Wednesday April 3, 2002
It is “déjà vu” all over again!
If you have read the George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm”, then you will understand why I have chosen it to characterize the ongoing Ota Farm “Obasanjo Self-Succession” parade, which bears all the hallmarks of late unlamented Abacha’s “self-succession” parades to Aso Rock of almost exactly four years to the day.
Under Abacha, we had the following twenty-five groups “earnestly asking” him to self-succeed:
Group Initials - Full Name (Leader)
NMPC - National Mobilisation and Persuasion Committee (Godwin Daboh),
NMPS - National Movement for Peace and Stability (?)
YEAA - Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha '98 (Daniel Kanu)
UAN - United Action for Nigeria (Godwin Daboh/Dr. Asuquo)
NEC - Northern Elders Committee (Abdulrahman Okene)
GESAM - General Sani Abacha Movement for Unity and Stability (?)
GESAM '98 - General Sani Abacha Movement for Peaceful and Successful Transition Programme (Chief Yomi Tokoya)
ASOMO - Abacha Solidarity Movement (Alhaji Chief, Dr, Abayomi Owulade),
NACYAN - National Council for Youth Associations of Nigeria (?),
MIDIA - Movement for Indigenous Democracy (Alh. Mohammed I. Hassan)
RLC - Radio Listeners Club (Alh. Shuaibu Zakari)
NBYO - Nigeria-British Youth Orgnisation (Mr. Segun Adeyemi)
NYDD - Nigerian Youth Democratic Diplomats (Abdulraheem Barry Etuke)
NLGCCF - Nigeria Local Govts' Chairmen Consultative Forum (Apostle S. B. Bello)
NAMAP - National Movement for Abacha's Presidency - (Chief Femi Aluko)
MID - Movement for Independent Democracy (Dr. Nya Asuquo)
21st Generation Insist on Abacha (Barrister Ladi Alao)
Vision '98 Abacha for President (Chief Sheudeen Adesina)
The Abacha Committee of Friends (Chief Nelson Chudi)
Youths for Consensus Abacha '98 (Hassan Saleh Hassan)
Agenda '98 (Chief Sergeant Awuse)
NANS for Abacha (Oludare S. Ogunlana)
All-Nigeria Youth for Abacha '98 (Mallam M. Sani Akwashiki)
Vision 2010 for Abacha (?)
On March 2 - 3 1998: Million-Man-March for Abacha
Now, so far, for Obasanjo’s self-succession, we have “registered” the following seven groups so far:
Group Initials - Full Name (Leader)
MONAC - Movement for National Consensus and Accommodation (Arthur Nzeribe)
VOA - Vote Obasanjo and Atiku 2003 (Jasper Jumbo)
OACMG - Obasanjo-Atiku Continuity Mandate Group, (E.A. Adeoye)
OASM - Obasanjo-Atiku Success Movement (Hassan Umoru)
ISO - Integrated Supporters for Obasanjo (?)
YAO - Youth Alliance for Obasanjo (Sasanya Gbolahan)
OAPDP - Obasanjo-Atiku Peoples Democratic Projects (Catherine Acholonu)
C2003 - Coalition 2003 (Funmi Omosule)
and the following pilgrimages to Aso Rock and Ota Farm asking Obasanjo to “Run, OBJ, Run!”:
Tuesday, June 5, 2001 - YAO (Sasanya Gbolahan) - Aso Rock
Monday, January 21, 2002 - PDP Women’s Wing (Mrs. Josephine Anenih) - Aso Rock
Sunday, March 24, 2002 - South-South PDP Leaders and Governors (Chief Tony Anenih) - Aso Rock
Thursday, March 28th,, 2002 - North Central party faithfuls (Chief Solomon Lar) - Aso Rock
Monday, April 1, 2002 - PDP SouthWest and YCE (Archdeacon Alayande; Rtd. Commodore Olabode George) Ota Farm
Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - Senior government ministers and PDP Governors (Tony Anenih, Solomon Lar, etc.) - Ota Farm
Thus in sheer numbers, Abacha is still ahead!
More seriously, I can almost swear that President Obasanjo, being in Abacha’s prison at the time, was not aware of all that went on under Abacha over his self-succession plans, otherwise how would he (Obasanjo) be allowing this charade to go on in Ota Farm, thereby making the comparison with Abacha’s self-succession bid so glaring? Will nomination not be through the normal party mechanism - declaration, caucus meetings, nomination, intra-party contest, declaration of party flag bearer, general election contest with opposing candidates, etc.?
