President Jonathan goes for broke against Obasanjo

Like petty lovers of strife that shriek and sweat in pigmy wars, President Goodluck Jonathan and his estranged godfather, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, won’t stop bickering until either of them gives up and takes the moral high ground. The festering discord between the president and his former godfather has degenerated to the extent that President Jonathan refused to felicitate with Obasanjo as the latter celebrated his 78th birthday recently. In what very close associates considered to be an unprecedented occurrence between the two, Obasanjo clocked 78 and there was neither an official message from Reuben Abati – the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity who traditionally issues such statements – nor a congratulatory advert in any newspaper.
However, when Shehu Shagari, also a former president, celebrated his 90th birthday about two weeks ago, not only did the president lead other former heads of states to Sokoto to honour Shagari, he also released a press statement to congratulate him. More interestingly, a day to the 73rd birthday of Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which preceded Obasanjo’s by only three days, President Jonathan showered encomiums on the cleric. “It gives me great pleasure to felicitate with you on the occasion of your 73rd birthday. Our administration and the Nigerian nation owe you a debt of gratitude for your prayerful support and the productive spiritual leadership you continue to provide, not just for the millions that constitute the membership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God across the world, but also for the entire body of Christ in Nigeria…On a personal level, I have left every meeting with you greatly strengthened and deeply inspired by your steadfast faith and  commitment to the peace, stability, growth and development of our dear nation,” ,” read a statement by the president. With such shabby treatment deliberately meted to Obasanjo by his former godson, the cordial relationship between the two can be said to be officially over. The genesis of their discord dates back to ex-president Obasanjo’s opposition to President Jonathan’s re-election bid. While Obasanjo has been very critical of the president in recent times, their relationship worsened when the former president alleged that Jonathan is desperate to win the election by hook or crook.
In reaction, the presidency hit back at Obasanjo, saying he was scheming to head an interim government. Obasanjo soon exited the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in somewhat interesting circumstances; he handed over his membership card to the chairman of the party in his ward and instructed him to tear it into shreds. In the wake of his disagreement with the president, top stalwarts of the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), thronged the birthday lecture held in his honour at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state. The itch of President Jonathan and his former godfather and ex-president, Obasanjo’s row will no doubt manifest as the scab of the PDP, very soon.