Obasanjo and Opon Ayo are Like Siamese Twins

It is common knowledge that former President Olusegun Obasanjo relaxes mainly by playing opon ayo, a strategy local wooden board game, writes Shola Oyeyipo

From his active military days, Obasanjo had been a lover of games. There is a popular picture of him, where he was playing the draught game with former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida while General Theophilus Danjuma watched. The picture later went virile on the internet then and now the social media Even as president, his love for the Ayo game did not die. He made out time to play with some of his old friends, who were equally good

If enjoyment translates to pleasuring in something, like the enjoyment of a good wine, entertainment, amusement, diversion, recreation and relaxation – all at the same – then former President Olusegun Obasanjo, may have since perfected how to actually unwind.

For Obasanjo, anyone who knows him closely would know that he is a fanatical lover of the traditional African strategy local wooden board game known as ‘Opon Ayo’ in Yoruba, Oware (Twi-Ghana), Nchorokoto (Igbo-Nigeria) and Awele in Ivory Coast.

It is one of the most ancient games still being played. In the history of the Masai people of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania, the game was invented by Sindillo, the son of the first man, Maitoumbe, and was originally called geshe.

By every means, it is a fascinating African game now being adapted on computers and it’s widely played on the internet. Lovers of the game also play against the computer, sometimes.

A very realistic game, with solid wood and six holes carved on each side of the players. A total of 48 clattering stones are shared four in each hole and each player maneuvers to make two or three seeds in the opponent’s side, which he picks.

Winner must get more than 24 seeds and he or she must do that thrice to be named winner. It is a logical game requiring mathematical calculation and precision. It is engrossing. Apparently because of that, there are so many myths around it.

For instance, the Yoruba mythology has it that the game should not be played at night. There is an adage to that effect, which says: “When night falls, we leave the seed to ‘Ayo.” There is also the myth that when rain falls, the game must be put in the rain so that it is drenched by the rain water.

From his active military days, Obasanjo had been a lover of games. There is a popular picture of him, where he was playing the draught game with former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida while General Theophilus Danjuma watched. The picture later went virile on the internet then and now the social media. Even as president, his love for the Ayo game did not die. He made out time to play with some of his old friends, who were equally good at the game.

The ex-president’s method of relaxation was again exposed when some correspondents of the Premium Times visited his home in Ogun State.

It was reported that he delayed the correspondents for hours during when he was enjoying himself with the Ayo game at his Ogun State residence.

The reporters noted that Obasanjo had a tough game on that Friday afternoon. His opponent was one Chief Akanle, who engaged the former president in the game of wit in the right hand corner of Mr. Obasanjo’s living room in Abeokuta.

“Aarrgghhh! Mr. Obasanjo barked, as he sized up the feat, his eyes lighting up behind his spectacles. His opponent, an equally elderly figure, stared hard on the board, and then scooped up his seeds. We had scheduled a 2 p.m. interview with the former president at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta. He returned home at exactly 2 p.m. – from Tanzania – but dived straight into an Ayo game with Chief Akanle in his modest living room. We waited patiently,” the reporter narrated.

Characteristically, Obasanjo is a jovial personality, who can easily make people laugh. He is also very blunt. Those two traits are perfectly entrenched in the game he loves so much. You can freely take a swipe at your opponent. It is almost a-no-holds-barred abuses on the loser, when the game is on. Age is no barrier to the slangs that can be applied on the opponent.

Jocular but weighty quotes such as “I’ll sidon look,” “I reserve my comment till after the election,” “It’s not me; it’s Nigerians who said anybody but Jonathan.”

Born on March 5, 1937, Obasanjo, a career soldier before serving twice as Nigeria’s head of state, once as a military ruler, between 13 February 1976 to October 1, 1979 and again from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007, when he was elected president. He is one leader Nigeria will not forget in a hurry because of his candour and opinions on issues.

He is an African leader and his current home is Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun State, where he lives as elder statesman. He is the Balogun of the Owu kingdom and the Ekerin Balogun of the Egba clan of Yorubaland. He is still very active in national and international activities.

The immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had Obasanjo to contend with in the build up to the general election earlier this year.