OBJ's Birthday And A Football Show: The Politics Of Old Age - By Sabinus Eboh

Anybody conversant with Obasanjo’s politics in Nigeria will definitely know where he is coming from. The recent football show by OBJ in the course of celebrating his 78^th birthday is part of his deceptive and diversionary tactics to sway the gullible minds to his selfish plans. Nigerian politicians has always shown that for you to be a politician you must first be a good comedian.

This attribute has been so exhibited by no less a person than OBJ. It was OBJ who during the PDP campaign rally of 2006 in Ogun state, when it was rumored that Yaradua is dead, in the most dramatic and comedic manner put a call through to Yaradua on his sick bed, with his phone on speaker, to the hearing of all present, ask the now infamous question “Umaru are you dead?”  The rest today, is history.

Now OBJ is at it again. To prove to the world that Buhari’s age is not an issue, he has decided to stage another comedy show using this period of his 78^th birthday celebration in the same Ogun State.  

Former President obasanjo on Wednesday exhibit​s his soccer skill​s, as he led the OBJ Team in a soccer duel with the Ogun State Executive Team.

The match which was designed as part of his ​78th birthday programme​, took place at Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, with Governor Ibikunle Amosun, leading the state team.

Any discerning mind can attest to the fact that it is all geared towards proving the point that his candidate, Muhammadu Buhari at 73, is still agile and capable, to rule Nigeria.

This is in contrast with Buhari’s recent outing in an interview with Al Jazeera TV, where he clearly shows signs of incoherency on issues addressed to him. He couldn’t state the full meaning of his party APC which he expresses to mean “All Progressive Confidence “. He also said that INEC stands for “Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission” If not for old age; I wonder what will make him commit such blunders.

Former President Obasanjo at the seventh Annual Trust Dialogue held in the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel sometime ago has this to say about a sick President Yaradua when Nigerians where clamouring for him to handover to the Vice President , Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

According to Obasanjo, “If you take up an appointment, a job, elected, appointed whatever it is and then your health starts failing and you will not be able to deliver to satisfy yourself and satisfy the people who you are supposed to serve, then there is a path of honour you are supposed to take. There is a path of honour and morality and if you don’t know that, then you don’t know anything.” 

Obasanjo who was responding to a question on why he gave Nigeria a sick President, explained that prior to the emergence of the ailing president, three qualities were set out for who must be his successor.  ‘One, he must have enough intellectual capacity to run the affairs of this nation; two, he has sufficient personal integrity to run the affairs of this country; three, he is sufficiently broad minded enough, politically, religiously, socially whatever to manage the affairs of this country. These three were important and very primary to me,’ says Obasanjo.

The question OBJ should help us and answer now, is whether General Buhari possess all these qualities?

At 78, we join millions of  other Nigerians to wish Baba a happy birthday celebration.