By Donald Ojogo
Correspondent, Lagos

A source in Aso Rock confirmed in a telephone interview that the directive arose from the remark by former U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Mike Cohen, that the American Government would oppose the rumoured third term ambition of Obasanjo.

Said the source: “Initially, Mr. President felt that Cohen was expressing his opinion on the matter and had decided not to engage him in a debate, especially when the Presidential Assistant on Public Affairs, Femi Fani-Kayode, replied that Nigeria does not need lessons from the U.S. on democracy.

“But with the way the man is going, it is clear that he has an agenda, and that is why Mr. President may have given that directive”.

Fani-Kayode had described Cohen’s statement as an “irresponsible incitement” and said he did not see why the Presidency should make a formal complaint.

Cohen had in an interview with a national newspaper insisted that the U.S would monitor the democratic system in Nigeria especially when the dust raised by the third term speculation lingers.

“The same drama also played itself out during the Abacha regime with the political parties adopting a serving General (as the sole Presidential candidate) to the surprise of the entire world. So America does not want to take chances”, he stressed.

He compared Fani Kayode to Tahir Aziz (Saddam Hussein’s Information Minister), saying the government’s spokesman is lying to the people on the issue.

Cohen’s statement, the second in less than two weeks, comes on the heels of a warning by lawyer and human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, that Obasanjo should ignore the third term temptation.

Adeniji could not be reached for comment on Wednesday having travelled out of the country.

But Fani-Kayode denied that the President directed him to write a protest letter to the U.S.

His words: “I don’t think there is any reason for that kind of thing. One, you have to draw a line between a serving government official and one that has left office. Cohen is only expressing his personnel views and not those of the U.S Government, so why write to protest the irresponsible inciting comment made by a barrack room bully.

“His comparison of Nigeria with Iraq is the manifestation of crass ignorance, sheer arrogance and insincerity of purpose, but I will not trade insults into him. The Federal Government has better things to think about and do than to waste time in writing the U.S Government over a statement made by a former official, a statement that is ill-mannered and ill-motivated, especially coming from someone like Cohen who knows nothing about Nigeria.

“There is no way the government of Nigeria could be drawn into an unnecessary controversy with the U.S with which we have a very cordial and an enviable relationship. We have a relationship that is predicated on mutual respect as two sovereign nations, hence Cohen should be seen as a security risk to both nations”.