So why the public spectacle, the charade? What the heck is this? What kind of civilian democracy is this?
If President Obasanjo does know how ridiculous all this public campaign for self-succession, then I fear for him: somebody better call President Obasanjo aside and tell him about the “body movements” of Abacha before June 8, 1998.
Please read the following archives on - and enjoy!
Bolaji Aluko
Shaking and scratching his head
At the Ongoing Aso Rock/Ota charade.
I just don’t feel fine.
Category: News
Date of Article: 06/07/97
Topic: Abacha Versus Pro-Democracy Coalition
Author: Sukuji Bakoji, Staff Writer and Leonard Nzenwa Jnr
Full Text of Article:
Excerpt:
A gadfly with a dogged history of confrontation with the military governments in Nigeria was accosted by an unrepentant pro-democracy crusader who obviously had run out of ideas on how to thwart the much publicised Abacha self-succession bid. The former starred into the vacant space in front of him ruminating for a while and said rhetorically: "Fighting Abacha is like boxing the air." The uncompromising radical who had built all his hopes on the gadfly's answer lowered his head in complete disbelief and walked away disappointed.
As he counted his steps while delicately meandering through the thicket of passers-by, he could not reconcile himself with the fact that the much respected don who had plotted all the schemes and strategies that eventually stampeded General Ibrahim Babangida out of office three years ago could not proffer any solution this time around. Undeterred, however, the zealot who had vowed to lay down his life in order to scuttle the alleged galloping ambition of General Abacha and the fledgling pro-Abacha groups egging him on to succeed himself, resolved that a meeting to bring together all the democratic movements in the country needed to be convened forthwith. And Jos, the Tin City in the Middle Belt, hosted the pro-democracy coalition meeting.
The pro-democracy coalition was then christened, United Action for Democracy (UAD). Its sole mission can be summed up in just one sentence: "To stop Abacha, and military rule." >> read complete article
Category: News
Date of Article: 02/01/98
Topic: Abacha's, Self Succession: Northern Ploy to Hold to Power
Author:
Full Text of Article:
Excerpt:
THAT first week of June, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, boss of the defunct Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), and founder of the unregistered National Democratic Party (NDP), stared at this reporter as the question was posed.
First, it was not clear whether the Oguta high chief understood the question or he was simply enraged. He just stared for sometime and then burst out. "You want to compare the ABN with all these street corner things that pretend that they want the Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, to succeed himself. Never! These are non-starters and they are puerile," he thundered.
The matter seemed to have been rested at that then since the managers of the self-succession bid were not that raving in their drive.
They have, however, persisted and this is actually saying it mildly about one of the organisations called Youths Ernestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA), and the General Sani Abacha Movement for Unity and Stability (GESAM). The latter is not the same with the General Sani Abacha Movement for Peaceful and Successful Transition Programme (GESAM '98) run by one Chief Yomi Tokoya. >> read complete article
Category: News
Date of Article: 03/07/98
Topic: That Great March in March
Author: Tom Chiahemen
Excerpt:
I HAD the privilege of watching the political jamboree called "The Great March in March," in Abuja, from a ring-side position. Yet when I am required to give my personal opinion or to assess the two-day rally, organised to further persuade General Abacha, the head of state, to "agree" to succeed himself in office, I am certain my view would fall below those of the other millions of watchers of the event. Depending on which side the other Nigerians would tend to stand to analyse the rally.
Let's face the fact, the "2-million Youth March in March," staged under the auspices of the pro-Abacha National Council for Youth Associations of Nigeria (NACYAN), like a coin, did possess two sides: The organisers and their supporters who believed, very strongly in the endeavour on one hand, and their critics (and they seemed so many) who would never come to terms with the necessity, the rationale and the justification for the N500 million said to have been budgetted for the two-day event which took place at the New Parade Ground, in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory.
For instance, the organisers and those who came to speak in support of the cause, say the enormous amount of resources, time and energy committed into the rally could not have gone to any better venture. Daniel Kanu, the leader of the notorious "Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA) '98" and vice-chairman of NACYAN, says the N500 million budgetted for the rally "came from a number of patriotic individuals in the country who believe in the cause we are fighting." >> read complete article
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