Danjuma Confirms: Obasanjo Begged me for Third Term

, Promises Four Separate Senators Vice Presidency Slot

, Odili stopped from being Vice President because he bankrolled fight against third term

altIn a sensational testimony given to the then Consul General of the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Brian Brown, former Senator Daisy Danjuma confirmed that not only was the third term project of former President Obasanjo real that contrary to Obasanjo's statement after the defeat of the third term project that he never wanted it andnif he did he would have asked God and God would have given him, Obasanjo himself had pleaded with her and her husband Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma to save him from disgrace and support the bid.

In an account exposing the desperate state of mind of Obasanjo at that time, Senator Danjuma revealed that Mr. Obasanjo had called her in May of 2006 and asked her to support the third term project and when she refused he begged her not to speak against it if she could not support it. Senator Daisy then told him her husband would kick her out of the house if she dared do that. Thereupon then President Obasanjo responded that he would not want to hand over to his vice, Atiku Abubakar and would leave the job if her husband, T.Y. Danjuma was willing to take it. She then retorted that Obasanjo knew "darn well" that her husband was not interested.

The cable also reveals that it was likely because of Danjuma's rejection of the third term bid that Obasanjo withdrew his oil license to punish him.

Even more shocking was Senator Danjuma's revelation that then
Senator Jubril Aminu had come to meet her to lobby for her support for the third term project. Senator Aminu had confided in her that Obasanjo had promised to make him vice president if the third term project scaled through to which she told him that he was the fourth senator who had come to her telling her that Obasanjo had made him such a promise!
Also, another cable has revealed that Obasanjo got to know from Peter Odili's enemies that he was against the third term project and this was the reason why he decided not to make him vice to his hand picked successor, former President Umaru Yar'adua. It was also revealed that this may have been the reason why he sent the EFCC after Odili in his dying days as governor. As usual, NaijaPundit brings you both cables below;

Reference id aka Wikileaks id #65477  ? 
Subject Senator Danjuma Talks About Obasanjo Third Term
Origin Consulate Lagos (Nigeria)
Cable time Thu, 25 May 2006 14:11 UTC
Classification CONFIDENTIAL
Source http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/05/06LAGOS714.html
History First published on Thu, 1 Sep 2011 23:24 UTC
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 251411Z May 06

Hide header C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000714 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W STATE FOR INR/AA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2016 TAGS: PREL [External Political Relations], PGOV [Internal Governmental Affairs], NI [Nigeria], THIRDTERM SUBJECT: SENATOR DANJUMA TALKS ABOUT OBASANJO THIRD TERM Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reason 1.4 (D). ------- SUMMARY -------

¶1. (C) During a May 22 conversation, Edo State Senator Daisy Danjuma gave a Senate insider's view of President Obasanjo's failed last-ditch efforts to garner her support for his third term bid. Obasanjo personally pleaded with her and her husband, Obasanjo's former Defense Minister, for support. Both declined. Regarding deliberations in the Senate, she painted a picture of frenzied Obasanjo supporters' attempts to alternatively cajole and intimidate third term opponents. The third term amendment has splintered the party. Unless Obasanjo is genuine about reconciliation, the party will be weakened as many anti-Obasanjo elements are more willing to defect. End summary.

---------------------------------------- DANJUMAS REBUFF THE PRESIDENT'S ADVANCES ----------------------------------------

¶2. (C) Edo State Senator Daisy Danjuma recounted an early May telephone call from President Obasanjo regarding the third term amendment. According to Danjuma, Obasanjo first solicited her support for the measure. She responded that her husband had already voiced to Obasanjo is opposition. There was no way she could publicly oppose her strong-willed husband. "He would throw me out of the house," she told Obasanjo. Then, Obasanjo pleaded with her not to speak against the measure on the Senate floor. She refused this request as well, stating that her constituents expected to hear from her. Then, Obasanjo told her he did not want a third term but did not want to hand the party to his Vice President. If your husband wanted the job, I would be satisfied to retire to my chicken farm, Obasanjo purportedly said. She responded that Obasanjo knew darn well that General Danjuma had no interest in being President and that the President also had no interest in Danjuma succeeding him. Last, Obasanjo tried to convince her not to persuade other Senators to join the anti-third term camp. She stated that she refused that entreaty as well. In the end, Obasanjo muttered something about her being "troublesome," then ended the phone call.

