Former governor of Jigawa state and longstanding political ally of former president Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted in his newly launched book how late president Umaru Musa Yar’adua wanted to betray his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Sule Lamido in his book: “Being True To Myself” which was launched on the 13th of May, explained that late president Yar’adua fell out with Olusegun Obasanjo and had initiated effort to investigate his predecessor over mismanagement of funds but for his intervention.
Narrating in his book the event that transpired away from the public eye after Yar’adua ascended to the presidency at the end of Obasanjo’s tenure in 2007, Sule Lamido claimed that president Yar’adua sponsored an investigation at the National Assembly against former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
He said the national assembly members mostly members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party then, initiated a debate on the floor of the House of Representatives over $16 billion National Independent Power Project (NIPP) under Obasanjo’s administration.
He said House of Representatives members loyal to the president were behind the debate which was aimed at tarnishing the image of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo by creating false impression of his administration’s mismanagement of the funds for the power project.
According to Sule Lamido, when he realized the plot, he enjoined president Yar’adua to avoid political confrontation with Olusegun Obasanjo especially as the later was his benefactor through whom he rose to power.
Sule Lamido explained that his advice to the then president of Nigeria was not understood on its face value but rather seen as insubordination to the office of the president.
Thereafter, while in a phone conversation with the late president’s Chief Security Office, the president’s CSO sought to know if he were in Jigawa state and he responded affirmatively. The CSO would then sarcastically asked him why he was not in Sango Otta to see his president– referring to Olusegun Obasanjo and implying that his loyalty was to the former president.
Sule Lamido was then told by the CSO that he has received a petition against him in which he could by his position botch. He said the petition hoax was an obvious attempt by the CSO to blackmail him over his defense of Obasanjo.
Sule Lamido recounted how he angrily reacted to the alleged petition which he sensed originated from his political rival, Mohammed Ali Ringim. He said he went to Aso Rock to confront the president’s CSO, warning him to desist from sowing seeds of disgust between former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’adua. He said he reminded the president’s CSO and other presidential staff how former president Olusegun Obasanjo favoured and elevated their principal into the presidential seat.
He said he thereafter met president Yar’adua who sought to know why he was angry and what had transpired. He in his response, enjoined the president to be grateful to former president Olusegun Obasanjo rather than looking for a way to victimize him.
“I told the president it’s immodest in our religion as well as culture to be ungrateful to our benefactor, please don’t fight Obasanjo who favoured you and ensured you become Nigeria’s president”.
He said after Yar’adua listened to him, he summoned the CSO who also confirmed his claims. He said late president Yar’adua there and then, sought to pacify Obasanjo by urging his ADC to accommodate Obasanjo in all important affairs especially international travels without seeking his approval.
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