Simon Kolawole Live!: By Simon Kolawole, Email: simon.kolawole@t hisdaylive.com

With former President Olusegun Obasanjo, you buy one and get one free. Problem is: you never know what you are getting. You could be getting a peacemaker and a troublemaker in one bundle. I am always conflicted trying to decode Obasanjo’s personality. One moment, I find myself describing him as the best president Nigeria has ever had. The next moment, I am cursing him as the worst thing that has ever happened to us. The best of humans live with their own contradictions and underbellies, but Obasanjo easily stands out, perhaps because of the prominent role he has played in our nationhood - and, more so, the way he keeps intruding into our lives.

Here is a sampler. Having been raising the hand of President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 presidential campaign, Obasanjo retired to his hotel room one night and sent for Malam Nasir el-Rufai, an ally of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. According to el-Rufai in his tell-all book, Accidental Public Servant, Obasanjo lamented that Jonathan was not going to make a good president. He asked el-Rufai to tell Buhari that he was ready to support him against Jonathan. Obasanjo reportedly suggested that Buhari should pick Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as his running mate, then go into an alliance with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and offer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the Senate Presidency. Obasanjo, el-Rufai said, promised to get some “wealthy people” to fund Buhari’s campaign.

What happened next? Unknown to onlookers, Obasanjo’s grouse with Jonathan was that his daughter, Iyabo, had been denied the PDP senatorial ticket for Ogun Central, and his sudden support for Buhari was an attempt to exact his pound of flesh - or blackmail the PDP into giving his daughter the ticket. It was obviously not an attempt to save Nigeria from Jonathan’s “weaknesses” as he claimed. El-Rufai noted that immediately a curious court judgement gave the PDP ticket to Iyabo, Obasanjo swiftly changed his tone and began to canvass that they should help Jonathan work on his “weaknesses”. That is the real Obasanjo. Those who know him will testify that he is eternally self-centred. He believes the world revolves around him.
It is believed that the crisis currently rocking the PDP has the signature of Obasanjo. Nobody knows where he is going yet. Even the people working with him cannot swear that they know his game plan. By the way, I love the PDP crisis. Having ruled Nigeria since 1999, the party has grown too big for its own good. There are many states in Nigeria where PDP is the only party. Other parties only exist on pieces of paper or in INEC’s computer. Sadly, the PDP goes into every general election virtually assured that it would win. Getting the PDP ticket is as good as winning the election. That is not good for our democracy. I believe politicians must fight and sweat for every vote. That way, they know the worth of victory. That can actually make our democracy work for everyone.

But this PDP crisis, unfortunately, is not about how to make this democracy work for everyone. Let us look at two of the characters at the centre of the drama: Obasanjo and General Ibrahim Babangida. Not so long ago, Obasanjo described Babangida as a “fool at 70” for criticising his (Obasanjo’s) management of the Nigeria’s oil wealth for eight years. Obasanjo said: “If Babangida had decided, on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably [not] answer a fool because you may also become like him.” In kind, Babangida replied: “Calling me ‘a fool at 70’, especially by a man reportedly and allegedly accused by his own son of incest, is at best a compliment. Nigerians surely know who is truly a fool or the greatest fool of this century.” Both of them are now suddenly in bed together, fooling around, but I refuse to be fooled.

What about Obasanjo and his former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar? They were engaged in a very public and bitter feud but they are now dancing to the same tune again. I don’t need to repeat the words they have exchanged publicly in the last seven years, but I’m sure Nigerians still vividly remember Obasanjo’s popular line, “I dey laugh o”, when informed that Atiku had been chosen as the Northern consensus candidate for the PDP presidential primary in January 2011. Laughter unlimited! Remember Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi? In 2007, Obasanjo viciously dropped him as the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State, saying publicly that his candidature had “K-leg”. It took judicial activism for Amaechi to be made governor. Obasanjo and Amaechi are now in the same PDP faction, but I refuse to be fooled.

Obasanjo, luckily, is coming across to Nigerians as a peacemaker and an icon of democracy. He is the statesman trying to resolve the PDP crisis! Obasanjo as a peacemaker and icon of democracy is nothing but comedy. During his time as president, between 1999 and 2007, he removed three PDP chairmen and saw to the ouster of three Senate presidents. He illegally removed two governors under the pretext of declaring state of emergency. He watched with pleasure as his boys set Anambra and Oyo states on fire and capped it all by withdrawing the security aides of Governor Chris Ngige. If Obasanjo is your hero of democracy, I am sorry for you.

Now that he is reportedly rallying a faction of the PDP against Jonathan, you have to ask yourself: what is motivating Obasanjo? What does he really want? Is he genuinely trying to atone for his Yar’Adua “error” by helping to return power to the North in 2015? Will he backtrack if Andy Uba is given the PDP governorship ticket in Anambra and the revocation of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway concession is reversed? Will he pull back at the last minute again and ask his followers to “manage Jonathan’s weaknesses” when he finally gets what he wants? With Obasanjo, you don’t know what you are going to get. Just be careful. You have been warned.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/what-does-obasanjo-really-want-/159051/

Try to discountenance OBJ only at your own peril....