¶3. (C) General Danjuma, a longtime ally who practically forced Obasanjo to assume command in 1976 and who backed him in 1996, probably enjoys more respect inside the Nigerian military than any other retired general, including his former subordinates, Obasanjo and Babangida. The President must listen to him and he is one of the few people who can talk frankly to the President without fear, Senator Danjuma asserted. As early as last year her husband had warned Obasanjo to drop the third term shenanigans and begin to identify a suitable successor. During a more recent conversation, General Danjuma firmly iterated his opposition, stating he would fight to assure Obasanjo was defeated. Because of her husband's clear opposition, the presidency started threatening to confiscate his lucrative oil block, she asserted.

¶4. (C) In the lead-up to the decisive vote, she claimed the Senate was a buzz of activity. Money changed hands. Senator Jubril Aminu from Adamawa State, VP Atiku's home state, tried to change her mind. Aminu told her Obasanjo had promised him the Vice Presidency in 2007. Senator Danjuma recounted telling Aminu that he was the fourth Senator who had come to her claiming Obasanjo had promised them Atiku's seat.

--------------------------------------------- - OBASANJO'S ALLIES SHRINK AWAY, PDP IN DISARRAY --------------------------------------------- -

¶5. (C) The third-term campaign had caused a rupture in Obasanjo's camp. Many Obasanjo insiders did not believe in it and only went through the motions of supporting it. Tony Anenih of Edo State, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees and another longtime Obasanjo man, told the Senator he had no choice but to publicly support the President. However, he opposed the third term gambit and did not try to muscle and intimidate people with his usual alacrity.

¶6. (C) Mrs. Danjuma said the PDP has also been split and weakened. People have lost the fear they had of Obasanjo, and now you will start to see their true allegiances, not the ones they feigned. If Obasanjo seeks vengeance for his defeat, he will chase people out of the party in droves, she predicted. Unless he allows the party nomination to go to a northern candidate, the PDP will break apart, the Senator further presaged. ------- COMMENT -------

¶7. (C) While some Senators have tried to paint this as a victory for democracy and begin to extol the virtues of the National Assembly, Senator Danjuma was candid in portraying this as a play between competing power blocs. Now, the President is reeling from his misadventure, and his room for maneuvering is severely abbreviated. If Danjuma is right, Obasanjo could be on the verge of unintentionally presiding over the demise of the party he once boasted was the largest in Africa. With her stature rising because of her public opposition to Obasanjo, Danjuma will probably have more influence than before in the South-South caucus. Moreover, her position that Obasanjo now cannot unilaterally anoint a successor is probably representative of South-South thought. However, her belief that the Presidency should rotate to the North is not representative of South-South thought. It likely has more to do with the influence of her husband who is from the Middle Belt section of the North. End comment. BROWNE

-----------------------------------------------

Reference id aka Wikileaks id #89798   
Subject Governor Odili On The Outs And Ibb Too
Origin Consulate Lagos (Nigeria)
Cable time Fri, 15 Dec 2006 22:08 UTC
Classification SECRET
Source http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/12/06LAGOS1429.html
Referenced by 07LAGOS343
History First published on Thu, 1 Sep 2011 23:24 UTC

VZCZCXRO6782 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHOS #1429/01 3492208 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 152208Z DEC 06 FM AMCONSUL LAGOS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8288 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 8128 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 0042 RUEHCD/AMCONSUL CIUDAD JUAREZ PRIORITY 0014 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0021 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO PRIORITY 0056

Hide header S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001429 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W STATE FOR INR/AA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 TAGS: PREL [External Political Relations], PGOV [Internal Governmental Affairs], KDEM [Democratization], NI [Nigeria] SUBJECT: GOVERNOR ODILI ON THE OUTS AND IBB TOO LAGOS 00001429 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (b and d)

¶1. (C) Summary: During a recent conversation with the Consul General, longtime contact Professor Damachi stated Rivers Governor Odili has been squeezed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to give up his presidential candidacy and control of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) apparatus in Rivers State. Damachi also confirmed our reports of a meeting between President Obasanjo and former head of state Babangida wherein Obasanjo all but told Babangida to exit the party and Babangida all but complied. End Summary. Odili in Hot Water with Obasanjo --------------------------------

