Featured, Opinion
By Mike A. A. Ozekhome
EVENTS currently happening within the APC which suggest a self-inflicted political implosion have now forced me to recall my Nostradamic prophetic periscope of the APC as at 2018. The second adjoining piece, “PMB’S FREUDIAN SLIP”, is also an eye opener. I saw this present happenings as far back as 14th February, 2018. I wrote the following piece nearly two and half years ago, in my weekly Wednesday Sun newspaper column (Hard facts), of 14th February, 2018. PMB had only then just set up a committee headed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to reconcile all warring factions and disparate tendencies within the APC. I wrote as follows: “Where does Tinubu start from? How? Tinubu helped APC win the presidency in 2015. PMB had failed in his bid to win same in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Indeed, in 2011, PMB wept openly and vowed never to run for the Presidency again but, God felt otherwise. He enthroned him at a time he never believed he could sit on the throne. The labour of Tinubu in ensuring this was soon after forgotten, as soon as APC won. He was swept aside the power equation in Aso Villa with APC broom.
Rather than being proudly referred to as “the National leader of APC”, PMB’s acolytes who suddenly did not see Tinubu’s usefulness, or relevance changed it to “a National leader of APC”. The change from the definitive article “the” to “a” was not lost on all. It was to convey to him his irrelevance. Tinubu sulked, but took it in his stride as the Jagaban.
Suddenly, nearly three years after the rejection of this precious stone, PMB remembered him, to use him to do the dirty work of rekindling his magical wand. But, Tinubu has to start his daunting task by first reconciling himself with PMB. Then, he must reconcile himself with Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, APC chairman with whom he fought dirty in the mud last year, after the Ondo state gubernatorial election brouhaha in which Tinubu’s preferred candidate, Abraham, was skilfully maneuvered out by PMB’s political hawks who anointed and crowned my good friend, Rotimi Akeredolu (Aketi). After this, Tinubu must reconcile himself with Aketi; then reconcile Aketi with Abraham; then Abraham with Ondo APC; then Tinubu with Ondo APC; then Tinubu with the cabal who denied him of Abraham.
In the same Ondo State, Tinubu must reconcile Akeredolu with Borofice. Then he must go to PMB’s household and reconcile PMB with his strong-willed and conscientious wife, Aisha, who has taken on him and the cabal for nearly two years; then reconcile Aishat and the cabal; then Adebayo and Ajimobi in Oyo state; then Adebayo and FEC. who disallowed him from sharing obsequiously made campaign caps meant to be hastily distributed at a FEC meeting even when INEC had not sounded the gong declaring campaigns open. The Asiwaju will then cross over to Osun state to reconcile Governor Aregbesola with Lasun; then Aregbesola and Diekola. Next stop is Ogun state, where he will attempt reconciling Governor Amosun with Adeola-Yayi. Then in Kaduna State,Shehu Sani with Governor El-Rufai; then Shehu Sani with Uba Sani (my two good comrade friends with whom we were in the trenches during successive military juntas. Politics, how you can destroy relationships!)
In Kogi, the Jagaban must reconcile Dino with Governor Yahaya Bello; Bello with Kogi APC; Faleke (the man who was brazenly denied of his governorship) with Bello. Here comes Kano state, where, like professor Peller wielded the abracadabra magical wand, Tinubu must reconcile Kwakwanso with his protege and former Deputy Governor, Ganduje; then Kwakwansiyya with Gandujiyya. He proceeds to reconcile Marafa and Yari, Segun Oni and Fayemi in Ekiti State, where Governor Fayose, (Osoko), is eagerly waiting to unleash political harakiri on them. He goes to the NASS-Speaker Dogara, and Mohammed Abubakar; Ndume and Saraki; then DSS vs. EFCC; NASS vs. EFCC; AGF and NASS; AGF and EFCC; Saraki vs. AGF, Buhari and Saraki, APC and Saraki; then Tinubu and Fayemi: Tinubu acolytes vs PMB supporters; APC NWC with Oyegun; Fashola vs Tinubu; Kyari and Monguno. Tinubu must climb Minna mountain top to reconcile IBB with PMB; then Abeokuta hill to pacify OBJ to support PMB. Not to forget Amaechi vs Senator Magnus Abe. ETC, ETC, ETC. Tinubu, I do not envy you at all. Good luck.
PMB’S FREUDIAN SLIP
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian… Neurologist and psycho Analyst. Named after him is the “Freudian slip”.
The Freudian slip is an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings. It is also called… parapraxis. It shows an inner subdued desire, wish or motive.
In late January, PMB made the Freudian slip, when nearly three years after he became president, he was still genuinely surprised as to how the former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan conceded defeat, prematurely when the votes were still being counted and handed him the presidency on a platter of gold. In his own words, applauding GEJ’s unusual rare courage in doing thus unthinkable, PMB said he went into a temporary coma when GEJ called him. He was hosting APC chieftaincy to a dinner at the Villa.
He believed GEJ had stayed long enough in office to have caused problems when he lost the election. He said, “I will never forget the time. It was quarter past 5pm and he said he called to congratulate me and that he had conceded. He asked if I heard him, and I said yes. I thanked him for his statesmanship. The truth is after being a Deputy Governor, a Governor, VP and President for 6 years and he took that decision so great. He could have caused problems. He had stayed long enough to cause problems.
What PMB was simply saying, shredded of all grammatical inexactitudes or prolix innuendoes, appears to be that if he were in GEJ’s shoes, with a full control of the entire nation’s security and military apparatchik, he would not have conceded defeat. He would have used his all-powerful vantage position to fight GEJ to retain his presidency.
The Freudian slip had much earlier been dropped by PMB’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, when he analysed the Anambra governorship election, clearly won by Obiano of APGA. He had condescendingly declared that PMB and APC government “allowed” APGA, to win; and that if the Federal Government that controls the security had so wished, it could have turned the tables. This is another way of saying the federal government could have rigged out the people’s will if it so desired. So, the federal government became a benevolent Father Christmas that should be applauded for permitting Anambrarians’ will, to prevail at the polls.
If the ugly scene of children aged between 4 and 10 that were hired to vote at last week’s LG elections in Kano (that went virile) is anything to go by, then Nigerians should be prepared for the worst in the 2019 presidential election. INEC may not bother to count the votes. And where this is done, the votes will certainly not count. Nigeria, we hail thee”.
CURTAINS
To think that both pieces above were written nearly two and a half years ago, with virtually everything therein now coming to pass, is simply incredible. It shows that one does not need to be a Seer, Clairvoyant, Pastor, Imam or an Oraculist, to predict the future of Nigeria. You only need to be a patriot; a fearless, conscientious, courageous, unbiased and uncompromised analyst and social critic. Almighty God, I thank you for depositing these qualities in humble me.
– June 25, 2020 @ 19:13 GMT |
Tags: 2018 Tinubu’s Mount Everest task of reconciling a fractured Apc – recalling my article in the Sun newspaper of February 14
