Social media Influencer, Reno Omokri, has explained why the former president Olusegun Obasanjo prison’s experience was spiritual.
Omokri who posted a video of Obasanjo when he was Just released in June 1998 on social media noted that he spent three years, three weeks and three days saying that ‘three’ in the figure has spiritual undertone.
In the video, Obasanjo who looked skinny was seen speaking with journalists, while expressing gratitude for his release.
“It’s nice to be back at home, everybody knows that. I’m grateful to them, they have always done me proud, this is not the first time, I hope this will not be the last time”, Obasanjo told newsmen.
Commenting on the experience, Omokri wrote; “General Obasanjo’s prison experience was almost mystical and undoubtedly spiritual.
In the fact that he spent precisely three years, three weeks and three days in prison before he was released on June 16, 1998, by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who sent a Nigerian Airforce plane to Yola, to fly him home.”
On 17 November 1993, General Sani Abacha overthrew the short-lived transitional government of Chief Ernest Shonekan.
In September 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts, effectively giving him absolute power. Another decree gave him the right to detain anyone for up to three months without trial.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo was openly critical of Abacha’s administration and in 1995 was arrested and convicted of being part of a planned coup, despite protesting his innocence.
While in prison, Obasanjo became a born again Christian. He was released following Abacha’s death in 1998 and ventured into politics.
He became the PDP candidate for the 1999 presidential election which he won comfortably. The former president also reran in 2003 and won.
During his tenure in 2006, Obasanjo reportedly sought to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally-allowed two terms of four years each. He wanted the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to enable him prolong his stay in office.
A former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, revealed he made move to ensure that the alleged tenure elongation agenda of Obasanjo did not succeed.
Sen. Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP, was senate president between 2005 and 2007.
He said by adjourning the senate in the course of the constitutional amendment process, some senators in support of the bill had a change of mind after interacting with their constituents.
The move generated tension in the land at the time.
However, Obasanjo who ruled the country as military Head of State between 1976 and 1979 repeatedly denied he had a plan to spend another four years in office.
Speaking with journalists in 2012, Obasanjo said; “If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is nothing I wanted that God has not given me.”
