In his latest book titled My Watch scheduled to be launched in Lagos this morning, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has chronicled the genesis of the uneasy relationship between him and his former deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as well as how his aides planted moles within Atiku’s camp to monitor him.

Obasanjo, who denied ever seeking Third Term in office, blamed Atiku for what he described as a campaign of calumny against him on the issue after buying up the media.

Revealing details of their private conversations at different times, Obasanjo also traced the ascension to power of President Goodluck Jonathan and the compromise deal that was struck for him (Jonathan) to spend only one term in office.

He said it would be dishonourable for the president to now go back on that promise by contesting the 2015 presidential election.

Obasanjo also accused the Jonathan administration of promoting corruption. He cited several examples to buttress his claim, including what a Chinese told him about how a presidency member of staff demanded a million dollar bribe just to be granted access to the president, a charge which he said he reported to Jonathan without any action taken.

Divided into three volumes and containing 58 chapters and 1,522 pages in all, the tell-all book reads like Obasanjo’s responses to all the people who have dared to criticise him in the past as well as those he believed wronged him politically, most of whom he described in unflattering terms.

In this category are: his anointed successor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whom he called an incompetent ingrate, who was busy reversing his (Obasanjo’s) decisions; Jonathan for whom he also has some harsh words for what he considers his shoddy leadership and inability to honour solemn commitments; and Atiku whose political ambition he said was fuelled by marabouts.

Writing on how Jonathan became vice-president in 2007, Obasanjo confirmed that it was the former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, who was initially shortlisted to be running mate to the late Yar’Adua before he was dropped at the last minute, adding that Odili behaved “childishly” thereafter as if it was a matter of life and death to him.

There are also several salacious details in the book about who was sleeping with whose wife among prominent citizens, the military officer, who would be in the arms of a woman and yet be claiming to be fighting rebels at the war front, etc, while revealing names of those whom he claimed told him unflattering things about other people.

He also did character profiles on some prominent Nigerians, including Prof. Wole Soyinka, Senator Uche Chukwumerije as well as the late Dr. Bala Usman and Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

However, rather curiously, Obasanjo dismissed the letter written by his first daughter, Iyabo, in just one paragraph, claiming that she was hired by the current administration to get at him, while he had no response to the claim by his son, Gbenga, that he (Obasanjo) had an affair with his wife.

He also said he would not respond to any of the damaging allegations by his first wife, Oluremi, in her book even though he admitted some things she wrote were true while others were false.

From Obasanjo’s account, it would seem that his relationship with Atiku began on a sour note:

“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.


Read more at :

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/obasanjo-in-new-book-says-he-planted-moles-in-his-vp-s-camp/196244/

A country is made up of families, if the head of a family is not accosted full respect in his home, I wonder the impact his words will make on a country that needs growth... He should first, go and make peace with Iyabo and Gbenga... Shameless

slow down before castigating a leader cos u can't see clearly enof as d one at d top. If what Obasanjo stated here was true then one would say Atiku deserves what he got from him.

There's nothing new in what he did.It's part of politics.


#CEMENT!!! 300 BAGS MINIMUM, NO MAXIMUM.