OPINION: All Hail OBJ, The Endorser-in-Chief!

By Steve Osuji

What shall we do without our Baba OBJ! He has managed to sneak himself into the pantheon of Nigeria’s great statesmanship. Love him or hate him, he is the cause célèbre of Nigeria’s politics today.

Wily, rustic, jovial, cunning, commonsensical, Baba Obj is loved and hated equally by Nigerians.

There is commander-in-chief, an exalted position Baba Obj has occupied the longest in Nigeria. And now there’s ENDORSER-in-Chief, a position he has carved out for himself and enjoys solely.

Since he left office in 2007, his Abeokuta Hilltop Mansion is the place to go by office-seekers, insecure office holders and clout chasers. All you need is one photo opportunity with Baba Obj and your adversaries are put on notice already.

For instance,  since 2007, none has become president without the express endorsement of Obj, aka MATTHEW AREMU OKIKIOLU OLUSEGUN OBASANJO.

After his tenure, he endorsed Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the presidency of Nigeria, over and above notable Southern contenders like Dr Peter Odili and Donald Duke. A man of much native intelligence, he resisted every pressure and told the world it had to be a northerner: a southern president must hand over to a northern president and vice-versa.

And that was not the first time he showed such nobility of intention and patriotic fervour. In 1979, as a military Head of State, a 42-year-old Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo  willingly and wilfully handed over power to civilians after a period of military hiatus. In his fair and just nature,  he insisted in handing over to a northerner. As a General, he could have handed over to his girlfriend if he was so minded… or stayed put!

But the native fair-mindedness in him led him to tilt towards a northerner in the person of ALHAJI SHEHU SHAGARI. This was against the great AWO, his kinsman who was by a better proposition.

Twice, Obj has acted the SUPER PATRIOT, working in the greater interest of Nigeria against the perverse ane pervasive primordialism of today.

In 2011, Obj supported GOODLUCK JONATHAN to become president of Nigeria. In 2015, he supported MUHAMMADU BUHARI to become president of Nigeria. In 2019, he grudgingly supported ATIKU ABUBAKAR, again, much against his wish. Atiku won but was rigged out by APC rigging machine( in collaboration with INEC).

Today, ahead of the 2023 general elections, Obj has pitched his tent with a certain PETER OBI.

It’s a kind of New Year gift to Nigeria and all hell has been let loose. In a longish and well-crafted letter addressed to the Nigerian youth, Baba Obj openly and plaintively endorsed Obi, the Labour Party candidate and he urged young men and women of Nigeria to take back their country.

Youth lokan, he tells them in derogation of a certain Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling APC who had brazenly and arrogantly claimed that 2023 was his turn (Emilokan). Baba Obj suggests that only an dimwit would insist that the presidency of a country was his right and entitlement.

Not when the country has been taken to the valley of death by the selfsame party claiming entitlement. Obasanjo in his new year missive, therefore supported a smarter, younger and virile candidate Obi against ailing and semi-senile old order candidates.

Obj, the statesman and super-patriot is also worried  about inclusiveness and accommodation for all facets of Nigeria’s ethno-geographic components to sustain the very survival of a nation he loves deeply. A simple matter of equity, fairness and justice to all.

But the grumpy old order cares not about these virtues. Their stock in trade have always been to snatch, grab, cheat and muddle up things. But that era is in its twilight.

The old, gross, era won’t pass without a scuffle. Consider the Presidency in a fit of android mojo described  Obj as a morally squalid and  frustrated man. Why would a former General and two-time head of state be frustrated.

On the contrary, most of Nigerians are frustrated by the overwhelming poverty Buhari and APC have led Nigeria into. Coupled with the fact that very little thinking is currently being imbued into the system.

The APC media on its part, could only muster a hollow  bluster to the effect that nothing can stop  a BAT victory. Childish blah, blah.

On a final analysis, Baba Obj, the endorser-general has done it again as he had done over a dozen times. He has stolen the show… he has torched the coven of the old order and they run helter-skelter.

Osuji is a Columnist, former Editorial Board Member The Nation, and former Special Adviser to former Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State