THE SENATE PRESIDENT & THE FORMER PRESIDENT

Olusegun Obasanjo watched from his living room upstairs as the various SUVs glided smoothly past the gate of his Abeokuta Hilltop Mansion into the compound proper. They rolled in one after the other. And as if they had prior rehearsal, each of the black vehicles stopped under the foyer by the entrance to the Main House to discharge its occupants. Baba was dressed in a caftan and trousers with ‘gobi’ cap to match. He looked at his watch, 09:11am. Civilians do not know how to keep to time; he thought. He gave them 9am. He had been on the phone to President Muhammadu Buhari earlier that morning to apprise him of the visit of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and some senators.
‘Good morning Muhammadu, I just want to inform you that Bukola and some of his friends intend to visit me this morning’, Baba told the President over the phone. Then there was a long pause from the other end.
‘Or should I shut my gates against them? This one that you are not saying anything’ He continued.
Suddenly the other end came alive: ‘Oh no baba, good morning sir, you have to see them o’ The President replied with laughter, ‘You just have to see them. They are your boys, you know’, and he laughed some more.
And so baba got a Presidential Approval for the meeting. It reminded baba of the Old Oyo Empire when Alaafin Aole sent Afonja, his war general to go and fight Alimi at Ilorin before Afonja became treacherous toward the Alaafin Aole. Another Alimi has come here now (or is he Afonja). The only difference is that Olusegun Obasanjo is not an Aole. He is Olusegun Obasanjo, the man whose own history is woven round that of contemporary Nigeria; right from the Civil War in 1967-1970 to the first transition to civil rule in 1979 through the years of Abacha perfidy to his own 8-year Presidency and the time he installed ‘Umoru’ Yar’Adua against this same Buhari and of course to the time of the ‘apeja’ from Otuoke (against this same Buhari) and now Buhari himself against the ‘apeja’ of Otuoke! Nobody messes with the Ebora of Owu and gets away with it – like youths say these days – Obasanjo knows how to treat their ‘Bleep-ups’!
No. Matthew Olusegun Okikiolakan Aremu Obasanjo is nobody’s chess pawn.
Baba’s domestic servant opened the door to usher Senate President, Bukola Saraki and some senators notably Andy Uba (Senator from Anambra) who was his Domestic Affairs Adviser when he was president, Sani Yerima, former governor and Senator from Zamfara State, Danjuma Goje, former governor and Senator from Gombe State, Tayo Alasoadura, Senator from Ondo State and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola the former governor of Osun and former National Secretary of the PDP into the living room.
‘You children of nowadays always create trouble and you look for elders to solve it’ Baba joked. They all burst into mirthless laughter. You know, the kind of laughter that doesn’t reach the eyes. The kind of laughter you burst into and you still feel the tension.
They all sat down and without further waste of time, Andy Uba spoke:
‘Baba, good morning sir ’, he prostrated ‘we have come to you to….’
‘Uhmm..hunnn…uhmm..hunn’ Olagunsoye Oyinlola cut him up short ‘Andy abi kil’oruko e nje, itose l’o l’Oyo, onibode l’o ni aafin’, the non-Yoruba among them looked lost. He continued: ‘There are traditional protocols which we must observe as this is like a visit to a serving president’. He then proceeded to introduce the Senate President and his entourage. Then he motioned to Saraki to speak:
‘Baba, k’e pe fun wa sir ’(May you spend many years in the land of the living). Bukola began.
’Ever since I got elected on the 9th of June…’
‘Or ever since you dribbled your way in on the 9th of June’ Baba interjected. More dry laughters. ‘Well we learnt some of these tricks from you our forefathers’ And two or so people laughed here. ‘Sir since then the President has not picked my calls. I went personally as a fellow muslim when ramadan started, but my car was turned back at the Defence House Gate. When I sought audience with Chief Odigie-Oyegun, our national chairman, he first gave me an appointment but later cancelled it citing very frivolous excuses’
‘Bola nko or have you met Tinubu?’ Obasanjo asked.
‘Ah baba, alfa jona e mbeere irungbon, Asiwaju’s case is even worse. Shebi you saw how his wife shunned and disrespected me on the floor of the Senate the other day? Asiwaju not only refused to greet me, he has sent strong words to me that my days are numbered on this seat’
‘This is why I have come o to ask you as our father to intervene. If the elder is in the market place, the newborn’s neck cannot become skewed o. Thank you baba’.
As soon as he finished, there was pin drop silence.
Baba cleared his throat:
‘Hunnnhunnn haaarrrr. I welcome you all to Abekuta. Hmmmm the thing that an elder uses to eat cold pap is under the leaves. I promise to discuss with all parties to this matter and we shall resolve every issue amicably’
‘Pele o Bukola, se o ti gbo?’
They all heaved a sigh of relief and rose up for baba who also stood and shook hands with them one after the other.
The Senate President, (who is not in a hurry to become a former Senate President), thereafter left the home of the former President.

Agba o nii tan lorile o

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
CULLED FROM HON KEHINDE AYOOLA FACEBOOK TIMELINE

I didnt read the post but FTC!

Before the traffic starts make r make my comments. Saraki your d as are numbered.

inordinate ambition of a cunning man will surely destroy him

Why is he running to Obasanjo?

.