By;
Dr. Abdulkareem Onakoya (PhD, FNIMC),
Department of Political Science,
Lagos State University of Education,
Oto-Ijanikin,
(Epe Campus),
Email: onakoyaa@lasued.edu.ng,
Tel: 08026621805.
10th April, 2023.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent outbursts on the 2023 Nigerian general elections are religiously placed on political travesty and electoral burlesque.
His intentions and his true picture were either trampled on or maligned to portray him out of the context.
It’s unfortunate that Nigeria has not ‘conducted any credible election’ since the return of democracy in 1999. Even the two general elections which ushered him in as the democratically elected president of the nation between 1999 and 2007. This assertion has been proven to be exact following the reactions and comments of foreign and local observers on the conduct of polls in the nation.
As an election enthusiast, the just conducted elections in Nigeria only had a better parlance and elocution with the introduction of the BVAS, but not truly the reflection of the voices of the masses.
Away from the polls to his (Obasanjo) persona which most analysts and or political commentators sway away from or deliberately jettison due to bigotry attempts or irrational exuberance.
Some experts in the field of comparative politics and the Nigerian foreign policy have argued that Nigeria has not witnessed a better administration in terms of foreign policy and export substitution industrialisation which positioned the nation better due to the comparative advantage of our local economy than the administration of the former president’s – Obasanjo.
To them, he remains the gold standard against his successors in the 4th Republic till the present time.
Though, his poor institutional management, domestic policy and an attempt to maintain influence post-presidency have greatly damaged his image among compatriots.
However, his major contribution was the interest articulation in the comity of nations globally. Nigeria’s size and population are good enough to keep this strength if subsequent administrations continued from where he stopped.
His role often come as an added opportunity to showcase the Nigerian-state in the West African region and the continent as a whole.
He was able to deliver on a strategy aimed at achieving the sole goal of leading the continental economy and its political sphere.
Borrowing from a term often used to espouse the policy framework of an administration, the ‘Obasanjo’s Doctrine’ remains a necessary body of work to study for any subsequent administration seeking to deliver on the promise of maintaining the Nigeria’s status of being the continental leader.
To asses him properly, we need to make a throw-back into his military regime. Between 1976 and 1979, he pursued an active supportive policy which gave a voice against the apartheid regime in South Africa and rebel activities in the southern region. That gave a systemic rise of Neo-Nigerian foreign policy affairs among the black race.
In 1977, he hosted the World Conference for Action Against Apartheid which saw a major ‘divestment’ from the South African states to other neighbouring and developing countries. In their apparent appraisals, presidents Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda of Tanzania and Zambia respectively commended this stride of the Nigerian head of state.
Shortly after that, the visit of the US’s President, Jimmy Carter in 1978 to Nigeria further testified to the fact that the person who led the nation then was a true national leader and who was ready to take the state to a enviable position than the previous military heads. That visit further strengthened the relations between Dodan Barracks and the White House in terms of military and economic ties.
His greatest political achievement came in 1979 when he conducted the 2nd Republic’s general elections and paved way for the democratically elected government to take control of the national affairs.
His emergence as the president of the Federal Republic in 1999 came when the nation needed a ‘figure’ to bridge gaps already created by the juntas and the military warlords.
He was widely accepted by the three regions and polled a very convincing votes of 18,738,154 to win his closest rival Chief Olu Falae who scored 11,110,287.
On assumption of duty as the president of the new-Nigeria, he met the suspension of the nation from the Commonwealth since 1995 after the gruesome assassination of Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni nine which was condemned internationally.
His first major assignment was to redeem the image of the nation globally. His relationship with the likes of Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Muammar Ghadafi of Libya and Mele Zenawi brought the lost glory back. Nigerian-state began its comebacks and repositioning among the African states and the Commonwealth.
In his first regime, he undertook about one hundred and thirteen (113) foreign tours with the aim of rewriting the wrongs and identifying the gaps to be filled.
His diplomatic efforts and engagements and the increased private sector investments contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigeria’s GDP from an estimated $36 billion in 1999 to $166.4 billion in 2007 when he left office (NBS).
Another feat he made was the cancellation of the country’s $18 billion foreign debts. He achieved that through his ending diverse of the national and international economic affairs under the amiable Director-General of the WTO, Dr. Ngozi Nkonji Eweala.
The emergence of the Ministry of Integration in Africa and the repositioning of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs also made tremendous progress in building the national economy along with the intercontinental socio-economic feats.
Another tranche in the Obasanjo’s administration was the promotion of culture and sports. His bid to co-host the African Cup of Nations with Ghana after the rejection of the hosting right by Zimbabwe in the year 2000 was applausive. That was another regenerative foreign policy aimed at promoting the nation in the sporting sector.
In 2003, he hosted the All African Games in Abuja and used this to strengthen the nation’s tie with the US. At the opening ceremony of the event, his August Guest, former President Bill Clinton made it known to the world his satisfaction of the event for a nation just waking up from the relics of the military regimes and that was very strategic indeed.
He used the sporting fiesta to rebuild the National Stadium in Abuja and the Games Village which was later turned into housing estate after the event by the succeeding administrations.
His current political utterances these days have grossly exaggerated his stances and made us swayed away from the realities of his relevance in the democratic values of the nation and our journey to self-rule.
It’s quite unfortunate !!!