Introduction It is amazing how my deep archives reveal subtle truths from facts.
I have been reading with astonishment the goings-on at the Oputa panel in Nigeria (more on that at a future date), and also been cleaning my basement lately, arranging by date my many documents on Nigeria that have been scattered therein.
But in my usual manner, I tarry to read some of them - old Newswatch, TheNews, TSM, TELL, Nigerian newspapers editions, and I end up spending little time doing exactly what I meant to achieve, which is to make my basement cleaner and my documents arranged in chronological order.
In one such fruitless exercise, I happened on the following March 13, 1995 Newswatch magazine article, as well as another TheWeek article of the same ate.
I wish I could say "Enjoy them!", but there is grief and sadness as they bring to mind this week's terrible assassination of Chief Layi Balogun, distinguished architect, well-known Nigerian and Yoruba son.
Nevertheless, I am certain that you will read the articles with "Oohs" and "Aahhs!", and
one sincerely hopes the Chief Balogun's murder is not a shot across a bough.
I have annotated the articles appropriately.
Have a good Sunday.
Bolaji Aluko
AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY: Bringing The Various Yoruba Groups Together is Still a Tall Order
by Wale Akin Aina
Newswatch, March 13, 1995; pages 18-19
EFFORTS BY OLUSEGUN Obasanjo, former head of state, to forge a united front among southern Nigerian politicians continued last week, but are still being hindered by the lack of agreement between the National Unity Organization, NUO, led by Obasanjo, and the Afenifere, the pro-democracy political association with a large support base in the western part of the
country. [SEE NOTE 1.]
Obasanjo, together with prominent members of his organisation, met with Afenifere group recently at the Owo, Ondo State, home of Adekunle Ajasin, former governor of the state and leader of the group. It was the first formal meeting between leaders of the NUO and the Afenifere since the south/south dialogue, initiated by the Obasanjo group, began about three months ago with the meeting January 2 of the NUO and prominent Igbo leaders at the Avutu, Imo State, home of Sam Mbakwe, also the former Imo State governor.
The first meeting between the Afenifere and the NUO failed last January 25. Obasanjo failed to show up in Owo, and Ajasin had to leave for Abuja to meet with Sani Abacha, the head of state, over the continued detention of Moshood Abiola, unofficial winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993. Obasanjo, however, claimed it was Bola Ige, a prominent member of the Afenifere, who called off the meeting.
[SEE NOTE NOTES 2. But see also NOTE 5, a TheWEEK article also of March 13, 1995, detailing Obasanjo's trip to the North.]
Lai Balogun [SEE NOTE 3], a former presidential aspirant and member of the NUO, said the meeting, two weeks ago, was basically to discuss how the Yorubas will "put their house in order." He added that the meeting focused on the closing of the ranks among the Yorubas, but noted: "We should realise that one or two or several meetings will not solve all our problems."
Newswatch learnt that the meeting between Obasanjo and the Afenifere group lasted for more than three hours and sources said that Obasanjo received "the political bashing of his life." Ajasin was said to have kicked off the meeting by praising the efforts of the former head of state in seeking to unite southern politicians. But sources told Newswatch the atmosphere became charged when younger elements of the Afenifere subjected Obasanjo "to a lengthy bout of inquisition."
According to the sources, Obasanjo was asked what his political ambitions were, but was said not to have given satisfactory answer to the Afenifere group. The sources added as the heated discussions progressed, Obasanjo was told the he was the problem of Yoruba and of Nigeria. It was at this point that Obasanjo was said to have left the meeting. The sources added: "It was obvious that the younger ones had no respect for him."
Balogun said last week that Obasanjo might have had a rough deal at the Owo meeting. He said that though the meeting started well with discussions on the possibility of forming a Yoruba Elders' Council [SEE NOTE 4], but discussions lost focus. He said: "This was as a result of
the rumour mongering on the actions or inactions of Obasanjo." He said that the meeting dwelt on many events of the past. Balogun said that dissenting voices at the meeting based their opposition to Obasanjo and the NUO purely on what they had read in the newspapers and magazines.
"There were based on mere suspicion. Obasanjo, therefore, explained himself and showed proof and witnesses to buttress his arguments," he said. But obviously the majority of the Afenifere members were not impressed. The issue, Balogun admitted, was "one of lack of trust for Obasanjo and his group." Newswatch learnt that this was largely due to the perceived role of Obasanjo in the resolution of the political logjam caused by the annulled election and the detention of Abiola.
