A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, said he blocked ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from succeeding former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Anenih
stated this in his book, titled ‘My Life and Nigerian Politics,’ which was
presented in Abuja on Saturday.
Anenih,
who served as the Minister of Works and Housing between 1999 and 2002, said
Abubakar became too ambitious during the build-up to the 2003 presidential
election in which Obasanjo was seeking a second term.
“As
a result of my preparations for Chief Obasanjo’s second tenure, I stepped on
the toes of many of those who did not want him to seek a second term. These are
the people I can now refer to as members of the ‘G3’. These were General
Ibrahim Babangida, (ex-) Vice- President Atiku Abubakar and the (ex-) National Security
Adviser, General Aliu Gwarzo.
“There
was no other way I could have offended the vice-president other than that I
prevented him from being PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2003 presidential
election. He erroneously believed that he was the only politician at the Villa
and that he was better qualified than the President. I was well ahead of him in
all his plans to prevent Chief Obasanjo from running (for re-election).”
Anenih,
however, noted that after blocking Abubakar, the former vice-president also
ensured that he (Anenih) lost his position in Obasanjo’s cabinet.
The
former PDP BoT Chairman also claimed that he was the one who made Atiku
second-in-command in 1999.
He
said after the PDP presidential primary of 1998, the then Chairman of the party,
Solomon Lar, recommended three northerners to be Obasanjo’s running mate.
The
three nominees were Prof. Jerry Ghana, Abubakar Rimi and Adamu Ciroma.
Lar
was said to have told Obasanjo that Rimi was his preferred candidate but
Obasanjo wasn’t convinced.
Anenih,
according to the book, then advised Obasanjo to pick Atiku, who had just won
the governorship election in Adamawa State and was waiting to be sworn in.
He
added, “I asked Obasanjo whether he would want a vice-president that would give
him absolute confidence and allow him to sleep with his two eyes closed or
whether he would want a vice-president he did not trust.
“He
answered that he would like to sleep with his two eyes closed. It was at this
point that I asked him: ‘What about Atiku?’ Chief Obasanjo’s answer was that
Atiku had just won his governorship election and the law might not allow him to
come on board as his running mate.
“We
both decided to get a lawyer to advise us and Barrister Alimi Rasaq of Kwara
State was sent for. He advised us that there was nothing in the constitution
that prevented Atiku from being his running mate; especially as Atiku had not
been sworn in.”
Speaking
at the book presentation, which had in attendance several PDP leaders, Anenih
announced that he had quit politics.
However,
former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was a special guest of honour, rejected
Anenih’s retirement, urging him not to abandon the PDP.
Meanwhile,
the ex-minister said he survived death after an eight-hour heart surgery.
He
stated this during a thanksgiving service held at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria
Pro-Cathedral Church, Garki, Abuja.
He
said, “There is nothing God cannot do if you believe in him sincerely. I had a
problem with my heart. So I was subjected to eight hours of surgery and seven
doctors were carefully selected to do that because of their experience.
“Before
the operation, the seven doctors told the people that accompanied me (to the
hospital) that I wouldn’t make it. I heard them.”
The
event was attended by ex-Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar;
ex-Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Aliko Dangote; Second Republic Vice-President,
Alex Ekwueme; a former Governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada; ex-Governor of
Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; a former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu;
Prof. Jerry Gana and others.
Source:The Punch
Tags
Politics