Chief Audu Ogbeh's Letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo

December 6, 2004
His Excellency, 

The President, Commander-In-Chief, 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja 

RE: ANAMBRA AND RELATED MATTERS 

About a month ago, the nation woke up to the shocking news of a 
devastating attack on Anambra State resulting in the burning down of 
radio and television stations, hotels, vehicles, assembly quarters, the 
residence of the state Chief Judge and finally, Government House, Awka. 
Dynamite was even applied in the exercise and all or nearly most of 
these in the full glare of our own police force as shown on NTA for the 
world to see. The operation lasted three days. 
 
That week, in all churches and mosques, we, our party, and you as Head 
of Government and Leader of this Nation came under the most scathing and 
blithering attacks. We were singly and severally accused of connivance 
in action and so forth. Public anger reached its peak. 
 
Recommendation 
 
You set up a reconciliation committee headed by Ebonyi State Governor, 
Dr. Sam Egwu, and we all thought this would help calm nerves and perhaps 
bring about some respite. But quite clearly things are nowhere near 
getting better. 
 
While the reconciliation team attempted to inspect damaged sites in 
Anambra, they were scared away by gun fire, further heightening public 
anger and disdain for us. 
 
Bomb explosion in government house, Awka 
 
On Tuesday, the 30th day of November, 2004, another shocking development; 
a reported bomb explosion in Government House Awka. Since then, 
the media, public discourse within and even outside of our borders, have 
been dominated by the most heinous and hateful of expletives against our 
party and your person and government. It would appear that the 
perpetrators of these acts are determined to stop at nothing since there 
has not been any visible sign of reproach from law enforcement agencies. 
I am now convinced that the rumours and speculations making the rounds 
that they are determined to kill Dr. Chris Ngige may not be unfounded. 
 
The question now is, what would be the consequences of such a 
development? How do we exonerate ourselves from culpability, and worse 
still, how do we even hope to survive it? Mr. President, I was part of 
the second republic and we fell. Memories of that fall are a miserable 
litany of woes we suffered, escaping death only by God’s supreme 
mercy. Then we were suspected to have stolen all of Nigeria’s 
wealth. After several months in prison, some of us were freed to come 
back to life penniless and wretched. Many have gone to their early 
graves un-mourned because the public saw us all as renegades. 
 
I am afraid we are drifting in the same direction again. In life, 
perception is reality and today, we are perceived in the worst light by 
an angry, scornful Nigerian Public for reasons which are absolutely 
unnecessary. 
 
Mr. President, if I write in this vein, it is because I am deeply 
troubled and I can tell you that an overwhelming percentage of our party 
members feel the same way though many may never be able to say this to 
you for a variety of reasons. 
 
But the backstops at your table and in my position, not only as 
Chairman but also as an old friend and loyal defender of your 
development programmes which I have never stopped defending, I dare to 
think that we can, either by omission or commission allow ourselves to 
crash and bring to early grief, this beautiful edifice called democracy. 
 
 On behalf of the peoples Democratic Party, I call on you to act now and 
bring any, and all criminal, even treasonable, activity to a halt. You 
and you alone, have the means. Do not hesitate. We do not have too much 
time to waste. 
 
A.I. Ogbeh, OFR 
National Chairman 
 
cc: Vice President  
    Chairman, Board of Trustees 
    Speaker, House of Representatives 
 
 Read: President Obasanjo's Reply