Balogun said last week that Obasanjo explained his role before, during and after the annulment of the election. Balogun lamented that "there are Nigerians who water down or dismiss other people's contributions and achievements. This is what happened in the case of Obasanjo."
But it appears that the lack of trust is not one-sided. Members of the NUO seem suspicious of the agenda of the Afenifere leadership. In pushing a case for the establishment of a Yoruba Elders Council, Balogun said a small clique of people should not continue to hold the Yorubas to ransom. He said that the council should consist of elders like Ajasin, HID Awolowo, Adeniran Ogunsanya and prominent traditional rulers. He added, "When they come together, they will be able to form a consensus among Yoruba."
Balogun said that at the present, Yoruba consensus is in the hands of the "AG (Action Group) and the UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) that form the Afenifere group. Such a group cannot guarantee the unity of the Yoruba, especially through the resurrection of old parties."
Nevertheless, the release from detention of Abiola still tops the agenda of the Afenifere and the National Democratic Coalitioin, NADECO. Last week, government again indicated that it was still willing to discuss the possible release of Abiola from detention and of Abacha negotiating with him the resolution of the political crisis. At the meeting of the Afenifere January 25, the members had impressed it on Ajasin that the release of Abiola from detention was a pre-condition for negotiations with government.
The message was passed to Abacha by Ajasin and Anthony Enahoro, a pro-democracy activist, the first time the NADECO team met him. It was also at that time that Abacha, according to sources, gave Enahoro the go- ahead to meet Abiola. But the security operatives detailed to arrange the meeting were said to have bungled it. They drove Enahoro "through the length and breadth of Abuja" for over one and a half hours without locating where Abiola was kept. Enahoro was said to have angrily demanded that the meeting be called off.
Newswatch learnt last week that the last initiative two weeks ago was at the instance of the government. According to sources, Abacha wanted to make up for the aborted meeting. Now that the NADECO group has met with Abiola, it remains to be seen when the proposed meeting between Abiola and Abacha will take place.........
Reported by Dotun Ladipo and Kolarele Sonaike
NOTE NUMBER 1 Ironically, the date of this Newswatch edition was March 13, 1995, traditionally dated a week AFTER it is released for sale. Obasanjo was ARRESTED by the Abacha government on March 13, 1995, suspected of being part of a coup plot; his trial began June 8, 1995; he was sentenced (along
with 39 others) July 14/15 1995 to life imprisonment; undetermined commutation announced by Abacha October 1, 1995 and commutation to 15 years in prison confirmed October 10, 1995. Abacha died June 8, 1998, and Obasanjo was released one week later by Abacha's successor (Abdusalam
Abubakar) June 15, 1998. MKO Abiola died three weeks later, July 7, 1998. Obasanjo became elected civilian president of Nigeria May 29, 1999.
Write for Obasanjo Amnesty International Group 75 writes on behalf of Olusegun Obasanjo--former Nigerian head of state. He was imprisoned in 1995 by the military...
Circumstances of General Obasanjo's Arrest General Obasanjo was arrested in Lagos in 13 March 1995 and charged with concealment of treason. He was convicted along with 42 others in secret military trials and sentenced to life imprisonment. His sentence has since been commuted to 15 years.
There has been no evidence submitted to support the charges against General Obasanjo. It is believed that his efforts to rally non-violent opposition within Nigeria through the National Unity Organization were perceived to be a threat to the government's position nationally and internationally.
[excerpt] Lagos newspapers reported Thursday, June 22, that Nigeria's former military ruler General Olusegun Obasanjo and his chief deputy have been charged in a military tribunal trying suspected coup plotters. ...full story
Arrest of General Obasanjo 03/17/95
URGENT ACTION: General Obasanjo Arrested by Nigerian Authorities
AFRICA-NEWS-HIGHLIGHTS
CAPE TOWN Apr 12 Sapa
[excerpt] LAGOS - Nigeria's military leader General Sani Abacha has said former ruler General Olusegun Obasanjo was being detained because he was implicated in a failed plot to topple the government, newspapers reported. ...full story
NOTE NUMBER 3 Chief Lai Balogun was assassinated earlier this week, with Obasanjo, Afenifere and YCE all expressing dismay.
