By Tunde Abatan
Destiny has a way of playing crucial roles in the life and exploits of a citizen,people and indeed country.
Hence,it is proper to say that some unseen factors unknown to man also plays a crucial role in either shaping the destiny of a person or nation at every point in time . Frankly Speaking 2023: The all comers..’Taja Teran’ affairs
Since it’s formation in 1914 both local and international factors have for varied reasons, played a major role in the direction,affairs and those who call the shots in Nigeria.
Like it or leave it, Nigeria is an artificial creation which has continued to wobble and fumble along in spite of having defied all known criteria necessary for the survival of a nation.
In living to this sad reality, the imbalances in its formation has thrown up powerful figures and influential personalities whose roles has helped to define the emerging leaders of the country and by extension direction of the country.
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In 1960, when the country was at the threshold of independence,both foreign and internal factors combine to prevent emergence of hitherto acknowledged brilliant and visionary minds who would have laid a solid foundation for the country.
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At the eleventh hour,Dr Nnamdi Azikwes National Council for Nigerian Citizens,NCC, teamed up with less fancied and ideologically conservative Northern People’s Congress,NPC to form a coalition government leaving the rather progressive Chief Obafemi Awolowos Action Group,AG, in the lurch.
The rest is history as the marriage soon crashed.
In 1966,fate combined with destiny to throw up less fancied Major General Aguiyi Ironsi,as the head of state of the country contrary to the aims of the revolutionaries led by the late Major Kaduna Nzeogwu,who plotted and masterminded the coup. It was a revolution aborted midway. Frankly Speaking 2023:The Needless hysteria over RCCG memo
The unfolding events of the Nzeogwu failure soon throw Nigeria into darkness and a thirty month civil war.
Again,as a nation on a permanent state of instability,the radically minded government of the late Murtala Muhammed who sacked Gowons nine year government in 1975 also got aborted midway thereby denying the country of a permanent departure from inertia. Tinubu: The testimonies of a disciple
To demonstrate failure of a country unable to lift itself up from boostrap of inertia, the umpire of the 1979 election also told a bewildered nation not to expect the best candidate for the country to win
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True to his words, the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari whose ambition is to be a Senator got thrown up as President amid protestation from other more qualified and competent leaders.
Under Shagaris Presidency, the nation receded back again to it’s days of uncertainty which plaqued the first republic.
Again, the late Brigadier Ibrahim Bako leader of the military putsch that sacked Shagari midnight December 31 1983, also got killed few hours before he took office leaving the space for Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari was in no way in the picture of new leaders to take over from Shagari but Bakos death in a presumably bloodless coup changed the course of the nations history.
The emergence of then Lt Gen Ibrahim Babangida, as new leader after Buhari and General Tunde Idiagbons regimes sack, was probably the only successfully planned putsch which aim was to throw up a politically minded and ambitious military officer who styled himself President.
Not done with accidents of history, Babangida political rigmarole of eight years also aborted the dream of Nigeria having the freest and fairest election in it’s history upheld.
Babangida jettisoned the election of late Chief Moshood Abiolas,his friend.
Instead of Abiola,Ernest Shonekan,an urbane but quiet board room guru from Abeokuta Abiolas homestead also mounted the saddle in an interim contraption of a government.
In 82 days, the government was kicked out by a waiting military band of the late General Sanni Abacha.
However,fate again played a cruel joke on Abacha as he passed on few days to his planned adoption by five political parties often described as five leprous hands.
Thus death truncated his desire to transmit to a civilian President and do what his boss Babangida could not do.
The same fate threw up General Abdusalam Abubakar who would’ve been retired the day Abacha passed on.
Like a nation permanently jinxed of good success,Abdusalams eleven months transition also succeeded in producing a dark horse.
The dark horse emerged as power brokers dusted up from prison and threw up Olusegun Obasanjo,a former military rulers.
Obasanjos emergence was against the preference of his Yoruba kinsmen for Olu Falae.
For Falae and his Afenifere Yoruba mainstream leaders, it was another dream aborted.
Obasanjos campaign funding was facilitated by retired military Generals led by Theophillus Danjuma who vowed to go on exile should Obasanjo lose the election.
Again ,after Obasanjos eight years tenure,he shoved aside frontline contestants and credible ,young aspirants to foist up,sickly Umaru Yaradua as his successor.
Mischievously,he picked a less fancied Ijaw man from Delta state,Goodluck Jonathan as his vice.
Then,luck showed up for Jonathan who never for once thought of being President as Yaradua buckled under I’ll health barely thirty months to his tenure.
Not done with litany of foisting unprepared and reluctant leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,a former Lagos state governor, clubbed together bands of irreconcilable but aggrieved politicians in ruling People’s Democratic Party,PDP,All Nigeria People’s Party,ANPP and Buharis provincial Congress for Progressive Change,CPC.
The merged parties threw up Buhari a serial loser.
Against numerous obstacles,the coalition performed feat, defeated a ruling government in Nigerias history.
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Today,seven years after Buhari took over ,it is clear the hopes and aspirations of those who sponsored him and Nigerian citizens have once again been dashed.
Though through sheer political brinkmanship Tinubu was able to put together APC, it is clear as crystal ball, the party has slipped out of his hand.
The emergence of Tinubus political son, vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other relatively dark horses in APCs list of presidential hopefuls, is a sign that the country is about to continue in it’s abandoning life long dreamers and contenders for its high office.
If Tinubu is able to clinch the APC ticket, he might as well changed the course of history of failed star performers.
But if Buhari behaves to prediction and threw up either Osinbajo or any of his ministers,then he would’ve succeeded in increasing the club of presidential dreamers who are victims of the strange political environment they found themselves.
As for Osinbajo,his probable emergence as APC presidential candidate and eventual winner may for once change the narration of foisting incompetent or ill prepared leader on the country.
If he does, it means that His emergence, after eight years of his vice presidency, was indeed a learning the rope experience.
Interesting times ahead for the country.
