INTERESTING: 7 Governors, 20 Senators, Prominent Nigerians for Obasanjo’s 2019 Coalition

Many of those consulted by Obasanjo are said to have
signed on to his elaborate plan for a mass movement away from the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC), and his former party, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), to “rescue” Nigeria from poor governance and
hardship.

Obasanjo described the two parties as “wobbling” and unfit to run Nigeria.

On
Tuesday, the former president issued a scathing public commentary on
the Buhari administration, advising the president to take a “deserved
rest” and urging Nigerians to vote him out should Mr. Buhari insist on
running.

The Nigerian government on Wednesday responded to Mr. Obasanjo, outlining many achievements of the government.

But there is an untold story to the public rebuke.

Impeccable
sources told PT the former president repeatedly discussed his concerns
with Buhari, and then decided to go public after he noticed no
improvement in the way the country is governed.

Frustrated
by the worsening political and security situation of the country,
Obasanjo spent the last few months consulting key political leaders in
the country.

He then used the better part of January drafting
and editing what is now the explosive “special press statement” that has
shaken the nation’s political foundation.

Signs that things
were amiss between Mr. Obasanjo and Mr. Buhari, a man the former
endorsed for the presidency in 2015, manifested early this month in far
away Oxford, United Kingdom.

Giving a talk at the University of
Oxford, Mr. Obasanjo commended some African leaders for their reforms
and economic transformation, but left out Mr. Buhari.

Asked from
the audience on when he would make his feelings about the Buhari
government public, Mr. Obasanjo said the time was not ripe.

However,
aides and associates of the former president said he had actually began
expressing his misgivings about the Buhari administration from late
last year, and shared his feelings with political associates and some
elder statesmen.

A number of those consulted, consented to Mr. Obasanjo’s idea that it was time to intervene in the political course of events.

Obasanjo
has held meetings with former Nigerian leaders, serving governors,
lawmakers and other key leaders across the country before arriving at
the decision.

“At the last count, seven governors, 20 senators
and over 100 House of Representatives members have agreed in principle
with Baba to go into this coalition,” a close associate of the former
president told our reporter.

The personalities have chosen to
remain in the shadows for now but have signaled their intention to move
in to what is envisioned to be a mega coalition at some time.

HOW THE STATEMENT WAS COMPOSED AND RELEASED 

He shared a draft with a few close aides and some of his children to get their comments.

The
former president was said to have made final edits on the document on
the flight to and from Liberia for the inauguration of President George
Weah.

“Very early in the morning of Tuesday, Mr. Obasanjo called
a meeting of about eight of his close aides and associates to finalise
the document and what to do with it,” a source familiar with what
transpired that morning revealed.

Some of the former president’s
children were said to have cautioned him about his personal security
considering the tones of the letter.

“Baba (Obasanjo) however
told them that was the least of his concerns. He told them that he
considers himself to be living on extra-time and was ready to pay
whatever price for this country,” the source explained.

The
meeting then discussed the content of the statement and came to
agreement that time was ripe for the document to be released.

Obasanjo
then directed that the statement be released to the media by email at
1pm, Tuesday. He also ordered for the final copy to be produced into a
booklet. Initial 1000 copies were then produced.

The octogenarian then picked up some copies of the booklets as he made for Ibadan later that morning.

NIGERIANS SUFFERING
Obasanjo
took a swipe at Mr. Buhari in the open letter, accusing the president
of ineptitude, clannishness and callousness in handling affairs of the
country.

He described another term of four years for Mr. Buhari
as “prison term” arguing that “Nigeria deserves and urgently needs
better than what they have given or what we know they are capable of
giving”.

“To ask them to give more will be unrealistic and will
only sentence Nigeria to a prison term of four years if not destroy it
beyond the possibility of an early recovery and substantial growth.
Einstein made it clear to us that doing the same thing and expecting a
different result is the height of folly.”

OBASANJO’S VISION FOR THE MOVEMENT 
In the widely reported press statement, Obasanjo spelled out his concept of the movement.

He
said it would provide Nigerians a window to determine their fate and
chart a new course for the country, away from the now dominant political
parties.

“This Coalition for Nigeria will be a Movement that
will drive Nigeria up and forward,” the former president said. “It must
have a pride of place for all Nigerians, particularly for our youth and
our women. It is a coalition of hope for all Nigerians for speedy,
quality and equal development, security, unity, prosperity and progress.
It is a coalition to banish poverty, insecurity and despair.

“Coalition
for Nigeria must be a Movement to break new ground in building a united
country, a socially-cohesive and moderately prosperous society with
equity, equality of opportunity, justice and a dynamic and progressive
economy that is self-reliant and takes active part in global division of
labour and international decision-making.”

A discreet plan is
said to be on afoot to constitute the leadership of the proposed
Coalition for Nigeria movement, with announcement expected sometimes
next week.