Now, the Fulani herdsmen are the latest threat to the nation. These herders appear licensed to kill. Apart from Lagos, virtually every state has had a dose of these invading death merchants as they have taken lives in thousands. Why the Army has not considered it expedient to organise a similar dance party to check the activities of these herders is a discussion for another day.

It is in the middle of all of these that former President Olusegun Obasanjo suddenly threw what has turned out to be a bomb into the political space. Obasanjo, in his letter of Tuesday, January 23, had picked holes in the president’s handling of the nation since the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to office in 2015.

Obasanjo had accused Buhari of condoning corruption in the inner caucus of the presidency, failure to check the wanton killings by Fulani herdsmen, a proclivity for nepotism in appointments and bulk passing amongst others. As usual, the usual division earlier mentioned, has become visible. For many in the north Obasanjo’s outburst was an affront on the north.

In fact, a pro-Buhari youth group, the Democratic Youths Congress for Buhari 2019, out rightly described Obasanjo’s letter to President Buhari as an open confrontation against the “North that made him what he is.”

Similarly, members of the APC too have also not taken lightly to the outburst by the former president. Some have said he lacked the moral rectitude to pontificate as he did worse during his leadership as president of the nation.

If anything the Federal Government should see the letter by Obasanjo as a call to duty and a love letter from a concerned ally. When Obasanjo wrote a similar letter against ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, the same APC praised him to high heavens. When similar objections were raised then, people were advised to take the message and ignore the messenger. Why are the people suddenly being told now to ignore the message and concentrate on the messenger?

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