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I was not surprised at the embarrassing situation Professor Yemi Osinbajo found himself in the last two weeks with two Nigerians accusing him of corruption in the disbursement of the money allegedly given to him for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to spend for their party to win the February 23 presidential election. But this is not because the main character is a member of rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who formerly belonged to the APC.
Rather, my non – consternation was because of what someone in Abuja told me seven months ago, a few days after the controversial re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo. The person had informed me that a Fulani man close to Buhari’s people told him that in the next phase of his anti – corruption war that the president would focus on the leaders of the APC.
According to him, special attention would be given to those who belonged to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) because there was evidence that some of them are corrupt. My informant also said the Fulani man told him that Buhari’s plan is for someone from his tribe to succeed him in 2023. Consequently, any southerner who thinks a Yoruba or Igbo man or woman would be the next president was deceiving himself or herself.
I told the man I doubted his story because Buhari who lost the presidential election in 2003, 2007 and 2011 knows that without Yoruba votes that he would not have won the 2015 poll. His reply was that President Buhari had strategies to deal with such a situation. That to get the support of most Yoruba that he would later this year or sometime next year, proclaim late Chief Moshood Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 poll, a former president of Nigeria. And his running – mate, Mr. Baba Gana Kingibe, a former Vice – President and pay them their entitlements and place them on pension. And that in addition, he would promise the Yoruba the vice – presidency position.
As for the Igbo, he would offer them the office of the President of the Senate and the people of the South – South the Deputy Speaker position. As well as ‘juicy’ ministerial appointments to the people of the two zones.
The presidency and the APC have said there is no problem between Buhari and Osinbajo and that the Vice – President is not under corruption probe. Notwithstanding this, there are indications that all may not be well in their relations. One was the report in some newspapers last week that many staff of Professor Osinbajo had been moved from Aso Rock to another area of Abuja. There was also the report that President Buhari said that the Vice – President must get permission from him before the departments or state organs under him spend money on projects.
Last week Thursday or Friday, I also watched on a Television Continental (TVC) programme, Professor Tunde Samuel, an APC leader in Lagos State who is the Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye – Ekiti (FUOYE), give the impression that all was not well in their party. He said APC members in the South-West were beginning to feel that many of their northern colleagues do not want the South to produce the next president.
With regard to the story that Buhari plans to renew his war against corruption we have to wait to see if this would take place. And if it would be targeted mainly on former ACN leaders and be an agenda for the North produce the president in 2023.
But for now it is a story for the Marines that Vice – President Osinbajo is a corrupt person. The first reason is that shortly after he assumed office in 2015 he made his assets declaration public, although the constitution did not make it compulsory that he did so. There is also the fact that Osinbajo is married to a granddaughter of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Leader of the Yoruba. Given these realities, it is doubtful if the Vice – President, a professor of law, would do anything that would bring shame to the Awolowo family and to himself as a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the most popular church in the country to Nigerians and people abroad.
If President Buhari wins his re-election case at the Supreme Court, he would have served for eight years in 2023. He would therefore be endangering peace in the country if he manipulates a northerner to succeed him. As a matter of fact, he would only be creating a situation in which southerners will be out to assassinate such a northern – born president, while northerners too would also be after his southern – born replacement.
Why God discusses the Bible with me (5)
The third and final reason is that the Ancient of Days wanted me to draw the attention of pastors to the curses He placed in Deuteronomy 27:11 – 26 on anyone preaching what He did not say or have a law against in the Holy Book. So that they would know what they are doing is sinful and that they would be punished for it.
These include clerics claiming that he is against polygamy or telling people with two or more wives to divorce the one or those they married after the first one. When He did not say such nor gave orders to that effect in the Ten Commandments and any other laws from Exodus Chapter 21 through the Books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. There is also the issue that Jesus Christ too did not preach against polygamy during his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:27 – 35) or elsewhere.
Indeed, if priests were aware of the Lord’s curses in the Old Testament I believe they would not have been preaching what He did not say, engaged in or endorse homosexuality. This only shows that in Bible Colleges students are only made to read portions of the Holy Book not doing so from Genesis through Revelation. It also confirms that Christians only read the passages priests refer them to during sermons or Bible lessons.
Some readers of this column in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States of America including pastors last year phoned to thank me when I drew attention to the curses in the Book of Deuteronomy and that of Apostle John in the Book of Revelation 22: 18 – 21, the last chapter and last four verses in the New Testament. To Almighty God is the glory for the impact my articles had made.