Lai Balogun Shot Dead [excerpt] Former presidential aspirant in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olayiwola Balogun, a key witness in the murder petition of Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, pending before Justice Oputa-led Panel was, on Thursday night, killed by persons suspected to be hired assassins....full story
Layi Balogun's Assassination [excerpt] Nigeria's long list of assassination incidents got longer last week. A prominent citizen, Chief Layi Balogun became the last figure on that list when he fell to the bullets of the assassins in his Akoka, Lagos, residence, last Friday....full story
Afenifere Demands Probe Of Layi Balogun's Death [excerpt] Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, has called for the immediate probe of the circumstances leading to the assassination of Chief Layi Balogun and appealed to the Federal Government to beef up national security and halt the assassination of innocent Nigerians....full story
Yoruba Council of Elders Laments Layi Balogun's Murder [excerpt] The Igbimo Agba Yoruba otherwise known as Yoruba Council of Elders, yesterday in Ibadan declared that the brutal assassination of Chief Layi Balogun has proved that the nation's democracy is not yet free from the tyranny and cruelties of past military regimes....full story
NOTE NUMBER 4 The recent formation of this Yoruba Elders Council, five years after it was first mooted by Obasanjo and his NUO, has since become some bone of contention between the new group and Afenifere.
HID Awolowo, FRA, Akinloye, Others In Yoruba Council of Elders [excerpt] Chief HID Awolowo, wife of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief FRA Williams, Chief S.L. Edu, Chief A.M.A. Akinloye, Pa Ola Vincent are among top Yoruba personalities who are members of the yet to be launched Yoruba Council of Elders, Vanguard investigation has
revealed....full story
Afenifere, YCE Battle For Recognition [excerpt] A Grand battle between the Pan Yoruba Social group, Afenifere and the recently established Yoruba Council of Elders (YEC) may have ensued to secure recognition on which of them will become the mainstream Yoruba leadership group....full story
Why We Seek New Yoruba Leadership-Thompson [excerpt] Justice Adewale Thompson (rtd), one time legal adviser to the defunct Action Group (AG), who is also the initiator and secretary of the yet to be launched Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) spoke with our correspondent in Ibadan Sina Babasola on why the council was formed,
those behind it, its structure, involvement of Pa Abraham Adesanya, the Afenifere leader among other issues relating to Yoruba ......full story
Afenifere Woos Yoruba Council of Elders to Avert Division [excerpt] Determined to check possible division within the ranks of Yoruba sons and daughters, the leadership of the Pan-Yoruba group, the Afenifere, has started reaching out to the leaders of the newly formed Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) with a view to resolving their differences....full story
Yoruba Council Of Elders, Thompson Reacts To Olunloyo [excerpt] The secretary of the newly floated Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE) Justice Adewale Thompson (rtd) yesterday reacted sharply to the outburst of former governor of old Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo on the formation of the council, describing the former governor as a
bunch of contradiction....full story
NOTE NUMBER 5 TO THE NORTH WE HEARD Obasanjo's NUON suspends a scheduled meeting in Benin City in favour of an effort to secure Northern support
by Yusuph Olaniyonu
Theweek, March 13, 1995 page 17
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, FORmer head of state, could hardly wait for the Ramadan to end before embarking on a tour of Kano State last Saturday to meet with business, traditional and political leaders in the state for the purpose of broadening the support for the efforts of his National Unity Organisation of Nigeria.
Leading a delegation of members of the NUON consisting of Layi Balogun, former presidential aspirant, Ahmed Joda, retired permanent secretary and the organisation's chairman, Kenny
Martins, the national coordinator, and Ademola Ijabiyi, Obasanjo was due to meet with three main political groups during his two-day visit. The groups included that of the NEPU/PRP which consist of followers of the late Aminu Kano, and a new political association led by Kabiru Gaya, former governor of the state.
The Obasanjo team was also expected to visit Ado Bayero, emir of Kano and some other prominent indigenes like Tanko Yakassai, a constitutional conference delegate, Lawan Danbazzau,
Magaji Dambatta and Inua Wada, both First Republic politicians.