This is why I love true yorubas. They know the TRUTH and will stand by it any day, any time. They voted massively for GEJ in 2011 and they'll do it again and again, notwithstanding the lies and propaganda of false yorubas (NL Tinubu rats) and their evil partners.

God bless Simon Kolawole!
God bless true yorubas!!
God bless all Sincere 9gerians!!!
Shame on Tinubu rats (false yorubas)

Sincere 9gerian: This is why I love true yorubas. They know the TRUTH and will stand by it any day, any time. They voted massively for GEJ in 2011 and they'll do it again and again, notwithstanding the lies and propaganda of false yorubas (NL Tinubu rats) and their evil partners.

God bless Simon Kolawole!
God bless true yorubas!!
God bless all Sincere 9gerians!!!
Shame on Tinubu rats (false yorubas)

Your name should be changed to deluded9gerian...

Obasanjo has one last script to perform for his Western Masters which is: Distablize the Political terrain, ensure anarchy and chaos. Usher in 2015 blood bath!

I deh laff o. At least I can say baba is a great politician and a great tactician. He is just too smart for his own good. He who wants to dine with him should bring a long spoon.

Sincere 9gerian: This is why I love true yorubas. They know the TRUTH and will stand by it any day, any time. They voted massively for GEJ in 2011 and they'll do it again and again, notwithstanding the lies and propaganda of false yorubas (NL Tinubu rats) and their evil partners.

God bless Simon Kolawole!
God bless true yorubas!!
God bless all Sincere 9gerians!!!
Shame on Tinubu rats (false yorubas)

oga in your dreams,we don't like Obasanjo,Gej still has two years to atone for his sin,he has ruled for four years now,all we can ascribe to him is refurbished airports?please don't tell me railways cos I know a lot about that project,he did not buy a single locomotive,the project was nearing complete 75% before Gej came on board,the chinese has being working on the narrow gauge since Abdulsalam administration #fact,they never foe once abandon the project,go to railway compound in ebute metta they will tell you the truth.
To be honest power has improve but giving Gej the credit is anothe crazy lie,are the improve power generation coming from plants he built?the ans is no.
Se expected a lot from him he is busy fighting Ameachi,he was vice president of ASUU uniport chapter,now ASUU is on strike.he should perform we will vote for him,if he doesn't we won't,btw we don't like Obasanjo either.

Sam xiu lee: oga in your dreams,we don't like Obasanjo,Gej still has two years to atone for his sin,he has ruled for four years now,all we can ascribe to him is refurbished airports?please don't tell me railways cos I know a lot about that project,he did not buy a single locomotive,the project was nearing complete 75% before Gej came on board,the chinese has being working on the narrow gauge since Abdulsalam administration #fact,they never foe once abandon the project,go to railway compound in ebute metta they will tell you the truth.
To be honest power has improve but giving Gej the credit is anothe crazy lie,are the improve power generation coming from plants he built?the ans is no.
Se expected a lot from him he is busy fighting Ameachi,he was vice president of ASUU uniport chapter,now ASUU is on strike.he should perform we will vote for him,if he doesn't we won't,btw we don't like Obasanjo either.

Ignorance is indeed a DISEASE. Did you just say railway REHABILITATION has been going on since Abdusalam regime? Are you dumb, joking or what? Do you think it takes forever to rehabilitate railways? The rehabilitation of the eastern line (PH- Enugu-Makurdi-Maiduguri) started only in 2011 and will be completed end of this year. Even construction of new railways do not take that long.

Sincere 9gerian:
Ignorance is indeed a DISEASE. Did you just say railway REHABILITATION has been going on since Abdusalam regime? Are you dumb, joking or what? Do you think it takes forever to rehabilitate railways? The rehabilitation of the eastern line (PH- Enugu-Makurdi-Maiduguri) started only in 2011 and will be completed end of this year. Even construction of new railways do not take that long.

Ehmmmmm you are so right ignorance is truly a disease,I wonder how you got infected,I just told you I have a first hand knowledge that the Lagos narrow gauge rehabilitation was 75% complete before Gej assumed power you are asking me if it takes for ever to build rail tracks?you said pH maiduguri line will be ready before the end of this year?ha ha ha ha you are very funny because you don't have any idea about what you are talking about.let them commission it by the end of the year,then wecan talk.Guy pls upgrade or your boss will fire you.

Haa haa, OBJ is a confused old bi.tch

His problem is insincerity. The military generals like him destroyed the country.

juman: Haa haa, OBJ is a confused old bitch

His problem is insincerity. The military generals like him destroyed the country.

Exactly!

Sincere 9gerian: This is why I love true yorubas. They know the TRUTH and will stand by it any day, any time. They voted massively for GEJ in 2011 and they'll do it again and again, notwithstanding the lies and propaganda of false yorubas (NL Tinubu rats) and their evil partners.

God bless Simon Kolawole!
God bless true yorubas!!
God bless all Sincere 9gerians!!!
Shame on Tinubu rats (false yorubas)

unveiling...the first black man with a p.h.d in kolomental science.congrats.