Against the backdrop of his public criticism of the Jonathan Presidency vis-a-viz his refusal to back Jonathan second term bid, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been earmarked for deliberate attacks by the Presidency, allies of the former chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have claimed.
The Presidency, it has been alleged, is planning to reopen investigations into the $180m Halliburton scandal, and sponsor certain interest groups to file petitions at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Obasanjo over the killing of innocent people in Odi and Zaki-Biam communities in Bayelsa and Benue States respectively.
During Obasanjo’s presidential reign, federal government troops were ordered to invade Odi to avenge the killing of military men by community men, just as was the case in Zaki-Biam.
About a week after the former president criticised his successor’s successor on his handling of killings masterminded by the Boko Haram Islamist sect, Jonathan hit back during a presidential media chat, describing Obasanjo’s order as resulting in the killing of innocent old people and children instead of eradicating militancy in the region.
This disagreement between the two leaders is already being played up as evidencing intense post-2015 power struggle in the PDP, considering that Obasanjo is believed to be against Jonathan’s return for a second term. Obasanjo, it is said, would rather back a potential presidential bid by Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, or by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The former president is alleged to have made moves to stop some negative advertisements against him in some newspapers, after he had been forewarned about the coming of such adverts. However, it was gathered that he only succeeded in convincing a southwestern newspaper to back down.
“They are planning to deal with Baba because they think he will not support the 2015 project. Already, they have started this plot with media attacks, including placement of indicting advertisements against Obasanjo,” a reliable source in Obasanjo’s camp anonymously claimed.
“We have got intelligence report that some people are trying to prevail on the Presidency to revisit the $180m Halliburton scandal since Mr. Adeyanju Bodunde, a former personal assistant to Obasanjo, was implicated in the alleged scam.
“They are plotting to frame up the ex-president in the Halliburton scandal. It is sad that they are desperate; they want to hang something on Obasanjo’s neck in order to intimidate him to shelve any involvement in 2015 project. Yet, we are in a democracy. Obasanjo should be entitled to his opinion no matter how bitter it is.”
Bodunde had been arraigned in 2010 alongside George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler (now at large), Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.
George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler, Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Bilfinger Berger GMBH were alleged to have, sometime between 2002 and 2003, conspired to make several cash payments of $1m (five times) totalling the sum of $5m to Bodunde. They were alleged to have committed the offence contrary to Section 16 of the Money Laundering Act 1995 (as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act 2004) and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Act 1995(as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004). Julius Berger had engaged in plea bargain.
“They want to use some groups to write petitions to ICC on Odi military campaign in 1999 and the Zaki-Biam issue. Their plan is to put an obstacle before Obasanjo to distract him from serving as a rallying point for politicians of like minds seeking a fundamental change in 2015,” he said.
“A group from Bayelsa State has indicated interest in filing petition before the ICC. So, you can see what we are saying and why we have every cause to be concerned. Even at that, Obasanjo has not told any of his associates the direction he wants to go in 2015. I do not know what is behind this witch-hunt.”
But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe debunked the allegations, saying “What I can say is that this government is not witch-hunting anybody, it does not do so.
“Let me put it on record that it is not the style of President Goodluck Jonathan to witch-hunt or intimidate anybody. The president is an extremely liberal person, he does not believe in vengeance or oppressing anyone.”
Okupe also denied any crisis of confidence between the President and Obasanjo. “The media may present the situation as if there is a problem between the president and Ex-President Obasanjo, but there is no truth in such insinuation,” he claimed. “From inside, I do not see any issue or disagreement between the president and our former leader.”
Okupe added that Obasanjo remains an elder statesman who continues to enjoy the love and respect of the presidency.”
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