¶2. (C) During a December 7 conversation with the Consul General, Professor VI Damachi, a close advisor to Governor Odili and former military president Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) said a senior police officer asked to meet Damachi urgently. The meeting occurred December 9. At the meeting, the officer advised Damachi to warn Odili to withdraw his preferred candidate, former Minister of Transport Dr. Abiye Sekibo, from the gubernatorial primary. If not, both would face aggressive EFCC investigation. To underscore the EFCC's seriousness, Rivers State's accounts were frozen that same day, Damachi declared. A cunning tactician himself, Odili did forsake Sekibo, forcing him to withdraw from contention. However, another Odili protg, State Assembly Speaker Ameche, emerged as the winner. This slight of hand evidently did not impress the EFCC. Ameche was detained by the EFCC earlier this week and may be disqualified by the PDP national executive review commission.

¶3. (C) Damachi stressed that none of thes actions against Odili could have been taken minus presidential imprimatur. Quashing Odili's selection for his successor also constituted a clear signal that Odili's presidential hopes had left the infirmary and were heading for the morgue. Damachi maintained that some of Odili's adversaries had slipped President Obasanjo a dossier containing evidence suggesting that Odili had helped bankroll the opposition to the third term constitutional amendment earlier this year. Opposition to the third term was a scarlet sin in Obasanjo's political theology and no amount of ablutions nor renewed pledging of loyalty could remit this transgression, asserted Damachi. To reward Odili for this chicanery, Obasanjo released the EFCC to go after Odili, opined Damachi.

¶4. (C) Odili was now in a bind, Damachi asserted. He had spent vast sums campaigning for the presidency and vice presidency, but these positions were quickly fading from reach. However, to continue in the quest might serve only to whet the President's ire ever more. Considering Obasanjo's penchant for larroping disloyal politicians, Damachi said he would advise Odili to stand down and pledge allegiance to President Obasanjo's candidate, presumably being Governor Yar'Adua. By returning to the flock, Odili would forego the presidency but save his skin and perhaps position himself himself for a ministerial appointment, a senatorial slot or appointment as a member of the PDP Board of Trustees. Damachi predicted Odili would be inclined to continue to fight for the nomination. If Odili did not become supportive of Obasanjo's decision, any future militant activity in Rivers State or the Niger Delta could be attributed to Odili's bitterness at having lost. If so, Odili could be further scapegoated by his detractors to the point where Odili would actually become an enemy of the President. Given Odili's already considerable roster of critics, that addition would be one he should actively eschew, Damachi calculated.

IBB to Run On Non-PDP Platform ------------------------------

¶5. (C) Damachi confirmed reports that Obasanjo offered former military head of state Babangida (IBB) no support for his presidential bid. During their last meeting, Obasanjo gave IBB three options. The first was to join the queue with other presidential aspirants and be screened by the party, the second was to forget his presidential ambitions but be a major factor in selecting the actual candidate, and the third was to take an alternative platform. IBB opted for the last alternative. LAGOS 00001429 002.2 OF 002

¶6. (C) Damachi explained that IBB felt compelled to run because of pressure being placed on him by his followers and because IBB also thinks he has a mission to govern Nigeria a second time, in order to right his historic record. Damachi said he counseled IBB that running in this election is not in IBB's best interest and that if he wants to remain in the political mix it should be as a kingmaker; he would do better to huddle close to Obasanjo and support Yar'Adua. Doing so would allow IBB to gain favor which would translate into significant influence down the road, Damachi advised.

