But for the pervasive influence of social media in the nation’s information super-highway, the exit of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, last Monday, could have come to many as a rude shock.

This is, as the shocking news has already gone viral several hours before the regular media feasted on what has been described as a drama of the absurd, which was rehearsed at Obasanjo’s Hilltop residence in Abeokuta on the fateful day.   

Thus, the exit of the former president from a party on which platform he ruled the country for eight years is believed to be the anticlimax of the unending face-off between him and incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

The titanic blockbuster between the two leaders has continued to marvel many watchers of political events in the country and beyond as the inglorious parting of ways came at a time when the sitting president is in dire need of support from his erstwhile political godfather in an election year in which he is a front runner.

Not a few can point to similar examples in the world history where the relationship between a sitting president and his predecessor, who qualified to be his mentor from the same political, party had been irredeemably broken down.

But unknown to many pundits, the path to Obasanjo’s final exit from the PDP had been laid two weeks ago, when he announced before a sizable audience in London of his resolve not to speak until after the election. He stated this at the launch of his equally controversial book, “My Watch’.

However, one thing led to the other and as if the former President was destined to break his silence, the Independent Electoral Commission INEC announced the postponement of the February 14 presidential election by extra 6 weeks.

According to Professor Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Commission, the poll shift was based on advice by the nation’s security chiefs that they could not guarantee the safety of INEC materials and staffers.

As would be expected, Obasanjo went for the brake.

He first condemned any further postponement of election warning of its dire consequence    

Obasanjo further threw another bombshell at Jonathan when he likened him to the former Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, who was disgraced out of office and set his country on the path of crisis in his bid to sit tight as the country’s president saying that Jonathan was plotting to win the election by ‘hook or crook’.

The former President also wondered how the battle to end Boko Haram insurgency which had lasted six years would now be contained in six weeks.

“I wonder what those security people are saying that they will finish Boko Haram in six weeks what they could not do since 2009. Countries like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Colombia have held elections. So to say what we have not been able to achieve in six years, we will achieve in six weeks, let us wait and see; but when people want to make excuses, they should look for excuses that are tenable”

The presidency in a swift reaction, threw the accusation back to Obasanjo saying that the former PDP BoT chairman was plotting with others within and outside the country to return to power through the back door

“As we have had cause to say before it is most regrettable indeed that a man like Chief Obasanjo, who should know better, chooses to repeatedly, wantonly, and maliciously impugn the integrity of a sitting president of his country for the primary purpose of self-promotion.

“It is obvious from Chief Obasanjo’s serial vituperations against President Jonathan, who is doing his best to positively transform Nigeria for the benefits of all of its people that he has willfully chosen to close his eyes to the present administration’s good works and intentions for reasons best known to him. Chief Obasanjo had set his mind on regime change by fair and foul means”. The presidency reacted through Dr Reuben Abati, presidential spokesman.

It was gathered that quite a number of many PDP power brokers who were uncomfortable with Obasanjo’s posturing in the recent times had been plotting for his expulsion before more damage was done to the party.

Sources closed to the Ogun State Secretariat of the party also informed that the plot had been hatched and was about to be executed when the information leaked to the former president who allegedly beat the PDP to it by hurriedly announced his resignation..

It was particularly a ‘bad’ day for Obasanjo, who, in a fit of sophisticated fury, ordered his PDP membership card shredded in the open.

“They said they want to expel me from PDP, although I have not been told, but I have my ears on the ground. We’ve been trying to run away from a man but he pleads we wait for him at the other side of the river. I have told you before that I became president on the platform of the PDP, once I leave PDP I will not join any party, “I will only be a Nigerian. I am ready to work with anybody regardless of political affiliation. Why would some people say they want to send me away, they don’t need to bother themselves, here’s your membership card, take it”.Obasanjo declared.

“From today on, in the presence of all of us and with your support, I am not going to be in any political party in Nigeria. I am no more a politician but a statesman both internally and externally. The issue that they want to expel me from the party for, once you people are with me what other people am I looking for,” he said.

Obviously beaten by the epic drama, the Ogun State chapter of the PDP acted in a move described as ‘medicine after death’ when it announced the expulsion of the former leader several hours after the latter had dumped the party.

In a statement by Engr Adebayo Dayo, the state party chairman, “The totality of the executive leaders and members of the People Democratic Party family in the Ogun State hereby state categorically as from today, Monday 16 February2015, Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo stands expelled and excommunicated from the party thereby losing all rights, previous rights, previous privileges and respect of our teeming party members”

Dayo listed among other ‘sins’ of Obasanjo, the former president’s penchant for ‘unabated anti-party activities unbecoming of a highly celebrated party man’.

The statement explained that, his ward 11, Abeokuta North Local Government, has earlier sent in a letter dated February 12, 2015 expressing serious concerns at Obasanjo’s numerous anti-party activities and uncomplimentary utterances targeted at the leader of the party, President Jonathan.

But ironically, it was the same ward chairman, Suradeen Oladunjoye who performed the duty of tearing Obasanjo’s membership card in the open.

Without much ado, the spectacle of the former PDP strong man would occupy a prominent space in the national discourse for a long time, but concerns have been raised about the future of the acclaimed Africa’s biggest political party.

It is on record that the PDP under the leadership of President Jonathan had suffered tremendous setback leading to defections of high ranking members of the party to the opposition including the historical defection of four governors in 2013.

But the last straw that broke the camel’s back appeared to be the exit of president Obasanjo, who is perceived to be the conscience of the party.

Meanwhile, reactions to the development within the PDP have been mixed and instructive which suggested that the former president still commands considerable respect from the party’s hierarchy.

The leadership of the PDP in an official statement, it received the news of the decision of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to withdraw his membership of the party with great shock.

It added that it had also carefully examined the circumstances and the reasons adduced for this unfortunate decision.

“While we concede to the inalienable rights of every citizen to hold an opinion and to decide who to associate with, we are however deeply saddened that Chief Obasanjo, a revered leader of our party, our first Presidential flag bearer, whom the PDP offered the platform to rule our nation for eight years, could decide to abandon this party at this critical point in time,” the PDP said in a statement by Olisa Metuh, its National Publicity Secretary.

Governor Sule Lamido, a known Obasanjo’s ally, described the exit of the former President from the PDP, as painful.

Lamido, who likened his association with Obasanjo to that of a father and son relationship, noted that no matter how bad a father is, the son could not simply renounce him, just as he believed that a father should not also renounce the child simply because the child is bad.

“Obasanjo is our father. He is also a father to Jonathan. He brought him, he campaigned for him, he asked us to support him and we did. Therefore, I felt pained by the exit, because it is like a father renouncing his own child,”Lamido said.

Speaking in similar vein, Deputy National Chairman of the party and member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Olabode George, said the development was very unfortunate.

He said it was unheard of anywhere in the world that a man who has benefited so much from a political party, could  destroy the party’s card publicly.

But a different opinion was offered by former Minister of Transport and PDP chieftain in Osun State, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who said the party would not miss the former president.

“On a personal note, I feel saddened by this, but the truth is that many in our party have heaved a huge sigh of relief. Many of us love President Obasanjo and we shall continue to do so regardless of whether he is in our party or not, but tearing up that party card was too much to bear. “It spoke volumes and it was indicative of the deep hatred and contempt that he has for us and our cause. It reminded me of the biblical passage in which King Saul rejected David and then planned to stop him from ascending to the throne by attempting to kill and destroy him. Thankfully the Lord was with David and not only did he deliver him from Saul, but he also crowned him”

Would the PDP remain the same after the exit of the former President? Only time will tell.