father-in-law

J.K. Randle is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and former Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and Africa Region. He is currently the Chairman, J.K. Randle Professional Services. Email: jkrandleintuk@gmail.com