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…”
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