Military Grumblings -------------------

¶7. (S) The military is grumbling, according to a senior naval officer close to Damachi. Too much confusion surrounding the elections has made the country tense and has gotten the military's attention, according to this officer. The military is internally fractious, there is a growing sense within the senior ranks that Nigeria is steering into particularly troubled times. The officer warned Damachi that Obasanjo's hold on the military was tenuous and waning. Additionally southern officers in the military viewed Yar'Adua as another diffident Northerner like President Shagari who could not hold the country together in 1983. The officer also warned that if the south-south does not win the vice presidency, a strata of south-south military officials were likely to react vehemently. This could possibly result in these officers lending surreptitious aid to the Niger Delta militants, this officer forecast to Damachi. Comment -------

¶8. (C) Yar'Adua looks more and more like Obasanjo's choice. If true, Yar'Adua will likely win. The question then becomes how will the losers react. A lot of money has been spent. A lot of promises have been made. Many a vain politician will have to eat humble pie or pursue ambitions under the banner of another party. Looming over this is President Obasanjo's power to use the EFCC to hound and harass those who displease him. Odili, who thought he had Obasanjo's support, learned to his chagrin, that this is a game where loyalties are fleeting and animosities have a much longer shelf like. He joins a growing list of politicians who have misread and overplayed their hand with Obasanjo. The future will tell if Yar'Adua can manage his new relationship with the irascible president a bit better. End Comment. BROWNE


The cable said "some of Odili's adversaries had slipped President Obasanjo a dossier containing evidence suggesting that Odili had helped bankroll the opposition to the third term constitutional amendment earlier this year. Opposition to the third term was a scarlet sin in Obasanjo's political theology and no amount of ablutions nor renewed pledging of loyalty could remit this transgression, asserted Damachi. To reward Odili for this chicanery, Obasanjo released the EFCC to go after Odili, opined Damachi."

Nigerian 'Philanthropist' Gives Away $100 Million

Nigerian General TY Danjuma

I was hoping that at some point, Nigeria’s two billionaires — Mike Adenuga and Aliko Dangote — would participate in Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge. But that is very unlikely. Even though several Nigerian millionaires have more money than they know what to do with, they’d rather keep it to themselves than give it away.

However, a Nigerian oil magnate and former defense minister, TY Danjuma just might be a different breed. The 73-year old has put over $100 million of his own money into his Charity, the TY Danjuma Foundation- making it one of Africa’s largest charities, and Danjuma, the country’s biggest philanthropist.

TY Danjuma, a retired military General was Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff in the 70s and served as the Minister of Defense during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure between 1999 and 2003. Danjuma has always been one of Nigeria’s most influential people. He was a close ally, loyalist and confidante of the late Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, who rewarded General Danjuma with an oil block. The block, which was located in Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta region, was left unexploited for several years.  In 2006, he reportedly sold it to China’s offshore oil company CNOOC  for what  Danjuma said was $1 billion. After taxes, and paying off various dues, he said was left with over $500 million.

But he did not know what to do with the money, so he set up the TY Danjuma foundation with a $100 million endowment. During a public forum in February 2010, he recounted his reasons for setting up the charity:

“This was extra money I did not know what to do with. I did not just want to leave the money in the bank. At some point, I thought about saving the money for my children, but I decided against it. I realized that they could fight over the money after I’m dead. So, I decided, why not give back to my people.”

The TY Danjuma Foundation is a private independent grant making philanthropic organization based in Abuja, Nigeria which makes grants to and partners with Non Governmental organizations that champion and promote causes in Education, free healthcare, policy advocacy and poverty alleviation.

But while TY Danjuma should ordinarily receive applause for his uncommon philanthropic gestures, a wide section of Nigerians have been unreceptive to TY Danjuma’s charity.

“I don’t believe TY Danjuma is a hero of philanthropy,” said Emeka Obi, a social commentator and journalist at Compass Newspapers. “TY Danjuma is the problem with Nigeria whereby a few members of the ruling elite appropriate the nation’s resources and wealth to themselves at the expense of over 100 million Nigerians who are struggling to make ends meet. This is the problem with the Nigerian system: a single man makes so much money not because he is hardworking or deserving, but because he is merely connected to the powers that be. Danjuma was given an oil bloc as a gift. It is preposterous. The $100 million Danjuma has given to the foundation is not his money; it is Nigeria’s money, and it is absurd that he pretends like he’s some sort of philanthropist.”

I put a call through to the foundation, but the phone rang endlessly without a response.

But the good old general hardly seems bothered. Deep down, he believes he’s a philanthropist. He currently devotes his time and energies towards managing South Atlantic Petroleum, a leading indigenous oil exploration and production company he founded, while dabbling in affairs of state once in a while.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/06/03/nigerian-philanthropist-gives-away-100-million/