By Maiwada Dammallam

No one would deny a rising desperation among the orphaned PDP family to create distrust and chaos among leading members of the ruling APC. In the last few days, there's a hardly a senior member of the APC that was not reported as having one problem or another with President Buhari.

Despite his political expertise which usually doesn't allow responding to silly issues, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had to publicly deny any feud with President Buhari while denying any plan to secede from the APC to form a new Party. Almost the same scenario played out with another gladiator, former VP Atiku Abubakar who, by the way, was just congratulated by the President on his 70th birthday. As we inch towards 2019 Nigerians should expect more such fictitious claims of problems within the ruling APC that exist only in the political laboratories of a neutralized and angry opposition mostly from the sacked PDP clan. What a fish plucked out of water wouldn't do to get back!

The latest from PDP's tranquillized and subdued army of demagogues was one crafted to kill two birds with a single stone. It's one cunningly designed to create disharmony between President Buhari and one of his ardent supporters, former President Obasanjo who dealt PDP the last blow that sent it to its final resting place. I'm the least surprise that the duo of Buhari/Obasanjo made the hit list of PDP remnants. If anybody should be charged with the 'murder' of the PDP, it couldn't be more than the two.

Going through the speech of the maverick former President Obasanjo, the supposed 'Obasanjo-Strike-Buhari' that sent the media agog with insinuations of 'declaration of war' between the two, rather than see 'attack' what I read were sincere advises offered in the most respectful manner deserving the target and the situation from Obasanjo, undoubtedly a major and committed stakeholder in Nigeria's affairs to Buhari, unquestionably another committed stakeholder in charge of these affairs.

There was nothing out of the ordinary in Obasanjo's message but to those whose minds are focused on creating rather than solving problems. Unlike in saner and civilized polities, Nigeria's opposition (as represented by the PDP orphans) is ruled by disorganized ambitions, unchecked egos, unintelligent strategies, fantastic suppositions, outrightly silly maneuvers and bound to fail tactics all woven around personal rather than national development.

It's not debatable that to PDP 'political scientists' Buhari's failure as President is personal with no effect whatsoever to Nigerians hence, it's something to be encouraged, pray or even work hard to achieve. With a mindset like that, it came as no surprise that among those working assiduously to create distrust and chaos in the APC house, none is yet to factor in former President Obasanjo's status as a two time leader of Nigeria and probably the most or second most senior among the living past leaders of this great nation. By any estimation this should allow him unreserved right to discuss affairs of Nigeria whether it's being ruled by his Party or another Party, friends or his foes.

Obasanjo has been around Nigeria's circle of power at the highest level that one should reasonably expect him to have more information at his disposal than is available in the entire PDP social media community to form reasonable opinion about Nigeria that should be taken seriously. His patriotic and nationalistic disposition would not allow him to play politics with the lives of people he fought to protect when in his prime. To the straight minded, Obasanjo's message was only a contribution to the success of a comrade from the same constituency whom he believed in and campaigned for.

It was quite laughable that despite the high approval ratings Obasanjo gave many of President Buhari's policies and actions in the same 'Obasanjo Strike Buhari' speech like the courageous war being waged against corrupt judicial officers, the improved EFCC and its blanket war against corruption, the equally courageous purging and repositioning of the Nigeria Army back to what it was known to be which led to successes in the war against insurgency, only most the technical aspect of his speech - the proposed loan of $30bn being sought by this administration deserved the attention of the PDP 'analysts'.

Logically, one should expect Obasanjo to have reservation about the proposed loan because it goes contrary to his administration's 'debt buyback' decision which might have been the best for Nigeria during his regime. But then, what was economic ingenuity back then may be disingenuous in today's global economic reality. If loans are so bad how came we accumulated so much for Obasanjo to buyback? Certainly, Obasanjo couldn't be more intellectually sound or patriotic than the crop of Nigerians who obtained the loans he liquidated. Most of the debts were obtained with the best of intentions based on demands of the time. Along the way, insidious factors crept in and purposes of the loans and repayment plans were thoroughly abused which landed us in the mess Obasanjo inherited.

By this, it's clear the issue is not about 'debts' but the sincerity of purpose to judiciously use same according to articulated terms and plans. If debts are so bad, USA wouldn't be doing so well as to achieve world's best economy with a multi-trillion dollar debt burden. Ability to judiciously implement fiscal policies to the fullest by President Buhari (something even his enemies would attest to) is what should be the base for the debate to obtain any loan by this administration. That in the past loans were obtained and abused by unscrupulous leaders to grow into burden rather than a vehicle for development shouldn't indicate a 'business as usual' situation with President Buhari whose integrity is not in question.

In any case, when Obasanjo went for the debt buyback option, global economy was not so gloomy as it is today hence, options suitable to his administration may be dangerous or even fatal to this administration. With excellent and stable global oil market, he could afford to spend part of Nigeria's earnings in debt buyback. With oil prices at a record low and with OPEC predicting nothing flowery in the nearest future, President Buhari's options are so limited and may not be so palatable when viewed from a narrow perspective. And, just as Obasanjo mentioned, 'those outside may not see it the way those inside are seeing it'.

Finally, this administration told itself most of what Obasanjo told it just that some people are still in 'election shock' to hear. Just before Obasanjo's speech hit the web, Lai Mohammed made it clear to Nigerians that the period of blame game is over; that all hands are on deck for the administration to walk its talk. Mohammed also made it clear that this administration is open to constructive criticism and adjustments where it's reasonably convinced with superior administrative logic.

Hahaha.lie of d century.everybody both rich and poor are feeling this recession