Obasanjo had no choice. He was caught within a quagmire of his own making. For me the event of yesterday was a face-saving opportunity at his disposal. One which he risks loosing at his peril, should he refuse. How is this so? I am pleased you asked!
Obasanjo had rejected Atiku in word, and decimated him in deed. He then went on to dedicate pages of his book My Watch to write an epitaph on Atiku’s political carrier. If men were gods, mortals like Atiku would never rise to political relevance again. Not in this life. Not in this country.
But men are not gods. And there are mortals whose political life is like that of a phoenix. Atiku has proven that he is like that. Like phoenix. It does not matter now if that means playing the harlot, jumping back and forth from the bed of one suitor to the other. From PDP to APC and back.
That flirtatious restlessness has shown itself to be the oxygen for his political survival. And Obasanjo couldn’t fail to recognise this.
On the other hand is the General who became President. And Obasanjo’s gyratory display of influence in making that dream come true has never been in doubt. But it took only three years for one General to realise that the other General is not a material for the First Office.
Things fell apart. He resorted to the old habit of letter writing. And how lenghty he wrote calling the man from Daura to dismount from the horse and go home. But not GPMB! (G is silent… has always been). His body language is nothing like the bloody civilian from Otueke. He won’t be intimidated by another General. He won’t heed counsel. He wont leave.
Obasanjo’s pride has since been at stake. Never has the OBJ mystery been under threat as it was in the days preceeding the reconciliation of last week. If it didn’t happen and Atiku goes on to become president, it would have amounted to the demystification of Obasanjo.
His Third Force dream has proven that it is not a force to reckon with. It does not come close to the force propelling APC. Or PDP. He knew he was loosing ground. He stood in need of a face saving opportunity. He needed to save face.
To do so, he must open his hands to a prodigal subordinate. He must #Atikulate, even if he has to do that with a double edged sword. With one he makes it clear that it is Atiku who needs him, and who has been fully remorseful and repentant. And with the other, he announced his endorsement. In any case OBJ has been #Atikulated.
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