Looks like Obasanjo's book is really
scandalous. He exposed a lot of people and a
lot of things in it. Below is an excerpt from the
book...as posted on Facebook. Y'all need to
read this
"By the Constitution, I had to inaugurate or
prorogue the National Assembly on June 4,
1999. The most important officer in the
National Assembly is the senate president and
that office had been zoned to the South-east.
And here was where Atiku Abubakar, my vice-
president,first showed his hand and his
character.
“Without seeking my view or approval, he
started planning the installation of Chuba
Okadigbo as the senate president. I did a
background check on Chuba including his
past as a student and made enquiries about
him in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
under (President Shehu) Shagari and no one
would recommend him for the post of senate
president.
“I left Atiku to go on his chase while I carried
out a meticulous and detailed investigation
and background check on each senator from
the South-east. The one that appeared most
appointable was Evan Enwerem. I canvassed
the senate across the board for his election
and he was elected. Atiku did not expect it
and he felt sore.
“He began to strategise for Enwerem to be
removed and Chuba Okadigbo to be installed.
His strategy worked because I was at Abuja
airport to receive a visiting head of state when
the news reached me that the Senate had
impeached Enwerem and elected Okadigbo. I
was not perturbed. I came to understand from
some senators including Florence Ita-Giwa,
who later became my Special Adviser/ Liaison
Officer to the National Assembly, that Atiku
distributed US$5,000 each to some senators
to carry out the ‘coup’.
“That was the beginning of bribing the
legislature to carry out a particular line of
action to suit or satisfy the purpose or desire
of an individual or a group. The National
Assembly had tasted blood and they would
continue to want more. From the day I
nominated Atiku to be my vice, he set his
mind not for any good, benefit or service of
the country, but on furiously planning to
upstage, supplant or remove me at all cost
and to take my place.
“That was what I brought him for, but he was
impatient and over-ambitious.He was not
ready to learn and to wait. His marabout, who
predicted that despite being elected as
governor, he would not be sworn in as a
governor, which happened, also assured him
that he would take over from me in a matter
of months rather than years.
“All his plans, appointments of people and his
actions were towards the actualisation of his
marabout’s prediction. Once I realised his
intention and programme, I watched him like a
hawk without giving any indication of what I
knew and letting down my guard. I could not
succumb to the distraction, diversion and
malevolence of an ambitious but unwise
deputy.
“The work in hand was more important than a
confrontationalrelationship with my deputy, a
man over whom I knew I had far more
experience and outreach in all matters. To
alert him of what I knew he was up to, would
only lead to lying, denial, more mischievous
plans and more duplicity on his part.
“He was better managed that way. What was
important was not allowing myself to be
surprised or outmanoeuvred by him. I must
always seize the initiative and know what was
going on if not in his mind, but at least in his
camp. That I did very effectively.
“Sometime in the fourth quarter of 2004, an
associate of Atiku came to my residence at the
Aso Villa from Atiku’s official residence. He
felt uncomfortable and I tried to make him feel
at ease. Then, he settled to tell me the story
of what had just transpired in Atiku’s
residence. I listened with rapt attention.
“He went on to say that Atiku told him that for
him to become the President of Nigeria, the
2007 elections were only a formality.
“The seven ingredients he needed for his
enthronement were already in his hands. He
controlled the National Assembly because
both the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representativeswere
in his pocket. He controlled twenty-eight out
of thirty-six governors. He had control of the
media. His influence over the judiciary was
overwhelming.
“What he needed was foreign endorsement and
for that he had employed two lobby groups in
the US and one in the UK. And finally, the
money for the elections was in his purse.
“When the man finished, I thanked him without
passing any comment. The man was surprised
at my reaction and asked, ‘You have nothing
to say to these?’ I said that I had nothing to
say and I immediately called my ADC, Chris
Jemitola, to play a game of squash with me.
“On our way to the squash court with my ADC,
I said, ‘People at times make plans and leave
God out of their plans.’ My casual remark
struck Chris and he said, ‘Sir, that was a
profound statement.’ I said that I made the
statement because of what I had just heard of
Atiku’s plan. I was not convinced he had put
God in his plans.
“Atiku was confident and God was laughing.
Most of Atiku’s ingredients soon started to fall
out of place one by one. The first was the
party, PDP.
“He thought I was powerless and had no clue
about the execution of his plan with his
group; part of his attack on me was for
national chairman of the party to give the first
salvo, then other things would follow as his
grip on the party would be firm and
consolidated.
“That salvo came in the form of a letter to me
from the chairman of the party, Audu Ogbeh,
who had fully defected with (Iyorchia) Ayu to
Atiku.
“The letter, which was not the product of any
issue or matter discussed with or at any party
meeting, came suddenly. When I received it, I
could read the sinister intention behind it.
“I spent that night writing my reply and I sent
it in the morning. My reply was clear. I
wondered why Atiku and his group did not
realise that with my reply, the battle line was
clear or maybe they thought that the seven
ingredients would remain intact to the end.
“My assistants had moles within the Atiku
group. Anything that they planned would be
reported. That was the case after Ogbeh’s
letter. They decided that Ogbeh should appear
remorseful and come with the National
Working Committee to apologise to me. It was
not from their hearts, but to lure me to a
‘killing ground’.
“All pieces of information that were reported
were verified because it would not come from
only one informant. Timely information is a
very important principle of war and also of
politics. In politics, just as in war, what
matters is not just your plan, but knowledge of
your opponent’s plan. Knowing their plan, I
had the choice of playing along with them or
being firm, I chose the latter.
“I told Ogbeh that my relationship with him as
national chairman and me as national leader
of the party was based on mutual confidence
and trust. But with his letter, my reply and
what I knew of him then, I could no longer
work with him in confidence and trust.
“There were only two choices left for both of
us in our best interest and that of the party –
he, leaves as chairman or I leave as leader of
the party.
“The following Sunday, I called at his house,
which I had done on several occasions in the
past when there was an important party
matter to discuss. This time, I asked him to
give me an undated letter of resignation as
the national chairman.
“I waited, he gave me but it was wrongly
addressed to me rather than to the national
secretary of the party as stipulated in the
party’s constitution.
“Ogbeh reported to his group and it was
decided by them to play on and to wait for my
disgrace whenever I presented a letter of
resignation not addressed to the national
secretary.
“The informants did their job and I, once
again, paid another visit to Ogbeh at his
residence. He entertained me to a meal and
drink, and changed the addressee on his letter
of resignation.
“It would appear he never reported the change
to his group. When I considered it opportune
and appropriate, the letter was dated and
presented to National Executive Committee of
the party, which regrettably accepted the
resignation.
“With that, whatever control Atiku claimed to
have over the party began to crumble. But he
did not think so and went on to boast that if I
made my daughter the national chairman, it
would be a matter of weeks not months before
he would put her in his pocket.
“I therefore had to look for a successor
chairman, who would be too big,
uncompromising and inflexible to be lured and
controlled by Atiku. I found such a man in
Senator (Dr.) Amadu Ali, whom I had known
many years earlier as a medical doctor in the
army…”