The meetings were part of the preparations by the NUON for the proposed talks between southern and northern leadres for the purpose of presenting a common front on the intractable political and economic problems. The NUON had since January held widely publicised meetings of souther leaders in Avutu, Imo State and Ibadan.
Obasanjo was to use last week-end's meeting to explain the objectives of the NUON to northern leaders. February 12, Augusus Akinloye, chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, sent letters to some leaders in the north through one Abdul Lateef Badamosi. In the seven-paragraph letter, Akinloye intimated them of his "resolve to assist in bringing together all shades of opinion in all of the southern parts of the country."
"Thereafter," he announced, "we shall align the groups or association with other such groups of people in the northern parts of the country for the singular aim of uniting majority of Nigerians."
THe letter notified the northern leaders of Akinloye's plan to lead a delegation of southern leaders to talk with their colleagues in the north for the purpose of achieving unity. Among those who received the letters were:
Ibrahim Dasuki, Sultan of Sokoto [NOTE: LATER DEPOSED BY ABACHA],
Shehu Idris, emir of Zaria,
Umaru Shinkafi [NOTE: VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF APP/AD, CONTESTING AGAINST OBASANJO IN 1999],
Lemah Jubrillu and Shehu Yar'Adua [NOTE: ARRESTED AND JAILED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIMES AS OBASANJO. DIED IN PRISON ON DECEMBER 8, 1997.]
Others included Lawan Danbazzau [NOTE: NOW DECEASED],
Ibrahim Gusau [NOTE: NOW OBASANJO'S
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER],
Bashir Tofa, former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention [NOTE: CONTESTED AGAINST MKO ABIOLA] and Wada.
In their response, Theweek learnt that many of the northern leaders expressed their willingness to participate in the proposed meeting. The visit to Kano was meant to further ensure wider participation in the north-south meeting which is billed for Kaduna.
NUON's foray into the north has supplanted its earlier plans to hold a southern solidarity meeting in Benin City March 4. The meeting had ran into initial problem when Obasanjo and other leaders of the organisation could not get Anthony Enahoro, First Republic parliamentarian, to host the meeting. Enahoro was said to be reluctant to associate with NUON because he could not submerge his Movement for National Reformation [MNR] under the aegis of the NUON. TheWeek also learnt that Enahoro reportedly told his aides that he does not believe that the NUON has the national acceptability that would encourage him to take the organisation seriously.
An aide to Enahoro also said the seasoned politicain "would not have anything to do with a group that does not subscribe to the political restructuring of the country into regions as enunciated by the MNR." Enahoro is alos believed to be suspicious of Obasanjo's real intentions.
With Enahoro's apathy, many indigenes of Edo and Delta States who should organise the meeting are also not enthusiastic about the talks. This is widely believed to be the reason for the suspension of the meeting. But Martins told Theweek that the meeting was postponed because "having done some consultations in the north, we felt it is high time we were in the
north to hold meetings with the leaders there and the timing has to be perfect. The Ramadan has just ended and the pilgrimage to Mecca would soon commence. If were are not careful, we would be constrained by the hajj operations and other things that may prevent some key leaders who have indicated their support for our efforts from attending."
In the east, a joint technical committee of the NUON and the Eastern Mandate Union concluded work on the details of association between the two organisations. IN the four-page agreement drafted in Lagos by representatives of the two associations, six measures were suggested as a
way forward for building "a dominant political party" with the advantage of creating "elite national consensus." They included the establishment of a federation between all cooperating groups. The NUON is to assist EMU in developing its social programmes, the creation of an elaborate programme to guide the enlistment of members, establishment of a viable national secretariat to sever the party across the country and "to forestall the destabilising influence of local fiefs by channelling all donations to the party into the purse of the national organisation."
ALUKO NOTE: IT LOOKS AS IF THE EASTERN MANDATE UNION (EMU) UNDER DR. ARTHUR NWANKWO THAT WENT THE FARTHEST IN IDENTIFYING OBASANJO'S NUON AS A NASCENT POLITICAL PARTY WITH ATTRACTIVE PURSE STRINGS.
UNFORTUNATELY, ABACHA, ALREADY HATCHING PLANS TO SUCCEED HIMSELF, TOO UNDERSTOOD OBASANJO'S MOVES - AND INSTANTLY TACKLED OBASANJO WITH WITH A COUP AROUND HIS NECK!
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